Mr FIAT - Your #1 source for vintage car parts

Technical Climate Control Help

Currently reading:
Technical Climate Control Help

G

Griffithsjr

New member
Joined
Jun 19, 2017
Messages
1
Points
1
Hi all,

I've noticed something very strange with my fiat 500C 2009 climate control. When the temperature is low or the air con is on at a low fan speed everything is ok and normal. However if i increase the fan speed to 2 bars from the top (so almost maximum) there is a click and really hot air comes out.

The same effect also happens If i go over a bump or the car is jolted in any way.

What this means is i cannot have my fan on high at all.

Just to clarify the air work fine, as long i keep the fan speed low.

Has anyone else seen or experienced anything like this? its really annoying on a hot summers day.

Thanks
 
Welcome to the forum!

Small point .......

The Automatic Climate Control is a button you press called "Auto".
If you press it, you can alter the temperature, and the system runs automatically to achieve the set temperature.

If you press any other button, the Auto Climate Control system disables, and you are then into Manual Air Conditioning.

Our 500TA is always left in Auto. I've never seen the need to go to Manual.

Good luck,
Mick.
 
There are motorised actuators for the air distribution and temperature control, three I think.
You will need to stand on your head under the dash, and view each one in turn and see if they move when settings are changed. This will hopefully identify if any of these are adrift or broken.

There was a recent thread where someone did a whole write-up about changing the complete heater. Have a search. Could be 500 or Panda.

These two threads are also worth a read.
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/449317-heater-problems.html
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/297997-panda-100hp-no-hot-air-heater.html
 
portland_bill said:
There was a recent thread where someone did a whole write-up about changing the complete heater. Have a search. Could be 500 or Panda.
Click to expand...

A main dealer repair for this will likely run £2k+. Someone did one themselves, using a secondhand heater box, with the help of a mechanic - it took them a week.

There's also an ex-fiat tech who can fix them using secondhand parts for around £600 or so (but understandably there's no guarantee).

Have a look at this thread (but be prepared for a nasty shock).

Unfortunately this is Fiat engineerng at its worst. Cheaply made, underspecified parts used in a situation where access requires a full day's fiddly, awkward work, compounded by crazily high prices for OEM replacements (you have to buy the complete heater box at almost £1000) and no aftermarket alternative.
 
Last edited:
Mick F said:
The Automatic Climate Control is a button you press called "Auto".
...
If you press any other button, the Auto Climate Control system disables, and you are then into Manual Air Conditioning.
Click to expand...
Not completely manual, Mick. For example, if you press the fan speed button when the system was in "Auto" mode, then temperature control stays active. So the system is still much more advanced than a manual aircon.
 
Back on topic: You can use MultiEcuScan to look if the climate control system contains any stored errors and clear them. You might even try the "flap actuators learning" function to "recalibrate" the end stop positions of the flaps.
 
AGH1965 said:
Not completely manual, Mick. For example, if you press the fan speed button when the system was in "Auto" mode, then temperature control stays active. So the system is still much more advanced than a manual aircon.
Click to expand...
The temperature control is always active - manual or automatic.
If you touch anything other than the temp control, the system comes out of auto and is therefore manual.
Press the auto button, and all the controls become automatically controlled, but you can still alter the temp or course.


Mick F said:
Our 500TA is always left in Auto. I've never seen the need to go to Manual.
Click to expand...
UFI said:
Assuming you don't mind diesel fumes.
Click to expand...
I don't tend to sit in traffic. My sympathies if you do.

Regards,
Mick.
 
Mick, you assume there is nothing in between "auto" and "manual", but maybe there is: "semi-auto". ;)
 
Please explain.

There is button that lights up. Auto is the one.
Press any other button than the temperature button, and the Auto light goes out.

Therefore, am I right in saying that the opposite to automatic is manual?
One, or the other?

Mick.
 
Mick F said:
Please explain.



There is button that lights up. Auto is the one.

Press any other button than the temperature button, and the Auto light goes out.



Therefore, am I right in saying that the opposite to automatic is manual?

One, or the other?



Mick.
Click to expand...



With Auto off the temp and fan speed will still behave automatically, i.e. they will track the temp setting you've selected, the only thing that won't adjust will be the air direction. I think this has been discussed at length on previous posts iirc.
 
I therefore think that our car works differently to others then.

If when in Auto, the vents all seem to work simultaneously. The system doesn't differentiate with air-flow out of individual vents from what I can see/feel.

They all chuck out air as the system doesn't seem to be that intelligent.

In order to alter the air-flow, we have to come out of Auto. We can physically close the upper vents of course.

As for Auto Off, I don't know, because I've never had it like that unless it's for a quick demist of the front windscreen.

Thanks,
Mick.
 
