Air Conditioning always on in "auto" mode
 

My new 2104 Impala LTZ has the Automatic feature for climate control, and when I have it in "Auto" mode, the A/C is always on, even when the temperature outside is 60 degrees, and I have the temp sent to 72 in the car. I would think the A/C would only run when the outside temp is above 72 (when set to 72 in the cabin), or it's so cold outside that it need to decrease the humidity in the cabin. Any ideas?

Hi dmahillen,

Congrats on your new 2014 Impala! In regard to your climate control-- do you have the defrost mode set? If so the air conditioning compressor will run automatically in this setting, unless the outside temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Please feel free to PM us your VIN and we can look more into this for you.

Amber N.
Chevrolet Customer Care

You are correct. Not only does the system automatically run the compressor when it feels like it, it can also do other things depending on the humidity in the car etc. I have turned off any of these "features" using the options screen.

Meanwhile, I set the max. fan speed option to "medium" (for when I do decide to run the system in full auto) and usually control the system myself. I prefer to tell IT where to discharge the air and how fast to set the fan speed. However, it is in "automatic" mode as far as the temperature goes. Under the restrictions you have placed on the system it will try to maintain the temperature you have set (and it really does).

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm used to my other car (Hyundai Azera), where when in "Auto" mode, the A/C is only on when needed, and controls the humidity etc. So far, the Impala's A/C has never been off when in Automatic Mode, which seems strange when the outside temp has never been warmer than the set cabin temp. Anyway, thanks for your input.

All of my "Auto Defog" and "Auto Rear Defog" set to OFF. and still the A/C is "ON" when "Auto" is selected on the driver temperature control knob and the outside temp is lower than the set cabin temp. I've never seen the A/C off when in Automatic mode. I guess my question would be, does the A/C compressor run when the A/C light is on?

dmahillen,

An indicator light comes on to show that the A/C is on. The air conditioning can be selected in any mode as long as the fan is on and the outside temperature is above freezing. If there is a flashing indicator light this means that the air conditioning compressor is currently not available.

Amber N.
Chevrolet Customer Care

That's right. When you activate the "auto" mode, the computer takes over COMPLETE CONTROL of the HVAC system. This includes running the compressor whenever it feels like it, adjusting the fan speed, controlling which outlet the air comes from, etc.

Just because the A/C light is on when the system is set to "AUTO", doesn't mean the compressor is running....but it COULD be. For example, if it's, say 50 degrees outside and cloudy. You get in the car with the system set to "AUTO". There is no need to run the compressor because you have the thermostat set to 70 degrees but it's only 60 degrees in the car. As soon as the engine warms up, the system activates the heater.

Here's another example. It's also 50 degrees out but the sun is shining. The sun heats the car up to 75 degrees. In this case, the system turns the compressor on because it needs to COOL the car down to your setting of 70 degrees. Once it reaches 70 degrees in the car, the compressor shuts down. And it may never turn on again for the rest of your drive because the system just turns the heater off and brings in (50 degree) air which keeps the car at 70 degrees. But if that's not enough to keep the car at 70 degrees, it will once again cycle the compressor.

There are also settings you can make regarding humidity. If set to auto, when the system is in full auto mode it might run the compressor AND the heater to lower the humidity in the car. Basically, it will act like a dehumidifier!

That's all fine and good but since I've purchased my Impala I've never run the system in "AUTO" mode. I just set the thermostat to 70 degrees and select where the air is to exit and my desired fan speed and the system will heat the car up to 70 degrees. If it's too hot in the car, I just press the A/C button.

Thanks, ThomasM. Your statement: "Just because the A/C light is on when the system is set to "AUTO", doesn't mean the compressor is running....but it COULD be." is what I was hoping for. The reply from Chevrolet Customer Care stated that the A/C was ON when the indicator light was ON. ("An indicator light comes on to show that the A/C is on.") I'm used to my Azera, where the A/C indicator is only ON when the compressor is running. I liked the "Auto" mode on the Azera, as I didn't have to touch any controls, I just set the temp I want in the cabin, and all is well. Thanks again for your reply.

dmahillen,

We are glad ThomasM was able to clear things up for you and answer your question.

Erica Tiffany (Assisting Amber)
Chevrolet Customer Care