On our Fit, when we have the climate control set to fresh air through the dash vents, and the temp knob the whole way toward cold, it seems that the air coming into the car is significantly warmer than outside air. I'd estimate 5-10 degrees warmer. This is annoying to me, as the other day it was a really nice day outside, a little cool, but without rolling the window down I was too warm inside. I felt the air coming in through the vents and it felt considerably warmer than outside air. Anyone else noticed this?

 

Well, first thing's first, the air you feel as it rushes past your window is definitely going to feel cooler than it does if you were to just stand outside, or probably coming through your vent since it's coming out relatively slower. But you make it sound like it's significantly worse than this.

I'd go check with the dealer and have them check it out for you. I'm by no means a car expert but to me it sounds like an issue with a faulty thermostat.

 

From my experience with Honda's and the vent, the air coming in thru the vents is always slightly warmer than the outside air, on moderate temp days with the temp knob set to cold. I'd estimate a few degrees warmer not too much.

I always thought that was because by the time the outside air comes in thru the interior vents it was warmed by the car somehow (engine, radio, lights, ) However, I'm not sure on the actual placement of the vent intakes, etc, and their proximity to any heat sources, so it's just a theory.

 

my 07 civic does the same.

 

^^^^yay first post!

 

Of course. I'm not talking about air rushing past the window. I'm talking about ambient air temp outside being significantly colder than the fresh air coming through the vents. Even with the fan on the second or third setting, the air from the vents is a lot warmer than outside, and with the temp knob to full cold. Sitting still, in a parking lot, I feel the vent air temp, then roll the window down, a lot cooler outside. I'd estimate 5 degrees, minimum, 10 max. When driving, same thing.
I can see if the car was sitting still in the sun for a hour, then the air ducts, etc, would be hot and naturally the incoming air would be warmed. With the Fit, no matter how long the fan has been on, with fresh air cooling the vent system, the air is still always warmer than outside. I'm going to try to get an exact thermo reading if I can to substantiate this. Just wondered if anyone else noticed this.

 

Unfortunately this is common on most cars, not just the Fit. It is due to (heated) underhood air being introduced into the vent air and heater core heat (the heater core is hot all the time regardless of temperature knob position). They all do it.

 

Understood that the heater core is hot all the time, but if the knob is in complete cold position, zero outside air should be drawn past it, hence no change in temp ideally. A flap opens to allow outside air to be drawn over the hot core when the temp knob is moved toward hot. When on total cold, the flap is completely closed and no air flow over the core.

With all due respect...

Cars that I've owned in the past that did not do this, right off the top of my head:

Mini Cooper
Subaru Impreza 2.5RS
Subaru Loyale Wagon
Geo Metro
Suzuki Sidekick
Mercedes E320 wagon
Volvo 850 Turbo wagon
Nissan Altima
Toyota RAV4
numerous VWs from 1966 to 2003, 03 Jetta TDI, 00 New Beetle TDI, etc etc.

current rides that don't do this:

83 VW Pickup
98 VW Golf K2

Looking under the hood of both of my VWs, they have a separate compartment behind the engine where the wiper parts and the ventilation air intake are. There is a rubber gasket that mates with the hood, so that ventilation air does not mix with heated engine compartment air. All you get on those cars is air sucked in through the hood vents, straight into the fan intake.

I'll have to look under the hood of the Fit to see how the arrangement is. My wife has it at work now, not immediately available to look.

I've owned a LOT of cars,new and old, probably literally 30+, and have never noticed this before the Fit. Certainly not even remotely to this degree. I think it is more a Fit thing than a general car thing.

 

I've noticed this on many cars I've owned or driven. As a fix, I just run the AC to cool off the vent system for a minute or so, then turn it off.

Especially noticeable when you start up the car when the engine is already warm. The latent engine heat heats up the intake air.

 

I hear you. I guess the difference is with my Fit, it never cools off the whole way. No matter how long I drive, the vent air is always warmer. You can run the AC for a minute, and then 5 minutes later the vent air is still warmer than outside air. I'll live, but it is annoying.

I've noticed lots of cars where the vent air was warm immediately, but after any amount of outside air ran through, the vent air was cool. Fit, always warmer.

 

That's quite a list of cars you have had.

I had to laugh when I saw that you had a Impreza 2.5 RS, are a current Fit owner, AND too are noticing that the coldest fresh air setting (w/ no a/c) stills feels warmer than it should.

I still own my (beautiful) 2000 2.5 RS and just replaced it as my daily driver with an '09 Fit.

I have noticed this (warmer than it should be) air as I've been driving and thought that maybe it's only because the cool fall air has yet to reach VA, as we've been hitting 70 lately. That said, the outside air is definitely cooler than what is coming through the vents, and neither my Impreza, the Integra Type R I owned before, or my girlfriend's Corolla experience this.

