2014 Corolla Automatic Climate Control

[yuppicide]

I had a 2009 Corolla LE and put over 120,000 miles on it before getting rid of it.. and now I've got a 2014. I bought it used from the dealer with 18,000 miles on it. It was only used as a loaner vehicle. I've now got over 40,000 miles on it.

Does anyone else think the air conditioner sucks compared to an older models? Or maybe I have a problem?

Should I have it checked for a leak of some sort / do they use freon type of things any more? I'll describe.

It doesn't always stay cold. I guess parking outside of my office where it get sun you need to wait a bit before it becomes cold. Fine. It will get cold shortly and then I can close the doors.

Is this normal or should it be cold right from the start?

Is the car supposed to push out warm air when idle?

So anyway, at times while driving though it gets warm out of nowhere. I was driving to lunch with a friend the other day. It was cold. We pulled up to a traffic light to stop and it got warm. A block later it's cold again.

Should I have it looked at? I have a 7 year platinum care warranty, so won't cost me.

 

[yuppicide]

I took it to Toyota. They said there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. They recommended I don't use the auto button. Just dial in the coldness I want, press the circulate button or whatever it is and AC. Then once it gets cold turn it down a bit.

My friend says his car gets cold within about 12 seconds where as mine takes 1-2 minutes.

 

[Rick Barros]

I have a 2014 Corolla S as well, and mine does the exact same thing. What I was able to find out is that, even if you manually dial the temperature settings, it will not blow cold air if you are stuck in traffic because the compressor will momentarily shut off to conserve gas. Toyota designed this in the "eco" mode to save gas while in traffic. But as soon as you move the compressor will start again, however not immediately . I wish there was a way to disable this "feature" because I live in Atlanta, and the summers here are brutal.

 

[jolly]

They recommended I don't use the auto button. Just dial in the coldness I want, press the circulate button or whatever it is and AC. Then once it gets cold turn it down a bit.

Baloney. Wether the functions are selected automatically or manually, they remain the same. Turning up or down the temp button shouldn't affect the temperature of the air blowing but the speed/duration of the fan in auto. If "auto" doesn't work properly vs manual, then maybe the cabin temperature sensor isn't working. Also, is "auto AC" selected in the car configuration menu (via the touchscreen) ?

My friend says his car gets cold within about 12 seconds where as mine takes 1-2 minutes.

Same here (LE Eco base), although on hotter day you can count 30 seconds to get rid of the hot air accumulated in the ducts. Every car I've owned was like that.

I have a 2014 Corolla S as well, and mine does the exact same thing. What I was able to find out is that, even if you manually dial the temperature settings, it will not blow cold air if you are stuck in traffic because the compressor will momentarily shut off to conserve gas. Toyota designed this in the "eco" mode to save gas while in traffic. But as soon as you move the compressor will start again, however not immediately . I wish there was a way to disable this "feature" because I live in Atlanta, and the summers here are brutal.

The "S" doesn't have an "eco mode" to do that, only the LE Eco +. My Eco base doesn't have it and I get cold air even in traffic. What I've noticed, though, is that the Corolla has short cycle of on/of for the compressor. Much shorter than other cars.

 

[yuppicide]

Thanks for the replies. Seems like this is kind of normal for the 2014 then.

I've had it close to a year now. I may only keep it another year and a half or so. I may start making double payments each month.. or at least an extra half payment and then sell it. This is the first time I was able to get car credit on my own (no cosigner) so I was hoping to keep it a year or two, make my payments on time, then sell it and get something else financed through the same company.

I didn't really want another LE, but it was all I could finance. I was hoping to get either an S. I may even look at the Tesla 3 if it comes out. I told the guy at the dealer, if I have to go for another LE I at least want a different color and some more options to make me feel like I'm driving another car and not the same 2009 Corolla LE I had.

 

[swirling_vortex]

My main issue is that whenever the A/C is turned on, it automatically flips to recirculate the air. The funny thing is that in the manual it recommends to flip the A/C to outside air to prevent odors from appearing. I never liked the Auto function either as it never gets the temperature right.

I wish mine just had knobs, but the only way to get knobs is if you get the barebones L model.

 

[jolly]

My main issue is that whenever the A/C is turned on, it automatically flips to recirculate the air. The funny thing is that in the manual it recommends to flip the A/C to outside air to prevent odors from appearing. I never liked the Auto function either as it never gets the temperature right. I wish mine just had knobs, but the only way to get knobs is if you get the barebones L model.

Auto doesn't always recirculate. Only to improve efficiency when exterior air is very hot. On mine, recirculate doesn't engage when exterior temperature is below around 20C (68F).
Beside, you may either cancel recirculate or put auto "off" and control the system manually.

 

[Floridapizzaman]

I have a 2015 s. I don't use auto mode because I like a lot of air flow on me and auto mode dials back fan to 1 or 2 bars once it reaches set point. I despise this ac setup compared to my 2004 that has knobs. What I have determined in 25k miles is that the system relies on the outside air temp sensor and the inside cabin sensor.
It works ok if the 2 sensors remain mostly at same temp. Problems show up if you park in hot sun then come back and drive off. The cabin sensor picks up 120 degree cabin and blasts you with cold air....unlike my 2004 knob constant setting. On the other hand, as the nighttime comes around and it cools off, the duct temp warms up. I am constantly fiddling with the temp knob on this 2015. Hate it. Engineers FUBAR'd this one.

