Auto Recirculation Mode?

solstice · November 6, 2009

I just picked up my 2010 350 and it is supposed to have an auto recirculation mode with the Nav package. It appears I don't have this mode. Does anyone else have this option? Thanks in advance...

pauljcl · November 6, 2009

I just picked up my 2010 350 and it is supposed to have an auto recirculation mode with the Nav package. It appears I don't have this mode. Does anyone else have this option? Thanks in advance...

I don't know about your 2010 RX, but both the 1999 RX and the 2009 RX I own have auto recirc. mode. It sets - for example - when the car is very hot inside and the outsiode temp. is also hot: it then sets recirc. mode and auto. fan on high and (max) A/C. The only way to avoid it is to turn 'off' the "Auto" control on the climate control knobs (and, conversely, the way to make it work is to turn 'on' the Auto control). I would assume that your 2010 RX also has it: have you checked the manual and conditions that would set it 'on'?

solstice · November 6, 2009

Thanks for your reply. I do have what you describe. However with 2010 the auto recirc. mode I am referring to is supposed to have a setting where it automaically detects smog etc (like when in a tunnel or garage) and set itself to interior air circulation. Not a big deal, but I just curious as to why mine didn't come with this feature. The way you can tell is that there is a second 'auto' button next to the circulation button.

pauljcl · November 6, 2009

Thanks for your reply. I do have what you describe. However with 2010 the auto recirc. mode I am referring to is supposed to have a setting where it automaically detects smog etc (like when in a tunnel or garage) and set itself to interior air circulation. Not a big deal, but I just curious as to why mine didn't come with this feature. The way you can tell is that there is a second 'auto' button next to the circulation button.

I see - sorry for the misunderstanding! It seems to be a neat feature. It's nose knows!

1990LS400 · November 6, 2009

On your navigation screen, try selecting "Vehicle Customization" and then "Climate Settings" to change the "Exhaust gas sensor sensitivity" from whichever setting you want in the range from -3 to +3. It is probably set to zero so you may not need to change it unless you would like it to be less or more sensitive to foul outside air.

Push the "Air intake control button" as many times as it takes until the tiny light above the word "Auto" lights up to put the HVAC system into automatic recirculation mode. The air intake control button is the button with the little outline of a car and the word "Auto" on it.

It might be easier to find this information in the owners and navigation manuals in the Owners section of the Lexus website rather than try to find it in the hard copy manuals that came with your RX. Some of the HVAC system information is in the navigation manual for the 2010 RX.

solstice · November 8, 2009

On your navigation screen, try selecting "Vehicle Customization" and then "Climate Settings" to change the "Exhaust gas sensor sensitivity" from whichever setting you want in the range from -3 to +3. It is probably set to zero so you may not need to change it unless you would like it to be less or more sensitive to foul outside air.
Push the "Air intake control button" as many times as it takes until the tiny light above the word "Auto" lights up to put the HVAC system into automatic recirculation mode. The air intake control button is the button with the little outline of a car and the word "Auto" on it.

It might be easier to find this information in the owners and navigation manuals in the Owners section of the Lexus website rather than try to find it in the hard copy manuals that came with your RX. Some of the HVAC system information is in the navigation manual for the 2010 RX.

Thanks Jim. This is different than what I am referring to. If your RX has this feature, one of the little 'car' icons will be replaced witht the word 'Auto'. Apparently several users on the Edmunds site with Premium/Nav do have this feature. I now have to figure out why mine does not. My dealer is of little use as they did not know that (or the auto high beams) even exist--this is after going to 'Lexus school'...I was explaining the features of the car to him!! Anybody have suggestions of who I can go to to find out why this feature isn't on my vehicle when it is supposed to be?

1990LS400 · November 8, 2009

Thanks Jim. This is different than what I am referring to. If your RX has this feature, one of the little 'car' icons will be replaced witht the word 'Auto'. Apparently several users on the Edmunds site with Premium/Nav do have this feature. I now have to figure out why mine does not. My dealer is of little use as they did not know that (or the auto high beams) even exist--this is after going to 'Lexus school'...I was explaining the features of the car to him!! Anybody have suggestions of who I can go to to find out why this feature isn't on my vehicle when it is supposed to be?

Do you have the "Air intake control button" labeled "9" on page 279 of the 2010 RX350 navigation manual? If you have this button, pressing it repeatedly cycles the system through three modes -- exactly the same as a similar button works in my 2000 LS400. The three modes are described on page 284 of the 2010 RX350 navigation manual.

I will include page 303 from the 2010 RX350 navigation manual simply because it points to page 410 which (poorly) shows where the sensitivity is customized by selecting "Vehicle Customization" and then "Climate Settings".

Have you gone into the Climate Settings screen to see if has the sensitivity customization feature?

If your RX350 isn't like what is shown on the attached 2010 RX350 navigation manual pages, could you take a photo of the buttons you have and attach it to this thread?

If your A/C system is like what is shown on the attached pages, then you have a system that automatically adjusts between outside air and recirculation depending on outside air quality.

