Sponsored

Weird things I learned about the recirculating air feature

TorqueWrenchUSA

2.0L EcoBoost
Well-known member
First Name
Joe
Joined
Oct 28, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
93
Reaction score
94
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio
Vehicle(s)
03' VDC Outback wagon, 97' zoom zoom Miata
Engine
2.0L EcoBoost
Clubs
 
Well this is a bummer. I live in an area that has seen an increase in skunk population in the suburbs I live in. And the last thing I want is for the recirc to randomly turn off at the worst possible time.
Sponsored

 
OP
OP
Big Kahuna

Big Kahuna

2.0L EcoBoost
Well-known member
Joined
Aug 17, 2021
Threads
80
Messages
761
Reaction score
1,417
Location
WA
Vehicle(s)
Maverick
Engine
2.0L EcoBoost
So now that I know this is a thing I messed around with it a ton today to see if I can figure anything out :)

  • With max AC ON the recirc will stay on - however if you do max AC and hit the defrost setting it will turn off the max AC and the recir :)
  • With MAX AC in the maverick you can't adjust temp which is different for me vs some older cars where even in the max AC setting you could still adjust temp gauge independently. Not sure I can think of a time you'd need to but if you do MAX AC it goes to LOW on the temp.
  • The recirculation button will shut off on it's own and I can not figure out a rhyme or reason to how or when it will decide to turn off. With the foot vent selected it stayed on for a while but then turned off when I wasn't looking. Another time I set it to the dash vent and it went off after about 5 minutes.
  • AC on or AC off it will still shut off when it wants to - it seems like with the AC off it stays on longer and is less likely to shut off than with the AC on.

So in conclusion if you press the recirculation button it's like a box of chocolates....you don't know what you're going to get. If you're in traffic behind a stinky garbage truck and you close the windows and turn the AC on and hit recirculation just be aware the car might decide to turn it off whenever it wants :)

Perhaps because I'm in the PNW and we have higher humidity right now it is trying not to fog my windows but I seriously have no idea how to figure out when it will stay on or shut off.
 

Bushpilot

2.5L Hybrid
Well-known member
First Name
Greg
Joined
Aug 15, 2021
Threads
11
Messages
971
Reaction score
1,838
Location
Spokane, WA
Vehicle(s)
Chevy Volt
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
Ford has done this for a long time. My previous 2005 Focus did it.
 

Tiger Dude

2.0L EcoBoost
Well-known member
First Name
Skip
Joined
Sep 21, 2022
Threads
2
Messages
793
Reaction score
1,212
Location
Louisiana USA
Vehicle(s)
2023 XL
Engine
2.0L EcoBoost
I think there is a humidity sensor in there. Every car I've had for the past 20 yrs turns off recirc for the defrost since they're assuming it's cold out and heat doesn't take humidity out of the air. It's probably a safety and lisbility thing. "Ford made me crash by not turning off recirc and my window fogged up!?" The older cars I had before that told you to do it yourself.
 

captredbeard

2.5L Hybrid
Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2022
Threads
1
Messages
7
Reaction score
7
Location
Washington
Vehicle(s)
Elantra
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
I am glad I am not the only one going crazy, not happy I can't force it to stay in the mode I tell it, this wildfire smoke is not fun!
 

Sponsored

Red Ryder

2.5L Hybrid
Well-known member
Joined
Jun 20, 2021
Threads
12
Messages
1,190
Reaction score
1,737
Location
United States (TN)
Vehicle(s)
22 Maverick XLT Iconic Silver
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
Well this is a bummer. I live in an area that has seen an increase in skunk population in the suburbs I live in. And the last thing I want is for the recirc to randomly turn off at the worst possible time.
Yes!

In skunk mating season, there is roadkill everywhere in my area. In fact, my wife (when riding as a passenger), knows to "batten down the hatches" when dead skunks are sighted ahead, meaning to reconfigure for re-circulation.
 

fossil

2.0L EcoBoost
Well-known member
First Name
ernie
Joined
Aug 23, 2020
Threads
48
Messages
3,432
Reaction score
5,791
Location
ohio
Vehicle(s)
95 SVT Cobra Mustang, HPR Lariat Tremor
Engine
2.0L EcoBoost
I'm a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by burning gasoline, what am I?
 

Montykeel

2.5L Hybrid
Well-known member
First Name
Monty
Joined
Sep 8, 2021
Threads
9
Messages
89
Reaction score
129
Location
Rogers AR
Vehicle(s)
2011Escape Hybrid and 2022 XL Poverty Edition
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
It's not a Ford thing they're all like that now. We have relinquished control to the machines.
Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
 

Montykeel

2.5L Hybrid
Well-known member
First Name
Monty
Joined
Sep 8, 2021
Threads
9
Messages
89
Reaction score
129
Location
Rogers AR
Vehicle(s)
2011Escape Hybrid and 2022 XL Poverty Edition
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
I'm a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by burning gasoline, what am I?
Water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, various nitrogen oxides.
 
Sponsored

Brown0

2.5L Hybrid
Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2022
Threads
2
Messages
98
Reaction score
206
Location
Charlotte, NC
Vehicle(s)
Lariat Lux
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
Recirculation forced off has been a common thing in all of my vehicles since my 1997 Dodge Neon. We produce water vapor by respiration, which eventually can get to the level of the windows fogging up when it's cool out. Forcing recirculation off [and also forcing the A/C compressor to run] ensures that fresh air is mixed in and dried in the cabin. It makes the de-fogging effective.
 

Joe Kelly

2.0L EcoBoost
Well-known member
First Name
Joe
Joined
Jul 20, 2022
Threads
16
Messages
284
Reaction score
258
Location
St Charles, Mo
Vehicle(s)
1973 Triumph TR-6, 2009 Accord, 2017 Pacifica
Engine
2.0L EcoBoost

jsus

2.5L Hybrid
Well-known member
Joined
Dec 20, 2021
Threads
0
Messages
2,873
Reaction score
3,859
Location
USA
Vehicle(s)
2022 Ford Escape Hybrid AWD
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
Well this is a bummer. I live in an area that has seen an increase in skunk population in the suburbs I live in. And the last thing I want is for the recirc to randomly turn off at the worst possible time.
"skunk population".....
 

martyi48

2.5L Hybrid
Well-known member
First Name
Marty
Joined
Jun 9, 2021
Threads
11
Messages
208
Reaction score
278
Location
East Texas
Vehicle(s)
Maverick
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
I have a Lariat. How do you get the temperature reading on the control knobs? I have seen the knobs show the desired temp set on videos but can't replicate it. When I move the knobs to lower or raise the temperature, it only shows it on the screen, not the knobs. How do you enable this feature?
 

BAScott62

2.5L Hybrid
Well-known member
First Name
Brian
Joined
Aug 26, 2022
Threads
1
Messages
219
Reaction score
464
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
Vehicle(s)
2022 Maverick Hybrid
Engine
2.5L Hybrid
I have a Lariat. How do you get the temperature reading on the control knobs? I have seen the knobs show the desired temp set on videos but can't replicate it. When I move the knobs to lower or raise the temperature, it only shows it on the screen, not the knobs. How do you enable this feature?
At some point they removed the LEDs from the temperature control knobs.
Sponsored

 
 







Top