 

[Floridapizzaman]

Another observation...the vent temp is always changing. It doesn't stay constant like a knob setting.
If I get stuck in traffic, sometimes the outside temp sensor will surge or goes up several degrees.
I will get a corresponding decrease in vent temp of a degree or 2. Very annoying.

System has worked like this from day one. Also, I posted a year ago that it takes 30 seconds of hot vent air blowing before compressor kicks in. This only occurs when outside temp sensor shows 80 or above and engine coolant is cold.

 

[swirling_vortex]

Auto doesn't always recirculate. Only to improve efficiency when exterior air is very hot. On mine, recirculate doesn't engage when exterior temperature is below around 20C (68F).
Beside, you may either cancel recirculate or put auto "off" and control the system manually.

I was referring more so to the A/C setting and setting it manually with the fan speeds. If you turn on A/C or turn it off and on with A/C still selected, it flips it to recirculation. It's very annoying. I can't confirm the temperature being an influence because I only use A/C when it's hot out.

 

[jolly]

I was referring more so to the A/C setting and setting it manually with the fan speeds. If you turn on A/C or turn it off and on with A/C still selected, it flips it to recirculation. It's very annoying. I can't confirm the temperature being an influence because I only use A/C when it's hot out.

Then you have your answer ! If you use AC only when it's hot, indeed "recirculate" is programmed as it is the most efficient way to cool the car (otherwise the compressor is constantly struggling to cool new hot air). Some makes even label this button as " MAX AC". If it was programed the other way around, then a bunch of people would complain that "recirculate" doesn't engaged automatically. Either way you would end with some having to push a button.

I for one never touch the controls with an auto system. Where I live we get anywhere from -30 (winter) to 95 (summer) and the system automatically adapt : AC+recirculate when it's hot to AC without recirculate when it's mild to heating when it's cold and even heating+AC if the air is cold but humid, to prevent fogging.

If you set a control manually it affects only this particular setting. You are still in auto mode (even if the green "auto" light goes off). I think you can disable auto AC "for real" via car setup (touchscreen).

 

[red fuji]

I always leave my Temp dial at the lowest setting and use the fan speed to control the temp ..i think higher TEMP setting circulates hot engine water to counter effect the super cold air from the AC to give you the desired temp.

 

[jolly]

I always leave my Temp dial at the lowest setting and use the fan speed to control the temp ..i think higher TEMP setting circulates hot engine water to counter effect the super cold air from the AC to give you the desired temp.

But that's not a problem as it would do it to maintain the set temp. Even on the lowest setting it might do that if the exterior temp drops below some point (think when AC gets on in winter, to help defog).
Beside, using the fan speed to control the temp is mainly what the auto mode does.

 

[Floridapizzaman]

Then you have your answer ! If you use AC only when it's hot, indeed "recirculate" is programmed as it is the most efficient way to cool the car (otherwise the compressor is constantly struggling to cool new hot air). Some makes even label this button as " MAX AC". If it was programed the other way around, then a bunch of people would complain that "recirculate" doesn't engaged automatically. Either way you would end with some having to push a button.

I for one never touch the controls with an auto system. Where I live we get anywhere from -30 (winter) to 95 (summer) and the system automatically adapt : AC+recirculate when it's hot to AC without recirculate when it's mild to heating when it's cold and even heating+AC if the air is cold but humid, to prevent fogging.

If you set a control manually it affects only this particular setting. You are still in auto mode (even if the green "auto" light goes off). I think you can disable auto AC "for real" via car setup (touchscreen).

Jolly, u might have helped me with your last comment above. Disable 'for real' would solve my displeasure.
Will look into that avenue. I read owner manual when new but maybe I should go back and read it again. I just want the damn vent temp to stay constant...instead of wavering per the two sensor inputs. Thanks!

 

[Cjj1990]

Baloney. Wether the functions are selected automatically or manually, they remain the same. Turning up or down the temp button shouldn't affect the temperature of the air blowing but the speed/duration of the fan in auto. If "auto" doesn't work properly vs manual, then maybe the cabin temperature sensor isn't working. Also, is "auto AC" selected in the car configuration menu (via the touchscreen) ?


Same here (LE Eco base), although on hotter day you can count 30 seconds to get rid of the hot air accumulated in the ducts. Every car I've owned was like that.


The "S" doesn't have an "eco mode" to do that, only the LE Eco +. My Eco base doesn't have it and I get cold air even in traffic. What I've noticed, though, is that the Corolla has short cycle of on/of for the compressor. Much shorter than other cars.

Yes the S does have an eco mode. That’s why on mine the eco light comes on.

 

[jolly]

Yes the S does have an eco mode. That’s why on mine the eco light comes on.

Nope. All 11th gen Corolla have this "Eco" green light which does nothing to the way the car operates but is there just to tell the driver he /she is driving in the most efficient way. The model with an eco mode, which dulls different functions like AC and acceleration has a second light marked "Eco mode" (not just "Eco") and a button on the console to engage that mode (where the S has a "Sport" button instead)