VF HVAC design fault. Put up with it?

[CalaisNQ]

Is it just people with a series 1 having problems with the ac?
No problems with s2 calais I have, works as good or better than the dual climate control system in my old vz adventra, and vr and vs calais's I have owned.
But I didn't run any of the system in auto mode either.

 

[Forg]

It's the same system in VF & VF2, with people reporting the same problems.
The problem is in the auto mode, ie. when you are using climate control as opposed to manual operation (something most have been taking for granted for 20-30 years).

 

[CalaisNQ]

It's the same system in VF & VF2, with people reporting the same problems.
The problem is in the auto mode, ie. when you are using climate control as opposed to manual operation (something most have been taking for granted for 20-30 years).

That what I was thinking.
Never like auto mode, for the fact it kept varing the fan speed and vent position too much all the time, and didn't keep constant cabin temp.
I find that system keeps better temp control in manual mode.

 

[Forg]

It's not enough of a Thing that it'd have stopped me from buying had I known; but it is pretty silly given that systems have been working perfectly for 30 years and Holden have had perfectly-good climate-control systems since at least the VR (23 years ago) and probably before.

 

[Anthony121]

That what I was thinking.
Never like auto mode, for the fact it kept varing the fan speed and vent position too much all the time, and didn't keep constant cabin temp.
I find that system keeps better temp control in manual mode.

Is manual mode just switching off the AC button and the auto disappears? Or do you adjust the fan manually too? Mine is still crap.

 

[Anthony121]

You're in Melbourne? Our Redline was fine in Sydney weather over summer.

yes but what has that got to do with it? If the car is hot it should work. I find if the car has been in the garage and then taken out in the heat, aircond works well. It's when the car has been in the sun it doesn't know what to do. The ducts are cool so the fan slows while the cabin is still hot.

 

[Forg]

yes but what has that got to do with it?

The fact that ours was fine last summer, with the difference being that it is hotter here than there. If the car was hot, it'd do the noisy full-blast cold thing for a while.
The problems don't seem to be with flat-out grunt, they seem to be with it getting confused under certain circumstances; so I was wondering whether the extra heat here was what was kicking it over into working (eg. in the same - ?opposite? - way you can cop a face full of cold air on a cold winter's morning if the aircon is set to 21, yet if it's set to 23 it works fine).

 

[Mike Litherous]

There is a temperature sensor listed for the VF. Part No 25775833 Sensor, AMBIENT AIR TEMP. This is how the display outside temperature works. Air temp and the sun sensor determines on the fan speed.

There is also a fan speed setting adjustable on the radio. In winter set auto fan to min and then in summer have it set to max. This makes a difference. The VF fan is not set to blow very fast with AC on. If you turn the AC button off, the fan actually gets faster. Very bad design fault. You need to use the fan manually on very hot days or turn the temp down to 'C'

My VE was much better. Set and forget. Maybe on a very hot day I would change it but it was good all the time. This thing is just crap!

Sorry there. I ment an in cabin temp sensor. (Not outdoor air temp sensor) my bad. For some reason where 99.99% of temperature related hvac systems (automotive and buildings) rely on a well placed in cabin temperature sensor, Holden decided fancy computer algorithms would replace the sensor

 

[Batca]

The fact that ours was fine last summer, with the difference being that it is hotter here than there. If the car was hot, it'd do the noisy full-blast cold thing for a while.
The problems don't seem to be with flat-out grunt, they seem to be with it getting confused under certain circumstances; so I was wondering whether the extra heat here was what was kicking it over into working (eg. in the same - ?opposite? - way you can cop a face full of cold air on a cold winter's morning if the aircon is set to 21, yet if it's set to 23 it works fine).

Not sure of this one. It's just as warm or warmer in Perth over summer so can't see it being the reason.
I tend to have the issue when the car is hot as well.when left out in the sun all day at work for example.

 

[Forg]

Yeah OK ... didn't really think a useable solution would be that simple.
Seems that making it work a bit harder makes it behave better, though; even though it goes against the whole concept of 'climate control'.