Heat aint heating

[Golfer04]

Do you have a Gen 1 or Gen 2?

I’m starting to wonder, despite what the service centre told me, if it couldn’t be a heat pump hardware limitation.

Saying that because when it’s really cold outside, even if I put the system on LO and turn off Auto, warm air still comes out of the vents. Maybe their heat pump just can’t produce cold air below a certain threshold. If it was a software issue in Auto mode, then you’d expect that in Manual and on LO, you’d get cold air but no, you don’t.

Now, with those same settings, I do get cold air in my heated garage hence my theory it might be the heat pump specifications themselves. It just can‘t produce cold air in very low outside temps.

Thoughts?

I have a Tri Max. So obviously gen 2. Had not thought about it being the pump, but I have heated garage too and same situation. I am going to give them one more update and then make another service appt if it isn't fixed. I wonder how many vehicles have the issue.

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[steilkurve]

I have a Tri Max. So obviously gen 2. Had not thought about it being the pump, but I have heated garage too and same situation. I am going to give them one more update and then make another service appt if it isn't fixed. I wonder how many vehicles have the issue.

I posted my experience on my local Facebook Rivian Group and two other owners reported the same behaviour. And obviously, they’ve got the same weather I do. Looking to me like a Gen 2-wide issue, which would be noticed only in cold locales.

 

[Golfer04]

I posted my experience on my local Facebook Rivian Group and two other owners reported the same behaviour. And obviously, they’ve got the same weather I do. Looking to me like a Gen 2-wide issue, which would be noticed only in cold locales.

The Normal tech told me he owned a gen 2 and has same issue. TBH it is unacceptable to me at this price point. Like I said....I'm giving it one more update. My old 1971 Ford Mustang Grande had a cabin temp control easier to manage.

 

[Zoidz]

Do you have a Gen 1 or Gen 2?

I’m starting to wonder, despite what the service centre told me, if it couldn’t be a heat pump hardware limitation.

Saying that because when it’s really cold outside, even if I put the system on LO and turn off Auto, warm air still comes out of the vents. Maybe their heat pump just can’t produce cold air below a certain threshold. If it was a software issue in Auto mode, then you’d expect that in Manual and on LO, you’d get cold air but no, you don’t.

Now, with those same settings, I do get cold air in my heated garage hence my theory it might be the heat pump specifications themselves. It just can‘t produce cold air in very low outside temps.

Thoughts?

When this occurs, is it displaying recirc or outside air mode?

 

[steilkurve]

When this occurs, is it displaying recirc or outside air mode?

Recirculate mode though I’ve also tried outside air. Doesn’t seem to change anything.

 

[steilkurve]

The Normal tech told me he owned a gen 2 and has same issue. TBH it is unacceptable to me at this price point. Like I said....I'm giving it one more update. My old 1971 Ford Mustang Grande had a cabin temp control easier to manage.

I hear you. It is frustrating.

I went skiing today. Left home from my heated garage.

HVAC was behaving normally, including producing cold air, up until outside temperature detected by the car dropped below about 23 degrees.

From that point on, it wouldn’t produce cold air at all. Just heat, whether in auto or manual mode, even though we’re passed the set point.

So is it software logic that’s the issue? Engineers somewhere in California decided that the system didn’t need to blow cold air below 23 degrees ‘because it’s so cold outside’?! Hopefully not but one wonders. Doesn’t seem like rocket science to fix this.

 

[Zoidz]

Recirculate mode though I’ve also tried outside air. Doesn’t seem to change anything.

If in RECIRC, I could see that even at low running speed, the heat pump may produce too much heat in MANUAL mode. But in AUTO RECIRC mode the software should cycle it off and on as needed to maintain setpoint temperature OR blend outside air (preferred) to maintain setpoint temperature.

If not in RECIRC, the outside air is more than cold enough to absorb all the heat produced by the heat pump on low and not raise the cabin temperature significantly. It really appears to be a software logic or sensor issue.

When this happens, I am assuming neither the battery or the motors are at 100+ degrees? IF they are AND there is a software logic error or defect in the system valves, it's possible the heat is coming from the battery or motor, not the heat pump. [Shrugs]

 

[steilkurve]

If in RECIRC, I could see that even at low running speed, the heat pump may produce too much heat in MANUAL mode. But in AUTO RECIRC mode the software should cycle it off and on as needed to maintain setpoint temperature OR blend outside air (preferred) to maintain setpoint temperature.

