When my air is completely off in the TL, I still get some warm air blowing from the vents. Very slight air flow but it's there. Can anyone confirm this is normal and that there is always some sort of air flow through the vents???

 

thats just outside air comming in its normal.

 

Thanks! Just odd that it'd be warm air on a 50 degree morning. But the car is garage kept so maybe it's just the engine warming the air???

 

could be or when your driving the air still passes under the hood which in turn makes it warmer.

 

I have yet to find a car that when you shut all fans etc. off you get zero air coming in. Yep - I agree it is normal. Made the ride going through Staten Island rough as there was no way to keep that nasty air out of the car!

 

Stinky Air.. anyone else still get exhaust and smoke when your hvac is set to Recirculate ?? This car, as well as the 2000 TL I had, just doesn't seal up very well against outside stank. My 98 Accord, you put it on Recirc and you don't smell NOTHIN.

I know it's meant more for recirculating the air for better cooling, but dang it is still bringing in a LOT of outside air, so whats the point.

 

I think that there is a new safety standard that there MUST be some fresh air coming in ALWAYS to prevent CO poisoning from exahust leaks.

 

Has anyone noticed that when you switch to the lower vents barely any air comes out?

 

All my hot air comes from the passengers seat. I keep telling her to shut up.

 

:lol1:

 

I think I know why you and I get warm air. Check to see what temp # it was set at. I had my temp set at 68 and when I switched over to vent, it still blew out warm. Then brought it down to 57 (low) and its cooler out of the vents. Check it out

 

that warm air you get is air from the outside. but that air travels through the engine and the engine is hot, hence you get that warm air no matter what the temp is outside - correct me if i'm wrong but i've always believed this.

you can always close the vents themselves if you don't want air coming in at all

 

I have noticed the same thing...

Actually, the first time I ever noticed this was on my Saab. With that Saab, after much investigating, I realized that if I put the AC in recirculate mode no air would come out. In addition, if I did not put it on recirculate, the air that would come in would actually be as warm as my temperature gauge dictated, but only if the outside air was cold.

For example, if it was 30 degrees outside and my temp gauge was set at 78, the air would be warmed with the engine to about that temperature. If I set the gauge to 58 the air would come in at what felt like that temperature. Now, if it was 80 degrees outside, it didn't matter how cold I put the gauge, the air that would come in was still warm.

My guess is that the TL works the same way even though I haven't experimented this with it yet (don't ask me why...). So, most likely, if you don't want to experience this air coming in, set it on recirculate mode before you shut down the climate control.

 

Its the temp setting. Bring it down lower

 

The air for your climate control system does not pass through the engine, it comes in through the plenum which is located between your windshield and the firewall (sealed off from the engine compartment).

The air you get when you shut the AC off is "ram" air, a venturi effect created by the plenum as air travels across the hood and up the windshield, notice it doesn't come out when the car is idling, only when the car is moving. You can stop the air by switching to recirc, even when the climate control is off.

If you want the "ram" air to be the same temperature as outside air then you need to move the temp set to LO before you shut off the climate control that way you bi-pass the heater core completely.

 

GREAT explanation!!!