You're not imagining things.

BTW - How did you like those TDIs? Were it not for the $6k+ price difference, I'd have purchased a Jetta Sportwagen TDI. I've read of many technical & electrical issues w/ VWs.

 

I've noticed this too. My Integra was colder in this type of setup.

On a slightly related subject (someone direct me if there is already a post on this), but does anybody have any issues with their new air conditioner smelling?

Note, I said this happened the first time I drove the car off the lot. 5 miles on it.

My boss has a similar problem with his new Infinity. His car now has a perpetual stink to it! I want to prevent it, but my husband says it is normal.

P.S. - It seems to happen sometimes on recirc and sometimes fresh, sometimes a/c and sometimes non-a/c.

 

I noticed the warmer air as well, I run the AC on for a bit, turn it off, then recirculate the cool air. Yes, it's kind of a pain, but that's what we get for being picky! For the other quesion...even the very first time I used my AC, I didn't have any funny smells, and still have none after 5 - 10 uses...

 

Me too, no bad smells from the AC. My last car (BMW X3, if you turned the compressor off, it had an uncomfortable "organic" smell for a while until the fresh air flushed (haha) the system clean.

Gotta love metaphor. ;-)

 

I used to also run the AC for a few minutes to cool off the vents, in my previous Honda's... This might be a Honda specific issue, and that might not happen on the variety of cars the OP has had.




There seems to be quite a few threads regarding this, but this thread might help ---> https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/gene...ner-smell.html
here's a more recent one but ---> https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...l-smell-c.html

 

Glad to know I'm not TOTALLY crazy.

The TDIs were GREAT cars. We drove my wife's 2000 New Beetle TDI from Kansas City to Harrisburg, PA, at 80 mph with the A/C cranked one summer and stopped for fuel once. Had fuel left when we got there. That was back in the day of the 42 city/49 highway rated TDI. Over time, VW has steadily whittled away at the TDI mileage, now I think they are rated at 40 highway at best. At 40, and with diesel being $1 or more per gallon than gas, does not make nearly as much sense to drive one as it did 6-8 years ago in the days of cheap diesel. Even with only 90hp, the TDIs we had were 155 lb-ft of torque, and were honestly more entertaining to drive than our Fit, really.

Yes, there are issues with the VWs, but not as many as you'd believe by lurking on the internet. Keep in mind that in general the whiners are over represented on the web, and the happy people under represented. The TDI cars have a VERY loyal following, and they would not if they were complete pieces of crap. I seldom had a TDI client with a serious issue. I had several people with multi-six figure odometers driving them. Some of the early New Beetles, 98 and 99 particularly, with the gas engine had some issues. The 1.8T cars in the 2001-2002 era had a ignition coil issue, but once resolved are great cars, and real fun to drive.

I guess the best way to explain the VW appeal is the solidity. My Impreza was a complete tin can. Road noise. Tire noise. The trunk lid was so flimsy and cheap feeling, for instance. Boing! when you shut it. If you shut the window with it 1/2 way down, sounded like dropping a can of bolts. Drove fine, though, and reliable. The VWs of the same era were light years quieter, had much more solid-feeling sheetmetal. Impreza-not near the AWD system as the VW 4-motion Passats or Audi A4, IMHO. I was able to get my car to light up a wheel or two on slick surfaces, something the torsen diff in the Audis/VWs handled a lot better than the Subie viscous setup. Of course, we are talking cars in a totally different price range, too, so not a fair comparison...

I've had a lot more cars than I listed, lol. How about my 1981 Peugeot 504 diesel wagon? Or the 1973 VW 412? The 1974 Audi 100LS? Those were some wierd ones...

 

Good that you've never had a car with this "problem". Cars I have had with this problem are:

Ford Ranger
Mazda Navejo (rebadged Ford Explorer)
Nissan Xterra (Nissan even had a bulletin about this to replace cowl cover to increase outside air intake to the heater fan, no help)
Honda Fit
Subaru Forester

I've have had many other cars both domestic and import but I did not have a thermometer in the vent as I have had on these last few, so can't "testify" about them. I have read on other car forums that this is not limited to just these few. It's not really a problem for me. If I want cooler air I just turn on the AC.

 

I had to adjust the heater cable on the Fit to make this go away. The valve wasn't closing very tightly.

You can get to it on the GD3 if you open the glovebox as if you're replacing the cabin filter.

 

Excellent input. Thanks. If I can find out how to adjust this cable on the new Fit, I'll give it a try. I'll bet you're right.

 

I've noticed that the "fresh air" I'm getting is warmer than I'd like too. Much warmer than window air. I'm going to look at that flap as well.