[JB in AZ]

With all the discussion about the lack of, or slow to heat cabins in our 5th Gen CR-Vs...

I have an observation. Something that I have seen a few others post about as well. The heat can blast you out of the car...This is NOT a complaint, just an observation and discussion...

Granted I don't live where it gets really cold, but it has been in the mid 20s to low 30s (F) here most mornings recently. I have previously reported that I get warm air from the vents in about a mile from my house, using fresh outside air and setting the temp at 74, with the Auto HVAC function OFF. (AC is confirmed off as well). I don't use the ECON mode either. Driving slightly downhill and max 40MPH.

So, the air is starting to come out warmer, and within a few of miles (3?), it is getting very warm in the car. I turn the temp down to 70, and it keeps getting warmer and warmer. TOO warm, in fact. Outside temp is 27F. Now it is getting way too warm, and the air is still very warm/hot coming out of the vents. Turn it down to 68, and it barely starts to show some sign of reducing the temp of the air coming out of the vents.

I get to my destination, and a couple of hours later, get back in the car. It is now in the mid 40s out, and the car has cooled to "nothing showing on the temp gauge". I turn heat setting to 70 again, and within a mile, the temp gauge shows the red indicator (almost to the normal level), and I start to get some luke-warm air out of the vents. This time, however, it doesn't get too warm, in fact, I have to tun it way up to get any significant heat in the cabin. I know that the temp setting is not telling the system to put out air at the set temperature, but rather try to heat the cabin to that set temp (or cool in summer).

This system seems to work differently than any other recent vehicle I have owned with Automatic HVAC systems. And I don't use the AUTO setting in winter, just summer. On our other car, a 15 Ford Escape Titanium, you can set the temp at 70, or 72, and it will warm up, and maintain a decent warm interior. The CR-V will get too hot, if left set at 72 or 74, (even 70) on the first start of the day, and require several adjustments to the set temp. Later in the day it will not get as hot.

This is not a complaint, just an observation, and it is easy enough to tun it down when it gets too hot, it's just weird that it operates this way. I can't comment or compare how this works on previous/other Honda products.

Anyone else care to comment, or experience this?

 

[beachpassport]

This is only my uneducated opinion, based on observation only (I'm sure there may be lots of posters ready to straighten me out!)

I think the temp sensor is set in the air vent, and the flow warms/cools until it is exiting the system at your set point. That's in contrast to a vehicle which has the temp sensor in the cabin. In my previous Honda, the cold air blew colder (and warm air hotter) until the CABIN reached set point.

 

[fishycomics]

Well Honda always had a Strong heater since day one and it does.

 

[crv383]

Something I’ve noticed is the 2 side dash vents continue to blow even when the “floor” position is selected. The “floor” position turns off the center dash vents, but not the side vents. I agree that at times the heater seems too warm......I think it is due to heated air blowing on my face from the side vents. I would prefer all 4 dash vents be off, with heated air blowing only on my feet, when the floor position is selected. I’m too lazy to keep adjusting vents.

 

[fishycomics]

see if hte vents have a on/mix/off dial. that is why air always comes through if left on.

 

[FwaScubaDiver]

Honda thought they'd be ahead of the curve and now have your car functioning like your heat in your home... your heat in your home only pumps out one temp of heat and will continue to do so until you home reaches the set point on the thermostat. Honda removed the thermistor temp sensor from the area where the heated or cooled air goes thru and put it in your cabin... so during heating, it now pumps hottest air possible until the thermistor is satisfied. This can take quite some time.. Personally I feel it's a HORRIBLE design. I'm looking for ways to drop my dash and grab that thermistor (it's located on the dash to lower right of steering wheel - looks like small vent), drill a hole and put it into the air duct and hope to have it act "as it should". if anyone out there has ideas of how to drop that lower part of the dash, I'm all ears.

 

[crv383]

The HVAC appears to blow out at base of windshield, or dash vents, or both dash and floor, or floor, or both windshield and floor. The fan can be turned off. If the fan is on, air is blowing thru 1 of the 5 vent selections.

 

[crv383]

Your home heater shuts off when the desired temp is reached. Likewise, your home air conditioner shuts off when the desired temp is reached.

