How The Dual-Zone Climate Control Works

Do yourself a HUGE favor and enjoy the standard unit. Most here would trade you.

Speaking of which (I don't THINK anyone has discussed this yet)

it is possible to simply get ahold of a manual HVAC unit from a

junker (or buy it) and swap it out with the auto one ?

This would also nicely finesse the problem of not being to put an

aftermarket stereo HU into the LGT (or 2.5i Limited), since there

are mounting options for standard DIN HU's with the manual

controls.

From what I can tell when driving, it seems to cycle the a/c compressor on and off. Let's hear from others about this one.

When set on auto, for >65 settings when it's trying to cool, does blend in hot air from the heat core, or just reduce the a/c duty cycle? I usually set it to 65 in the summer and work the a/c button on and off, under the assumption that i'm running the compressor less. Am i saving gas or just wearing out my a/c button?

Maybe this has been asked and answered before, but I've missed it.

We all think the auto/dual climate sucks,mainly because it makes

putting in an after-mkt head unit virtually impossible (unless one

wants to spend nearly $1000 or if Highline ever comes through

with his JDM mod). But this thread reiterates that the auto/dual

HVAC also sucks in its own right !

It is possible to get a manual HVAC unit (from Subaru or a junkyard),

then install that in place of the current HVAC/stereo clusterf*uck ?

Thus you have HVAC controls that are more reasonable, plus there

are several inexpensive/viable options for putting in after-mkt HU !

great writeup - but i think i have a question still .

my vents never seem to draw "fresh air" - it always seems to be HOT (well, not that its summer especially). but even on full Manual mode, with the 'fresh' air icon on (only light on the panel), it does not feel like outside air at all - if its 70 outside, the vent seems to still spit out hot hot air.

any ideas?

>Even if it's in manual mode and you can't see the temperature settings displayed<

I don't understand that one. The temperature settings are always displayed, 65, 66, 67, 90, whatever. Maybe I don't understand what you meant.

> if they are at anything other than the lowest setting (65 on an '05-06), it will heat the outside air.<

I don't think so. If the setting is, say, at 70 and the system thinks the inside-car temp is warmer than that setting should be, it turns off the heat just as if the setting were 65. Setting it to 65 in that condition (very warm car inside) won't change the temp of the air coming out of the vents. I think the problem of warm air coming out of the vents (even set to 65) on a fairly warm day is heat in the system itself, probably from the engine. See my post in answer to the question of petes99. At least that's my take on it.

I think the problem is residual heat in the system, probably caused by heat from the engine. I can be driving with AC off and temp set to 65 (never any heat) and the air coming out of the vents may be OK, if not as cool as the outside air. But if I stop and let the car sit for while with the engine off and then start again, the air coming out of the vents is much warmer and cools off VERY slowly. I've noticed this effect on prior cars and used to just run the AC for a bit to take away that residual heat and then it was OK. But that doesn't work on my LGT unless I leave the AC on for a long time. I've just resigned to using the AC more than I did on other cars when the temperature is warm but not hot.

my vents never seem to draw "fresh air" - it always seems to be HOT (well, not that its summer especially). but even on full Manual mode, with the 'fresh' air icon on (only light on the panel), it does not feel like outside air at all - if its 70 outside, the vent seems to still spit out hot hot air.

I wrote to the company and enclosed some complaints. Never heard a word.

Maybe when Toyota takes over things will be different!

Nice write up. I can't read my Japanese manual, so this helps a lot.

I would first drive the car and see what happens. Also check to see if they put any dome lights for the front driver & pass.

Make sure you report back when you check it out.

Good lord the climate control sucks. WTF is wrong with good old manual controls? Now that it's getting cold I noticed that if I turn the thing down to 66 degrees, it's still blasting liquid hot magma heated air through the vents, yet if I turn it down 1 friggin' degree to 65, it's blasting me with cool air that makes me freeze ma ass off, so my entire way in to work I constantly juggle the stupid knob back and forth between the two trying to get comfortable, but never achieving it.... Acccckkkkkk.

Yay for overcomplicating simple controls !!!!

I hear ya. Most of the time, I just want ambient, outside air, but the thing roasts me until I turn on the AC. Such a shame, since it's been such a nice car otherwise. Coming here and seeing that it's not just mine (after two trips to the dealer and being told there's nothing wrong with it) has made it not bother me as much. (Thanks guys...*sniff*... ) Should I be comforted that it's just a bad design instead of something broken that they're apparently not going to fix?

I just found this:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/oneyear/112_0511_lt_2005_subaru_legacy_gt/index.html

"We took our Legacy GT sedan into the dealer for its 15,000-mile service and had it re-inspect the automatic climate-control system, which was regulating the ventilation by blowing hot air, then cold, then hot again, never generating the proper temperatures. During a previous visit, it was checked and found normal. Reader Tom Vani wrote that he'd had a similar situation with his Subaru Outback H6, so we showed the dealer a copy of Tom's e-mail with the recommended fix."

Recommended fix? I can't find an email address on the site for the author. I want to know what he's referring to.

Good lord the climate control sucks. WTF is wrong with good old manual controls? Now that it's getting cold I noticed that if I turn the thing down to 66 degrees, it's still blasting liquid hot magma heated air through the vents, yet if I turn it down 1 friggin' degree to 65, it's blasting me with cool air that makes me freeze ma ass off, so my entire way in to work I constantly juggle the stupid knob back and forth between the two trying to get comfortable, but never achieving it.... Acccckkkkkk.

Yay for overcomplicating simple controls !!!!

See!!!! Now you know what were talking about.

I even did the mod that forces air from the cabin into the intake sensor and it still functions in the sam crazy manner.

My biggest beef with the car.

I can tell you this, the system in my Audi works perfect!

I hear ya. Most of the time, I just want ambient, outside air, but the thing roasts me until I turn on the AC. Such a shame, since it's been such a nice car otherwise. Coming here and seeing that it's not just mine (after two trips to the dealer and being told there's nothing wrong with it) has made it not bother me as much. (Thanks guys...*sniff*... ) Should I be comforted that it's just a bad design instead of something broken that they're apparently not going to fix?

 

I just found this:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/oneyear/112_0511_lt_2005_subaru_legacy_gt/index.html

 

"We took our Legacy GT sedan into the dealer for its 15,000-mile service and had it re-inspect the automatic climate-control system, which was regulating the ventilation by blowing hot air, then cold, then hot again, never generating the proper temperatures. During a previous visit, it was checked and found normal. Reader Tom Vani wrote that he'd had a similar situation with his Subaru Outback H6, so we showed the dealer a copy of Tom's e-mail with the recommended fix."

 

Recommended fix? I can't find an email address on the site for the author. I want to know what he's referring to.

The manufacturer called me on this and I gave them a Blazing review. They say there working on a fix.. Yea sure.