Recirculate vs. Fresh Air setting

I have a 2010 Tacoma, and this one thing drives me nuts. I will set the climate control to Recirculate, and depending on outside conditions it will stay that way indefinitely or switch itself to Fresh Air within a minute or two. I understand fresh air can help with keeping windows from getting fogged up, but I am also capable of determining when that is an issue and when it is not. If I want to smell diesel exhaust and dairy farms, I can switch to Fresh Air myself. I don't need my truck to do it for me. Does anybody know what it would take to eliminate this unwanted feature from my climate control?

 

@Dm93 Don’t you have a mod that dose something like this?

 

No the mods I did prevent the A/C from being forced on in defrost and prevent the recirculate and A/C from being forced on when the temp knob is on full cold.
What the OP is talking about is a "feature" some of the earlier trucks had, mine does not.
There's no way I know of to eliminate it although according to the owners manual it can be overridden but must be done each key cycle.
If you just want it to stay in recirculate all the time turn it to recirculate and unplug the servo for the recirculate door.

 

i tried to find it on your profile page. how did you do the no AC in defrost mod?

 

Oh it's not my mod but I have done it on my truck.
Here's the thread on it.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/a-c-on-with-defrost.7160/

 

you my friend are awesome!!

 

Yes the A/C elimination while on defrost is a great mod. Re: switching to fresh air mode, I wouldn't think the system would switch when the ambient temperature drops - I think it would make more sense to if the ambient temperature increased. Recirculation mode would typically keep the interior warmer. I don't think my 2007 has that automatic feature, which I prefer not to have.

 

I think that "feature" started in 09 when the ambient temp sensor was added, I don't know what year it was stopped but my 14 doesn't do it.

 

Ok, it seems that would be an unpopular 'feature'. But my '07 has a TPMS sensor in the spare tire. Not a terrible feature but I'd prefer not to have it. I think that was eliminated in 2009. Maybe Toyota does 'listen' to customers.

 

My 07 doesn’t do it either.
The only thing it does “on its own” is turn the AC on when in defrost.

Other than that, it’s dumb.

 

I bet it had more to do with cost, than listening to customers.
We are lucky we even got a spare. Some vehicles don’t have one.

 

The two outer most vents always have fresh air coming thru them even on recirc just a fyi.

 

Yes I recall now many new vehicles don't have full size spare tires, or maybe no spare at all?

 

That’s correct. A couple of factors involved; the first one was weight savings, as manufacturers worked to meet the fleet average fuel economy standards. Then small cars with not very much space, a problem exacerbated when hybrids came along which led to many of them having an air pump and (essentially) a can of fix-a-flat in lieu of a spare. Plus some models that come with run flat tires. My 2013 Volt has the pump+goop.

 

I have definitely had the recirc pop off on cooler mornings on the drive to work through the valleys. I have the mod done so you AC isnt auto on with defrost, and I think in doing so it makes it to where pressing and holding the recirc button to force it to stay doesnt work unfortunately. Ill have to test the next time it pops off of recirc to verify.

 

Interesting - another new trend. Room/space is a factor - right now my spare is in the bed. I want to make sure the mechanism used to wind it down/up is working ok before I put it back under there. I think it is after lubricating it a bit.

 

I wouldn't think the defrost mod would affect the recirculate function, essentially all the mod does is prevent the A/C Amplifier from knowing when defrost is selected so it doesn't force the A/C on.

 

Press and hold for more than two seconds. Thanks! I will give it a try tomorrow on my way to work.

 

Well, defrost works better with dry air, that’s why the AC kicks in - to dehumidify the hot air. What’s the point of this mod??

 

I can turn the A/C on myself when the windows fog up, I don't like it being forced on especially in the winter. Takes longer to heat the truck up on cold days with the A/C fighting the heater.