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Post by northernangel on Jan 15, 2024 3:47:24 GMT
I have a '24 Golf R. The adaptation for remembering air care setting keeps saying "Function not Available". The same adaptation worked in my '23 GTI. Any ideas or similar experiences?
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Post by paneuropean on Jan 15, 2024 22:12:57 GMT
What country was your car first delivered in?
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Post by northernangel on Jan 16, 2024 1:38:11 GMT
Canada
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Post by paneuropean on Jan 16, 2024 4:59:16 GMT
I also have a Canadian 2024 GTI.
I can't answer your question about making the adaptation change to remember the last Air Care setting across ignition cycles, but I honestly doubt that there is any benefit in enabling Air Care to operate continuously, especially during Canadian winters.
100% of the air that enters our Golfs passes through the pollen filter. This happens whether we have Air Care turned on or not - there is simply no other way for air to enter the HVAC system without going through the pollen filter. Golfs have been like that since at least the MK 5 version, although VW Canada didn't start providing the actual filter element as standard equipment on all Golfs until the MK 6 series.
What Air Care does is cause the vehicle to recirculate a portion of the air, rather than constantly bringing in 100% outside air (as is the case when "Recirculation" is switched off), or shutting down the outside air supply completely and not bringing in any outside air at all (as is the case when "Recirculation" is selected).
I can see a possible benefit to enabling partial recirculation - in other words, Air Care on - if one has an electric vehicle, because that would save energy that is needed to heat, using electrical heating elements, the air supplied to the cabin. But there is no energy saving benefit at all on cars that have gasoline engines. There might be a tiny fuel saving associated with having partial air recirculation enabled during the summertime when air conditioning is in use, but I doubt that the dollar amount saved would be meaningful.
Maybe, just maybe there might be an improvement in cabin air quality if you are driving through a town that has a stinky pulp and paper mill, or you are driving behind a whole bunch of poorly maintained diesel semi-trailers belching black smoke, or if you are driving through rural Poland when everyone is heating their house by burning coal or wood... but in Canada, in the winter, the last thing we want is any amount of air recirculation. You will just increase the humidity in the car that arises from snow on the floor mats & possibly your clothing evaporating.
Personally, I think VW developed this partial recirculation technology to solve a problem with their electric vehicles, then someone in the marketing department figured that they could advertise it as a "feature" on their internal combustion vehicles. It's noteworthy that Boeing spent tens of millions of dollars to design a HVAC system on their new 787 jets that promises "no air recirculation at all" (in other words, 100% outside air all the time), and Boeing advertises that as a significant advance in environmental quality compared to all previous Boeing aircraft that used partial air recirculation all the time.
For what it's worth...
Michael
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Post by northernangel on Jan 16, 2024 6:22:39 GMT
So you're saying air care does exactly what recirculation does? Like it's just another button for the exact same function? Am I understanding you correctly?
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Post by paneuropean on Jan 16, 2024 13:29:39 GMT
The Air Care function provides PARTIAL recirculation of cabin air all the time when it is enabled.
The recirculation button (the control that has been around for decades) provides 100% recirculation if cabin air when enabled.
Normal operation (Air Care off, recirculation off) provides no recirculation at all, in other words 100% outside air is coming out of the vents.
At all times, regardless of which of the three above conditions exist, 100% of the air that enters the car from the outside goes through the pollen filter. In other words, Air Care has no effect on pollen filtration because any outside air that is brought into the car must always go through the pollen filter.
Michael
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Post by northernangel on Jan 16, 2024 19:23:37 GMT
I think that sounds about right. Although to the best of my research, there's a sensor inside the cabin that governs said partial recirculation based on air quality. So basically what air care does is automatically turn recirculation on and off instead of you having to do it yourself based on perceived environmental pollutants. That's still a feature not a gimmick.
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Post by paneuropean on Jan 16, 2024 21:57:20 GMT
I don't think the Golf 8 has an air quality sensor. I know that some VW products have had air quality sensors in the past - my 2004 Phaeton had one. If a vehicle has an air quality sensor, there is usually a menu option available labelled "Automatic Air Recirculation", which permits the vehicle to switch to air recirculation mode of high quantities of hydrocarbons are detected in the air entering the plenum, for example, if you are in slow moving traffic in a tunnel.
As I stated in several posts above, the "Air Care" feature on the Golf 8 enables continuous partial air recirculation. There may be sensors involved but I doubt if one of them is an air quality sensor.
Michael
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Post by northernangel on Jan 16, 2024 22:40:26 GMT
It actually does have an option labelled "Automatic Air Recirculation" in the climate menu. What do you think now?
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Post by paneuropean on Jan 17, 2024 4:23:18 GMT
I think that I spent a lot of time trying to explain to you how the Air Care system works, why you can't enable it on your vehicle, and why it's not in your best interest to enable it, and all I got back was a snotty remark from you.
That's what I think now.
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Post by northernangel on Jan 17, 2024 4:48:20 GMT
Still didn't answer my question: you said ones with the sensor have a certain option. I told you MK8 has that certain option in the climate menu. I'd love to continue engaging with you on this topic. Truly.
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