HVAC User Interface and Efficiency

[bd5400]

Has anyone run into the ac compressor or heater staying on after you turned off climate controls?

I took a road trip last week and was getting crap efficiency, like 1.7/1.8. typically I'm around 2/2.1. I thought it was just cold weather until i exited the highway and could hear the equipment running full blast behind the dashboard. Climate was off, had been for a long time.

When I turned it back on and off again, it shut off. I had it happen again on the way home today.

Nothing blowing through the vent, and it isn't for battery management because a quick on/off fixes it. No idea...

Are you sure it is not the BMS adjusting battery temprature?

Or...just in case, are you sure it isn't the air compressor running? If you're exiting the highway the truck may be raising the suspension up from "low", which can cause the compressor to run.

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[atebit]

“Arbitrary” is too nice of a word to use when describing the HVAC behaviors. “Brownian” is a better word I think.
Why does it seem like the HVAC on every EV I’ve owned makes it hard/impossible to just have a “vent” mode, with just ambient air coming in?

Finally, the “minimal” HVAC buttons drive me nuts. Wait, is black ON and gray OFF, or…??

 

[Zoidz]

...
Finally, the “minimal” HVAC buttons drive me nuts. Wait, is black ON and gray OFF, or…??

lol, this type of problem drives me nuts too. I have an iPad App that has different toggle colors for ON/OFF buttons in the same app! On one screen light gray is off, teal is on. On another screen, dark gray is off, teal is on. The legend on the button does not change to indicate the state. The designers clearly don't think about people with color vision deficiencies where all they see is shades of gray.

This is a universal problem not just in the automobile interfaces, but also in industrial controls. In some user interfaces, Red is OFF and Green is ON (like stop/go - think traffic signals and signs) and in other user interfaces it is Green is OFF (safe) and Red is ON (energized/not safe).

We have international standards for symbols used in autos such as hazard flashers, gas gauge, warning, etc. The auto industry would do well by establishing standards for HMI (Human Machine Interface) design as well.

 

[crashmtb]

lol, this type of problem drives me nuts too. I have an iPad App that has different toggle colors for ON/OFF buttons in the same app! On one screen light gray is off, teal is on. On another screen, dark gray is off, teal is on. The legend on the button does not change to indicate the state. The designers clearly don't think about people with color vision deficiencies where all they see is shades of gray.

This is a universal problem not just in the automobile interfaces, but also in industrial controls. In some user interfaces, Red is OFF and Green is ON (like stop/go - think traffic signals and signs) and in other user interfaces it is Green is OFF (safe) and Red is ON (energized/not safe).

We have international standards for symbols used in autos such as hazard flashers, gas gauge, warning, etc. The auto industry would do well by establishing standards for HMI (Human Machine Interface) design as well.

Big red buttons are useful

 

[Blueassassin]

This is definitely something they need to update I've had my fair share of times when its cold outside I have the heat set to 72 and its blowing cold. Pull up the HVAC menu and it decided it got too warm in the cab and was running the AC *facepalm.

 

[Deleted member 7086]

I have the same exact problem and have been waiting nearly a month to get a service date. I have stopped using the auto function and only use manual.

 

[Rousie13]

I have the same exact problem and have been waiting nearly a month to get a service date. I have stopped using the auto function and only use manual.

I have done the same. I had my climate set on 68F when it was ~30-35F outside and it was blowing cold air out of the vents (showed AC symbol). WTF. I upped the temperature to 70F and it showed heat symbols and was blowing hot air. I just set it to 70F now and put it on lowest settings, or just completely turn the climate control off.

 

[duessell]

I have the same exact problem and have been waiting nearly a month to get a service date. I have stopped using the auto function and only use manual.

Will be interested to hear if they actually service for this. I really think the HVAC is one of the reasons I'm seeing worse-than-average efficiency.

 

[Craigins]

Or...just in case, are you sure it isn't the air compressor running? If you're exiting the highway the truck may be raising the suspension up from "low", which can cause the compressor to run.

I keep the truck in all purpose low, so it shouldn't be raising it. And on the way home it was on a road with stop lights, not a full on highway.

Also i don't think toggling the climate on and off again would stop the air compressor, unless it was a coincidence both times that it happened just as I toggled.

Is the air compressor behind the dashboard? I figured it would be by the bed area.

 

[godfodder0901]

Is the air compressor behind the dashboard? I figured it would be by the bed area.

It is in the rear of the vehicle.

 

[Craigins]

Are you sure it is not the BMS adjusting battery temprature?

This is what I thought, but why would toggling the climate on and off again stop the bms system?

The second time it happened I wasn't navigating to a charger and it was on a road with stop lights so accel/regen should have been keeping the battery good.

 

[jjswan33]

100% agree on this, made a similar thread a while back.

What I would like to see is 3 (Heat, AC, Both) instead of current HVAC (Both) button.

I just want to be able to set mild AC (Say 72) in the summer without the heat kicking on and mild heat (Say 68) in the winter without the AC coming on. I think most cars have this setup and maybe the Rivian HVAC system is smarter than it seems but I doubt it.

 

[IThinkFreely]

I would class the HVAC controls as one of the worst features of the vehicle and in need of a total overhaul. Just terrible.

 

[duessell]

100% agree on this, made a similar thread a while back.

What I would like to see is 3 (Heat, AC, Both) instead of current HVAC (Both) button.

I just want to be able to set mild AC (Say 72) in the summer without the heat kicking on and mild heat (Say 68) in the winter without the AC coming on. I think most cars have this setup and maybe the Rivian HVAC system is smarter than it seems but I doubt it.

Is it possible that the automatic control is trying too hard to keep the cabin temp in an unreasonably narrow band and then just oscillates between heating and cooling whenever it overshoots?

Setting an acceptable range would be nice. Have the heat kick on if the cabin temp drops below XX degrees and having the AC kick on if the cabin temp exceeds YY degrees.

Separately, on auto, the fan always seems to blow harder than I'd like.

 

[Craigins]

Is it possible that the automatic control is trying too hard to keep the cabin temp in an unreasonably narrow band and then just oscillates between heating and cooling whenever it overshoots?

This is Rivian's software development MO. So probably part of the issue. Whoever writes their software specs needs to be trained or replaced. This behavior is all over the truck (charging threshold, acc follow distance, etc)

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