If not in RECIRC, the outside air is more than cold enough to absorb all the heat produced by the heat pump on low and not raise the cabin temperature significantly. It really appears to be a software logic or sensor issue.

When this happens, I am assuming neither the battery or the motors are at 100+ degrees? IF they are AND there is a software logic error or defect in the system valves, it's possible the heat is coming from the battery or motor, not the heat pump. [Shrugs]

Thanks for the insights.

To clear off the last point, battery and motors won’t be anywhere near 100 degrees right now in these parts. ;-)

Second, I was just at the service centre this week for this issue. They confirmed all hardware and sensors are up to specs (after calibrating one sensor).

Still, in Auto Recirc, the system will only produce heat. This will only happen when outside temperature is colder ( below 23F/-5C based on my observations). If I run the system in my heated garage, it works fine.

Therefore, I’d say it’s not an issue with the sensors inside cabin but either software logic or heatpump specs when dealing with lower outside temperature.

The other points I’ll mention is that when the system is set to a temperature point lower than cabin temperature, the HVAC UI will show blue coming out of the vents but they are blowing red hot heat.

Thoughts?

 

[Zoidz]

Thanks for the insights.

To clear off the last point, battery and motors won’t be anywhere near 100 degrees right now in these parts. ;-)

Second, I was just at the service centre this week for this issue. They confirmed all hardware and sensors are up to specs (after calibrating one sensor).

Still, in Auto Recirc, the system will only produce heat. This will only happen when outside temperature is colder ( below 23F/-5C based on my observations). If I run the system in my heated garage, it works fine.

Therefore, I’d say it’s not an issue with the sensors inside cabin but either software logic or heatpump specs when dealing with lower outside temperature.

The other points I’ll mention is that when the system is set to a temperature point lower than cabin temperature, the HVAC UI will show blue coming out of the vents but they are blowing red hot heat.

Thoughts?

Thanks for the comments. This is a puzzling one for sure. My knoweldge comes from experience with small and large refrigeration/chiller equipment, not so much automotive specific. The heat pump in a Rivian or Tesla is similar in size/performance to refrigerator compressor. A heat pump loses efficiency pretty quickly at very cold temps - below 20 F - so it should produce less heat as it gets colder.

All in all, I'm thinking it's software. Does it sound like the compressor is running "full tilt" when this happens?

 

[steilkurve]

Does it sound like the compressor is running "full tilt" when this happens?

Nope. Don’t think it is particularly so. I think it’s software too. Here’s hoping for a software update soon.

 

[Gen(R3)Xer]

I have been trying to have hot air in footwell only and Rivian refuses to this simple thing! It would automatically start the defrost and dash vents. I was driving our other can and it felt so nice to have proper heat in the footwell.

Weirdly this was happening in my Tesla Model 3 as well (I’m leasing until the R3X comes out.) My wife and I don’t like hot air being blown in our faces, just heated seats and warm air in the footwell. Luckily there was an OTA update recently that gave me more granular control of the heating/cooling. Hopefully Rivian will follow suit and get it fixed. They’re usually pretty good about that from what I’ve read.

 

[CrazyOne]

Weirdly this was happening in my Tesla Model 3 as well (I’m leasing until the R3X comes out.) My wife and I don’t like hot air being blown in our faces, just heated seats and warm air in the footwell. Luckily there was an OTA update recently that gave me more granular control of the heating/cooling. Hopefully Rivian will follow suit and get it fixed. They’re usually pretty good about that from what I’ve read.

I could not find foot vents or controls in a 3 months old Model Y ?. Someone I know bought it recently and I had some time in it. I kept thinking that I was missing something obvious, or may be not.

 

[steilkurve]

Nope. Don’t think it is particularly so. I think it’s software too. Here’s hoping for a software update soon.

Interesting. First time in my 3 weeks ownership of the vehicle that temps rose above the freezing point. Yesterday, it was 39F to be precise. HVAC worked perfectly. Heated the car to the set point and when the same came out beating down the car, it put out cold air to maintain it. For some reason though, somewhere around 23F it says that’s it, I’m just producing heat no matter what…

 

[Zoidz]

The other points I’ll mention is that when the system is set to a temperature point lower than cabin temperature, the HVAC UI will show blue coming out of the vents but they are blowing red hot heat.

Thoughts?

This happened to me yesterday. I then powered the HVAC off and back on, it then showed red. Sigh.....

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