Disabling outside air vent for Fulltime Recirculation

[Astro Jeep]

I wanted to chime in with something witty and condescending about the condensation in this thread, but I couldn't think of anything. I, like @Terrymo, am an underthinker, at least for the moment.

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[Ratbert]

The main reason I tried the mod, was to stop the catalytic converter smell during hard acceleration.

If you're smelling your catalytic converter then I'm thinking you have a leak somewhere. A leak plus recirc could be "bad".

 

[Spacenut]

I use my recirc when around a diesel truck to avoid the smell.

 

[NWJeepr]

The funky smell under hard accel could be the AC pump kicking off. Most cars kick off the AC pump at a certain engine load. Air blows across a warming, wet evaporation core, and it smells like swamp/feet/shoes. It's b/c the evap core and ducting has dirt and mold spores stuck in it.

Our Jeeps run the AC pump whenever they want based on the reading of the humidity sensor, regardless if the AC button is illuminated or not.

 

[There’sOnlyOne]

I actually wish there was an actual "vent" option/selection like many cars, my YJ years ago had it, used to have. Where you could just open the vent without turning any HVAC on.

To make this Jeep go into "vent" mode you have to activate recirc then de-activate recirc, via head unit screen or manual/digital controls in center console. But, when you activate recirc it automatically turns on AC, so then you have to turn off AC button/screen to just have the system in "vent" mode. Silly. It does seem to stay in vent mode after key off and on though. So there's that.

When soft top is on if you have HVAC in vent mode, AC on or not, then the cabin pressure is greater and will "puff" up the top and cut down on noises and tighten the side windows. Which I feel helps with any of the "my back side window flew out" issues we see here. When HVAC is in recirc mode it forms a vacuum in the cab and sucks in the top and windows. YMMV

 

[YBABRAT]

The funky smell under hard accel could be the AC pump kicking off. Most cars kick off the AC pump at a certain engine load. Air blows across a warming, wet evaporation core, and it smells like swamp/feet/shoes. It's b/c the evap core and ducting has dirt and mold spores stuck in it.

Our Jeeps run the AC pump whenever they want based on the reading of the humidity sensor, regardless if the AC button is illuminated or not.

That was a common complaint with high humidity areas. I assume California, Nevada and other dry areas won't find the issue as much as southern states.

Now fir the million dollar question... how do we get at cleaning the core area? Is it servicable for maintenance in jeeps? Dump a gallon of bleach water through it? Ha!

 

[YBABRAT]

I actually wish there was an actual "vent" option/selection like many cars, my YJ years ago had it, used to have. Where you could just open the vent without turning any HVAC on.

To make this Jeep go into "vent" mode you have to activate recirc then de-activate recirc, via head unit screen or manual/digital controls in center console. But, when you activate recirc it automatically turns on AC, so then you have to turn off AC button/screen to just have the system in "vent" mode. Silly. It does seem to stay in vent mode after key off and on though. So there's that.

When soft top is on if you have HVAC in vent mode, AC on or not, then the cabin pressure is greater and will "puff" up the top and cut down on noises and tighten the side windows. Which I feel helps with any of the "my back side window flew out" issues we see here. When HVAC is in recirc mode it forms a vacuum in the cab and sucks in the top and windows. YMMV

Yep there is lots of ways for air system to pull in out side air. The tailgate vents primarily. Not to mention tail pipe is near by.

Though I sealed off tail gate vents before doing the air recirculation mod. I have hard top and very little air leakage through windows.

All the bad smell was from the air system.

I will look over my exhaust pipe routing for punctures and loose couplings. I had one car with a bad gasket at the primary cat. It had 3 cats.

 

[Hoppy Toad]

Not much has been talked about this mod. Only a few words about it being one of the best mods done.

I decided to search and find a post about disabling the outside air vent. After trying it myself for a few days.... it is awesome!

I'll explain what I have experienced with the mod and it's small short comings.

Early morning 50° F and lower.... defrost does not blast hot air like it did before. It's blended with ambient air in cabin. It does defrost but will take a minute longer to function as before.

The mod sets forced air recirculation to combat the automatic opening of outside air vent at intervals. No matter the setting air recirculation is always on.

No more stinky smells in hard excelleration, no more cold or hot air from outside being released under dash, no more imbalance of cabin temperature.

How to properly do the mod... 1st drop the glove box lid as if to replace cabin filter. On the left of the air box is a connector. It controls the recirculation vent.​

​

If recirculation vent is open, the out side air vent is disabled. Unfortunately when recirculation is manually set with button, the system will override and switch to outside air in intervals.​

​

To disable the automated override, unplug the connector when recirculation light on button is active. Once disconnected, recirculation will always be on regardless of the air controls setting.​

​

If you don't like the results, you can reconnect the plug to the air box and air controls will be as before.​

I wonder if that will help keep out dust when offroading on the trail with a group?

 

[Pape]

recycle air around here is a big no no, unless you want to have condensation and ice in your inside windows in the morning. Recycle or not, not much gain for heat in my part of the world.

 

[oldnavygunner]

Not much has been talked about this mod. Only a few words about it being one of the best mods done.

I decided to search and find a post about disabling the outside air vent. After trying it myself for a few days.... it is awesome!

I'll explain what I have experienced with the mod and it's small short comings.

Early morning 50° F and lower.... defrost does not blast hot air like it did before. It's blended with ambient air in cabin. It does defrost but will take a minute longer to function as before.

The mod sets forced air recirculation to combat the automatic opening of outside air vent at intervals. No matter the setting air recirculation is always on.

No more stinky smells in hard excelleration, no more cold or hot air from outside being released under dash, no more imbalance of cabin temperature.

How to properly do the mod... 1st drop the glove box lid as if to replace cabin filter. On the left of the air box is a connector. It controls the recirculation vent.​

​

If recirculation vent is open, the out side air vent is disabled. Unfortunately when recirculation is manually set with button, the system will override and switch to outside air in intervals.​

​

To disable the automated override, unplug the connector when recirculation light on button is active. Once disconnected, recirculation will always be on regardless of the air controls setting.​

​

If you don't like the results, you can reconnect the plug to the air box and air controls will be as before.​

I like this idea. Have a 2018 JL and live in Florida. Hate that you get hit with hot air when driving with air in recirculating mode. Also hate the smell of diesel exhaust when following a truck.

 

[Blonson]

I actually did this "mod" a couple of years ago on my 2018. My damper was in zombie mode and kept opening and closing non stop. It'd keep actuating even when the ignition was off. Around the same time, my batteries were dying and I correlated it with the damper opening and closing non stop with the engine off. So I unplugged it. When I plug it back in, it still goes into zombie mode. Some kind of control setting is fugged up. Oh, and yesterday I just learned my condenser coil has a leak. Jeep is a POS brand.

 

[Rocket_Matt]

I'm still trying to figure out what excelleration means.

 

[Jocko]

This reminds me that I need to put my drain plugs back in. I don't want the radioactive fallout getting in while I'm bugging out!

 

[zouch]

i'd counter that some people seem to relish being half child and half toasty.

...Nobody wants being half child and half toasty.

 

[1996cc]

This sounds interesting to try for when I’m in the sand dunes. Donuts in the sand = cabin filter full of sand!! I try to keep it on recirculate, but it keeps switching and dumping sand into the system. I have sand all the way through the vents to the back row…

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