[Dario DiResta]

Mostly owning Japanese cars all my life ( Honda/Acura/Scion ) , when you select the airflow setting ( floor/top vent/ mix/defrost ) , it allows outside air to enter through the vents

I find that the Focus does not do this, and you have to turn on the fan to get air to flow through the vents

I made sure the recirculation mode wasn't activated, before I posted this

Am I missing something ?

Best Regards

DDR[???]

 

[cuke2u]

Hi, it maybe due to the fact that the focus has a odour or pollen filter that will prevent the free passage of air on its own...
Chris

 

[HammerStriker]

I can't even wrap my head around this problem. You want fresh air, but no A/C? Man, I need to be in NY during August if this is your issue. 22 straight days of over 100 degrees here.

 

[Dario DiResta]

Hi, it maybe due to the fact that the focus has a odour or pollen filter that will prevent the free passage of air on its own...
Chris

Hey Chris

My Scion had a filter, and it wasn't a problem

It makes no sense to me that I would have to use energy ( fan switch ), to get air in the cabin

Best Regards

DDR

 

[Titanium12]

One thing that makes me mad is the cold air that comes
out at your feet even when you have just the top vents selected. Air still seems
to bleed thru to the floor and freeze your feet off when you wear sandals on a long trip in the summer.

 

[scottjl]

yep. i noticed the same thing. if you want fresh air, no a/c on you have to have the fan on some setting to get any air flow. it might be due to where the air intake is in the engine compartment too. i often like just the air on and to crack the moonroof open a little (let it push forward and raise the back up) to get some airflow through the passenger area with less noise than the windows open.

 

[willsim]

Does the SE Hatch have the filter? I have looked for it under the dash as per the owners manual without success.

 

[willsim]

Does the SE Hatchback have the air filter? I've looked under the dash per the owners manual without luck.

 

[TehMark]

Your outside air comes from intakes located by your wipers.

If you want air to flow at all you will have to do something like crack open a window or a sunroof to create a pressure difference.

I'm inclined to believe the other cars you speak of did this because they have poorly sealed cabins.

The End

 

[Gbcue]

I don't think a poorly sealed cabin is to blame.

Every Japanese car I've driven has this feature. If you want no air circulating, you put it to Inside recirc.

 

[Grisby]

I noticed this too. Its annoying to have to listen to the fan to get some airflow without rolling down the windows, which if it's raining....

 

[Dethpickle]

Back in the day there was a switch that went from OFF to VENT to Recirc. There was another for which air passage it was going to come out of. And a third for the fan speed.

Vent on with the fan off was nice. It was like having the windows down without having the windows down.

I don't think that's been possible in any car I've owned since my 84 mustang. The 95 t-bird was either blowing at you or nothing.

 

[descentgate]

It's definitely not just a Japanese thing. My old '02 Focus had open vents on its manual A/C unless the recirc air was turned on to shut off the outside vents (even when windows were closed). However, my SEL has automatic A/C (no automatic Ford I've seen has open vents, i.e. Edge, Freestyle).

Dario, do you have automatic or manual? I'm not sure if the manual A/C still has the open vent system, although the '12 control design is the closest to the old '02 dial design.

 

[Dario DiResta]

I have a manual

Between this, and the $1.98 paper thin cheap ass floormats that they put in the car , I'm starting to get annoyed a bit
( Don't put those cheap things in the car, just deliver the car without them )

Those stains on the roofliner started my foul mood

Best Regards

DDR

 

[Binyana2011]

Hey Chris

My Scion had a filter, and it wasn't a problem

It makes no sense to me that I would have to use energy ( fan switch ), to get air in the cabin

Best Regards

DDR

That darn switch probably robs 10 horsepowers.

 

[feta_mgp]

I don't understand why it matters if you leave the fan setting on the lowest to get some air circulating... it's not as if it robs a considerable amount of power or mpg, car technology has come a long way, I don't ever use recirculation mode in the Focus and have had no qualms about airflow. Just leave the fan on it's lowest setting and you'll get some air. It may also have to do with making the ride quieter, afterall our cabin is pretty damn quiet. Having an open vent outside wouldn't help that much.

 

[HillbillyInBC]

I can't even wrap my head around this problem. You want fresh air, but no A/C? Man, I need to be in NY during August if this is your issue. 22 straight days of over 100 degrees here.

I had the heat going briefly during my drive home on Monday. Chilly, rainy 16 degrees C, and I had the climate control set to 22. As one of my colleagues up from our Texas headquarters remarked, "Don't know why it never occurred to me to pack a coat in the middle of August".

 

[HammerStriker]

I had the heat going briefly during my drive home on Monday. Chilly, rainy 16 degrees C, and I had the climate control set to 22. As one of my colleagues up from our Texas headquarters remarked, "Don't know why it never occurred to me to pack a coat in the middle of August".

I was in Boston last month and people were complaining about 65 with 40% humidity. It made the nightly news. I thought I had slipped into the Twilight Zone, best summer weather I ever seen in my life.

 

[redav]

Every Japanese car I've driven has this feature. If you want no air circulating, you put it to Inside recirc.

My current Mazda does not do this (if the fan is 'off,' there's no air flow). I've also owned two Honda Accords, and they were the same.

I was in Boston last month and people were complaining about 65 with 40% humidity. It made the nightly news. I thought I had slipped into the Twilight Zone, best summer weather I ever seen in my life.

I was in Ireland (in June) a few years ago, and they had a historic heat wave--the temp got to 80 F. It made front page news.

 

[wildweed]

My Toyota matrix let's air in when everything is off and I don't like it. If I turn it all off I don't want air blowing though the vents. I love how on the focus when it's off It's off