Rafiksao

I hear we get the 3-D Solar Sensing with the NAVI.

What is that exactly ? how does it work ? how usefull is it ?

Thanks

ryder1650

Yes, you do get it.

However, personally I dont feel the AC/fan function changing at all with the car turning to a new position etc....But the climate control is very good either way.

cutemp

Technically, you have that function ... but it do jack :thefinger ... I never feel the difference. I agree though, the auto climate control is doing a great job ...

Ron A

This is from the Acura website and should help explain your question about what it is and how it works.

The intuitive nature of the Automatic Climate Control system is improved with 3D Solar Sensing, which works with the navigation system to determine the location of the sun, relative to driver and front passenger, and adjusts dual-climate settings to accommodate them.

When the sun is beaming elsewhere, the system will maintain the interior temperature where you set it. Or you can choose to adjust it manually using controls on the dash. Rear-seat passengers have their own controls for the amount and direction of airflow they receive. And to be sure the circulating air is nothing short of pure, an air filtration system helps remove pollen, soot, and even bacteria as small as three microns-smaller than the width of a human hair.

rets

It's really working... we ever did the test before, in Nov.

I think you should check need4spd's thread. He did some experiment by using his devices. I lost the link... sorry.

04tlnbppar

I never pay attension to this, does this 3-D Solar Sensing thing only come with the TL equipped with Navi?

kph

Yep - it requires the navi to determine the direction you are pointing and the location of the sun. I have felt the shift in fan speeds as I have turned in my morning drive to work.

04tlnbppar

Then what the TL without Navi get? just a regular auto climate control?

EluSiOn

what happen if you tinted your window? because after that it screens most of the heat energy already! to me that 3d sensing solar position and adjusting climate control is really a sales term...

Bitium

well most cars have a solar sensor on each side to detect the sun. Once the sun hits that side the ac goes ahead and cools down the affected side.

On the TL it uses the navigation system to know where on earth you are, what direction you are pointing (N,E,S,W), day of the year and the time of the day. It has a database so it knows where the sun is at according to all the above information then accordenly it adjust your temperature on the affected side. One why to know is living in a hot climate like florida or arizona then when the sun is hitting your face on a the side window. You should either not feel the sun rays, feel cooler on that side or hear the fan go up on the affected side.

Kind of cool.

TL_Penguin

How does the navigation system know if it is sunny or cloudy? On a clear day, it would get a lot hotter inside the car. I'm sure the climate control must have solor sensors as well. Does anyone know for sure?

bigdomer

It works like a charm in my car. I frequently hear the fan changing speed based on a turn. Maybe it is not hot enough where some of you live, yet.

caball88

it definitely works cause in the morning when i drive to work you can feel the a/c kick in at certain areas where its sunny and then when you hit areas where it is more shaded the a/c gets cut off and the air coming out is not as strong and not as cold.

ryder1650

Does this happen to you when your navi screen is on? Or does this feature work even if the screen is off?

detroi_TL

There are two sensors in the car for the climate control. The sun load sensor is located on top of the I/P near the passenger side (it has a small tinted dome). There is also an in-car temperature sensor also located on the I/P near the inboard knee bolster on the driver side.

caball88

never drove with the navi off. why would you drive with navi screen off?

TLGator

Great question. I drive with the screen off when I'm just commuting to work and back. I sometime push the Audio button to access music functions, but I don't need the map to get me work and home. Or do I?

caball88

i didn't mean have the screen on the map. i use the audio display all the time for XM. but i never have the navi display off.

TLGator

caball88 - The Navi itself is "off" unless you hit the "OK" button when those idiotic legalese notices come up. I usually let mine just turn off, then a few minutes later I'll hear a song on XM and want more info. I find the "Disp/Mode" button useless because it only cycles through info in the little display above the Navi, so I just hit the Audio button. But the Navi itself is still "off" and I wonder if this solar sensing thing works in that situation.

ryder1650

Yup thats exactly what I do. Most of the time, though, I am listening to Cds and leave the screen off completely (you get all the information you need from the screen with the clock).

jtruman

Navi knows the direction which the sun should come from (whether to crank up the AC on passenger side or driver side). Then, in the solar sensor in the front dashboard detects whether it's sunny or cloudy.

jtruman

The sensor is at the front right corner of the dashboard... unless you tinted your front windshield as well...

digital_b

amazing some of the ignorant comments regarding the screen and the nav based solar temp sensor. the climate control works in relation to the gps info about where the sun is AND the temperature inside and outside the car.

brandonb

I know this is an old thread, but does anyone know if your climate control has to be on AUTO for this to work? I usually just pick a temp and fan speed, but haven't noticed this feature working.

Thanks,
-Brandon

need4spd

Brandon, it works in all modes, and is based on the temperature that is set, it varries one side vs the other (left - right) to compensate for which side the sun is on, if the sun is in front or back (ie if heading due east -west) then the air temperature on both sides is exactly the same, if heading north-south, then the side with the sun is set a few degrees less (compansating for the heating effect of the sun).

brandonb

N4S - Will you actually see the temperature change on the driver and passenger side? Or does it just change without you knowing?

Thanks for the response,
-Brandon

Ron A

On Page 115 of the Owner's Manual, left hand column, 2nd paragraph, it says it has to be in the AUTO mode.

brandonb

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know -

Thanks Ron!