A year ago I lost my recirc. I can push and hold the recirc button in and the icon will illuminate but it doesn't recirculate the air. Yesterday the same thing happened to the Econ "snowflake" setting. This means I have no dry air defrost -not good in Wisconsin! If I push and hold the buttons the icons will illuminate but nothing happens.

Vag Com didn't give me any codes.

Anyone else have this problem? Can I diagnose it using the HVAC measuring blocks?

 

Yea same here. I have no idea why the control unit does this. I'm going to buy a new one because mine flashes and wont stay in the dim mode when my headlights are on. Also since it flashes, the area where my heated seats and fogs are doesn't light up until the car has ran for a half hour and the control unit finally gets dim. My guess you need a new unit. Does it flash, pixels, anything?

 

wtf is the snowflake setting? The econ button i know of is to shut off the compressor for the cooling.

 

I think thats what he means right? haha I have no idea about the "snowflake" a.k.a the cooling issue, but the recirc thing seems common.

 

czum - sounds like you are worse off than I am. Does your defrost kick dry air?


Pre 99.5 cars have a snowflake instead of an econ button - it basically does the same thing.

 

isn't this normal if the outside temperature is cold enough? my ac can't turn on if I have a snowflake by the outside temperature reading

 

1. Maybe your recirc buttons is working, but the damper linkages for the outside air may have broke or something like that.

2. The econ or "snowflake" has nothing to do in defrosting your windshield. Your windshiled fogging up could be the cause of your broken recirc button. If the damper to the outside is shut off, your constantly recirculating the air. Recirculated air gets stale, and humid. This will cause your cabin to fog up. Open your window for the time being.

 

You are right that the AC can't turn on if it's too cold.

What happens if it's 10 degrees outside and you turn on your defrost? You can't blow warm moist air against the windshield or it will fog up -Trust me I now know this! The air has to be dried somehow by using the compressor-maybe!? And the indication that the air is being dried is a snowflake icon below the defrost icon.

 

In colder temperature, the air is a lot more drier. Introducing more heat will make it drier. Its only when you continuously reciculate the air, it starts to pick up moisture from yourself and gets collected in the windows.

Open your window to exhaust. It will defog your windows.

 

It does have to do with defrosting at high temperatures, however. The A/C dries the air, and is necessary when defrosting at higher temperatures, usually between just above freezing and 45 degrees.

At 37 degrees F, the A/C compressor will not turn on, thus neither will the snowflake. When heating, the head unit wont allow you to recirculate the air, for the reasons described above.

Currently, its too cold in Wisconsin for the A/C to turn on, or for recirculation. If you are getting severe fogging, especially on the windshield you could have a leaking heater core, is there a film on the windshield, is there a sweet smell in the air?