Your experience with Lexus dealership staff not knowing much about the cars they sell certainly matches what I have experience over the past 20 years. My "favorite" experience was trying to convince two service writers that my 00 LS400 has DRL. They argued forcefully that DRL didn't start until the 2001 model year. They didn't even apologize when I showed them information about DRL in my owners manual.

solstice · November 9, 2009

Thanks Jim. This is different than what I am referring to. If your RX has this feature, one of the little 'car' icons will be replaced witht the word 'Auto'. Apparently several users on the Edmunds site with Premium/Nav do have this feature. I now have to figure out why mine does not. My dealer is of little use as they did not know that (or the auto high beams) even exist--this is after going to 'Lexus school'...I was explaining the features of the car to him!! Anybody have suggestions of who I can go to to find out why this feature isn't on my vehicle when it is supposed to be?

Do you have the "Air intake control button" labeled "9" on page 279 of the 2010 RX350 navigation manual? If you have this button, pressing it repeatedly cycles the system through three modes -- exactly the same as a similar button works in my 2000 LS400. The three modes are described on page 284 of the 2010 RX350 navigation manual.

I will include page 303 from the 2010 RX350 navigation manual simply because it points to page 410 which (poorly) shows where the sensitivity is customized by selecting "Vehicle Customization" and then "Climate Settings".

Have you gone into the Climate Settings screen to see if has the sensitivity customization feature?

If your RX350 isn't like what is shown on the attached 2010 RX350 navigation manual pages, could you take a photo of the buttons you have and attach it to this thread?

If your A/C system is like what is shown on the attached pages, then you have a system that automatically adjusts between outside air and recirculation depending on outside air quality.

Your experience with Lexus dealership staff not knowing much about the cars they sell certainly matches what I have experience over the past 20 years. My "favorite" experience was trying to convince two service writers that my 00 LS400 has DRL. They argued forcefully that DRL didn't start until the 2001 model year. They didn't even apologize when I showed them information about DRL in my owners manual.

Thanks for the photos--I will take a photo of mine, but in my manual they show an 'A' version and a 'B' version. One version looks like the photos you've attached, however the other is what I have in my car--where the word 'Auto' appears on the button in your photos, I have a second car icon with a circulation arrow in it--just like most cars with internal/external air circulation. When I look on the Lexus website, it appears that at some point (recently), they moved the auto feature into the luxury package. Earlier documentation shows this was part of the Nav. I tried to get the luxury package, but they don't seem to exist in New England....Thanks for your help with this!

1990LS400 · November 9, 2009

Thanks for the photos--I will take a photo of mine, but in my manual they show an 'A' version and a 'B' version. One version looks like the photos you've attached, however the other is what I have in my car--where the word 'Auto' appears on the button in your photos, I have a second car icon with a circulation arrow in it--just like most cars with internal/external air circulation. When I look on the Lexus website, it appears that at some point (recently), they moved the auto feature into the luxury package. Earlier documentation shows this was part of the Nav. I tried to get the luxury package, but they don't seem to exist in New England....Thanks for your help with this!

I understand now! It sounds like your RX has the same HVAC buttons as a non-navigation RX.

That's a bummer. The automatic recirculation feature is nice although I don't know if I would miss if I didn't have it. I do have the sensitivity on mine bumped up a knotch for those rare days when I'm caught in stop-and-go traffic. It is probably more a source of entertainment to watch it switch back and forth between inside and outside air.

Now what we really need is a sensor for interior exhaust fumes ... you know ... the fumes that are sometimes emitted from the southern end of passengers after the consumption of Boston baked beans. ;)

solstice · November 9, 2009

Thanks for the photos--I will take a photo of mine, but in my manual they show an 'A' version and a 'B' version. One version looks like the photos you've attached, however the other is what I have in my car--where the word 'Auto' appears on the button in your photos, I have a second car icon with a circulation arrow in it--just like most cars with internal/external air circulation. When I look on the Lexus website, it appears that at some point (recently), they moved the auto feature into the luxury package. Earlier documentation shows this was part of the Nav. I tried to get the luxury package, but they don't seem to exist in New England....Thanks for your help with this!

I understand now! It sounds like your RX has the same HVAC buttons as a non-navigation RX.

That's a bummer. The automatic recirculation feature is nice although I don't know if I would miss if I didn't have it. I do have the sensitivity on mine bumped up a knotch for those rare days when I'm caught in stop-and-go traffic. It is probably more a source of entertainment to watch it switch back and forth between inside and outside air.

Now what we really need is a sensor for interior exhaust fumes ... you know ... the fumes that are sometimes emitted from the southern end of passengers after the consumption of Boston baked beans. ;)

LOL--you're right, not a really big deal. I'm more frustrated that it was *supposed* to be part of NAV. Since I live in Boston (baked beans ;) ), we have a lot of tunnels and I park in a public garage, so I end up switching modes quite frequently--oh well...still love the vehicle. Now if I can just find a phone that will download my contacts :(