Last edited:
Mick F said:
I therefore think that our car works differently to others then.

If when in Auto, the vents all seem to work simultaneously. The system doesn't differentiate with air-flow out of individual vents from what I can see/feel.

They all chuck out air as the system doesn't seem to be that intelligent.

In order to alter the air-flow, we have to come out of Auto. We can physically close the upper vents of course.

As for Auto Off, I don't know, because I've never had it like that unless it's for a quick demist of the front windscreen.

Thanks,
Mick.
Click to expand...

In Auto, the vents should direct air to where is optimum, on mine this seems to be the footwells when heating is required and the front dash vents when cooling is needed, I'm not sure if it does a partial between the two at some point. Obviously switching out of auto and selecting a particular vent overrides this but the temp and fan speeds remain automatic (with or without compressor on)
 
Automatic climate systems are limited to always being in auto for the temp, unless it goes to 'Hi' or 'low' then it will just chuck out hot or cold are with no moderation.

The vents on some climate systems do move around so it might blow on your feet for a bit then your face then the screen but generally this goes unnoticed and unless you're always thinking about it and feeling the air flow at the different vents you're not going to know.

The fan speed on auto will go up and down as it sees fit, this is also based on things like sun load, so setting a cold temp in a hot car on and very sunny day, will result in the fans going on full blast for a bit and then gently slowing back down to a normal rate.

Overall though with these things you can pretty much control all aspects of the system manually without too much interference from the computer.

If you set the fan speed temp and direction manually, all the system will do is move the hot/cold air blend flap to manage the temp In the cabin, it won't change anything else.
 
AndyRKett said:
Automatic climate systems are limited to always being in auto for the temp, unless it goes to 'Hi' or 'low' then it will just chuck out hot or cold are with no moderation.

The vents on some climate systems do move around so it might blow on your feet for a bit then your face then the screen but generally this goes unnoticed and unless you're always thinking about it and feeling the air flow at the different vents you're not going to know.

The fan speed on auto will go up and down as it sees fit, this is also based on things like sun load, so setting a cold temp in a hot car on and very sunny day, will result in the fans going on full blast for a bit and then gently slowing back down to a normal rate.

Overall though with these things you can pretty much control all aspects of the system manually without too much interference from the computer.

If you set the fan speed temp and direction manually, all the system will do is move the hot/cold air blend flap to manage the temp In the cabin, it won't change anything else.
Click to expand...

yes that explains it better, the temp does not actually vary automatically as you say but is controlled indirectly by the fan speed in order to maintain the selected temp
 
Mick F said:
Press any other button than the temperature button, and the Auto light goes out.

Therefore, am I right in saying that the opposite to automatic is manual?
Click to expand...
Mick, I would agree if the most important control functions of the system would be deactivated, but that isn't the case. For example, if you press the recirculation button, then the "Auto" light goes out, but the temperature control, the fan speed control and the vent control remain all automatic. That's almost the complete system. I wouldn't call that the opposite of "Auto". "Semi-Auto" seems more accurate to me.
 
Mercky said:
yes that explains it better, the temp does not actually vary automatically as you say but is controlled indirectly by the fan speed in order to maintain the selected temp
Click to expand...



No there is a mixer flap which directs the air flow over the aircon evaporator or the heater matrix, the system will control this mixer flap to send the air to either warm or cool depending on what is needed.

It does not vary the fan speed to controls the temperature in manual mode.


In its fully auto setting, if it's a hot and sunny day and the car interior temp is cold, you set the climate control to a Lower temp, then the automatic climate control will blast out the cold air at a higher speed to bring the temperature down quickly and then slow the fan speed back to normal to maintain the temp, it won't then increase the fan speed again as it will maintain the interior temp using the above method of moving the hot/cold mixer flap.
 
AndyRKett said:
The vents on some climate systems do move around so it might blow on your feet for a bit then your face then the screen but generally this goes unnoticed and unless you're always thinking about it and feeling the air flow at the different vents you're not going to know.
Click to expand...
This seems quite true and the way I feel about it.

I just works, so I leave in in Auto. That's what Auto is there for and I'm very pleased with it.

Thanks,
Mick.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

ClassicFiat500
  • Question
Technical Climate controls problem
Replies
19
Views
932
ClassicFiat500
ClassicFiat500
K
  • Question
Technical Fiat 500 1.4 Lounge Climate Control (CC) Fan Blower Problem
Replies
0
Views
397
kingfox10
K
C
  • Question
Technical Climate Control Panel Problems
Replies
0
Views
348
ClaireMatt
C
C
General Auto Climate Always Turns On Air Con is this normal?
Replies
3
Views
280
John202020
John202020
F
Technical Error P1120-61 Throttle valve position control
Replies
6
Views
407
steveras57
S
Back
Top