Automotive HVAC work differently from your home. In "AUTO" mode, both the heater and compressor (A/C) are on. The heater is way more powerful than the A/C so to increase/decrease the car cabin temp, more/less heated air is added to the cooled air. It works that way in virtually all automotive HVAC systems.

When less heat is desired, the response is not instantaneous as it take a bit of time for those HVAC vent ducts/various parts to cool down so it takes a bit of time for the air flowing over/thru those parts to cool down.

Heat/cool in your home is never on at the same time. Automotive heat/cool is on at the same time in "AUTO" mode.

 

[JB in AZ]

Your home heater shuts off when the desired temp is reached. Likewise, your home air conditioner turn off when the desired temp is reached.

Automotive HVAC work differently from your home. In "AUTO" mode, both the heater and compressor (A/C) are on. The heater is way more powerful than the A/C so to increase/decrease the car cabin temp, more/less heated air is added to the cooled air. It works that way in virtually all automotive HVAC systems.

Right! Except I am not running the compressor when it is cold outside. So when I experience the temp of the air coming out of the vents staying hot, and the cabin is at a comfortable temp, and then I move the set temp to a lower point, it is probably not mixing in much (if any) cool (cold) outside air. As I mentioned, I have the AUTO function off and the AC compressor off as well. I see no reason to run the compressor when it is near freezing outside. (we don't have window fogging issues here in the desert). Very low outside humidity.

 

[crv383]

Exactly......that's why I said when using "AUTO" mode. Manual mode, as you are using, allows more control.

 

[JB in AZ]

Exactly......that's why I said when using "AUTO" mode. Manual mode, as you are using, allows more control.

Ah, and I bet if I was to hit the AUTO button, it would maintain a more stable cabin temp, without the need to adjust the setting down, but at a cost of higher fuel consumption. I loose 2-3 MPG per tankfull in summer here when I'm using the AC (in AUTO mode) 100% of the time vs "winter" when I virtually never use it.

As I said, it is not a problem for me to set it to a lower setting, just a discussion. I bet Honda expected the majority of users to keep it in AUTO mode when they designed the system.

My current lifetime (~15,000 miles) average is 33.47 mpg, last 8 tankfulls at or above 34 mpg, last 8 tankfulls in Summer (with AC use) 30-31mpg

 

[FwaScubaDiver]

Sorry but "Auto Mode" does not help one bit in this instance.. I've tried it all: auto, non- auto, compressor on, compressor off.. when set at 58, it blows 110 degree heat.. when set at Lo (the next step below 58) it blows outside are (which is often less than 30 degrees, which is way too cold). My solution so far is: since I drive solo 99% of the time, I set passenger temp as Lo and direct passenger middle vent my way, driver temp at 58. this seems to help.. however, this also prevents the thermistor from achieving a warmer temp sooner and so it delays the onset of air at a reasonable temp :-( still --- a bad idea.. as I told the main honda corp, maybe give us a choice to have cabin temp or duct temp at touch of a button.. seems like a great compromise and could put them ahead of the competition -- maybe I should apply for a patent for such.. LOL

 

[crv383]

Wow! we've seen 34mpg one time.......on our one and only 1K mile road trip. Our driving is around town, frequent stop-n-goes. That gets us 26-27mpg, but I'm not complaining. Beats the heck out of our former p/u truck.

I monitor vent temp with a probe type thermometer.......never seen 110 when set at 58. It still does not work like a home system.


Follow-up: Ambient is 43F, start-up coolant temp 97F, HVAC in manual mode/fresh air, temp selector set at LO, coolant temp starts floating at 178F-183F, vent temp thermometer shows about 52F, temp selector then set at 58F, vent thermometer peaks/holds at 65F, temp selector moved to HI, vent thermometer reaches 142F, sweat starts to roll, temp selector set back to 58F, takes a bit for temp to drop but vent thermometer does settle back to 65F. End of honey-do, YMMV.

 

[5th gen Ed]

Mine acts exactly like the OP. But all my recent cars have. Subaru Forester was the worst for this. Sometimes I will open the moon roof a crack to cool off. Also I turn the temp down and the fan up. Eventually the temp stabilizes and I go back to Auto.