Man, I can't even say how much info has come from this site. I just bought my 94GXE a week ago, and I'm falling all over myself loving this car. I've been able to find answers to all the usuual questions (keyless reset, power/comfort switch. etc.) with only bare research...the site is fantastic.

Nevertheless, here's one dorkbuster: Between the hazard switch and the ac/heater controls is a dial. It operates like a rocker switch, moving from person w/three blue wavy lines to person w/out any lines. I do have it together enough to muse that it has something to do with the air circulation, but clearly the actual recirculation button lies to its right. So what, presicely, does the dial do?

Be kind: I am but a delicate flowering petunia of the evening or whatever.

 

Lets cool air come through the vents when you have the defroster hot(very useful on warm rainy days)

 

it controls the backlighting of the dashboard to might the lighting lighter or darker

 

oh sorry wrong switch, yeah its the fresh air ventilation, air from outside being pushed through by the speed of your car

 

Oh yeah that too

 

The setting with the blue waves is bringing fresh air in and the other one recirculates the air. If your heat isn't hot enough put it on the recirc, I drove for a few months with it on fresh and I though there was something wrong until I found out about this switch.

 

The maxima book says something like the one with now lines runs the air through the heater and to use the wavy line one when running the ac... something like that. pelase correct me if i'm wrong. it's been a while since i looked at the book but that's what i remember.

 

the reason behind it is another "gadget" from Nissan. They put that there intending to help keep drivers awake.. when you're driving in the winter (late at night), and the car's nice and toasty.. you tend to get really drowsy behind the wheel. Nissan put this fresh air vent in to blow cool, fresh air at your face to help keep the driver alert.

I read it somewhere a while back... think it was my owner's manual.

 

wow, so considerate... too bad it doesn't work too well
i can still fall asleep behind the wheel...

 

see i don't understand how cool air can keep ppl awake...it never keeps me awake!

 

Thats what I thought when I first got my car and I ended up close to getting my a/c regharged. Turns out it was just letting warm air from out side mix with the a/c

 

It does help for short periods of time.. if you're about to doze off, a blast of cool air will kinda snap you awake.. but after a while, you get used to it and it doesn't work anymore.
When I was on long drives at night, I'd have to keep turning from heat to AC- even in the middle of winter...

it'd be 15 degrees in the car just to keep me awake, and it barely worked!

 

Okay, this is as close as it gets. It's a air bypass thingy. On one setting the air going through the face-level vents is sent through the heater/cooler and can have its temperature and flow changed by you like normal. On the OTHER setting it bypasses the climate controls and sends outside air through the vents no matter what. I'm fairly sure about this because when I finally got my car (a few months ago) my friend and I were wondering why the heck the car wasn't giving any HEAT and just blowing cold air in our faces! That's when I read about this switch and that they say to leave it "off" (not bypassed) most of the time. I have auto climate in my car so it never overheats so I never touch it.

If you don't have the owner's manual I highly recommend you pick one up off any '94 Max. Try eBay or a junkyard or even a dealership. It's got lots of helpful and neat info about how your car works and routine maintenance, bulb replacement instructions, etc etc. It's worth it!

One last question: GXEjane, are you really a girl? Now, before you e-clobber me, I'm just giving it the ol' "Crocodile Dundee Test" because there's been ambiguity once with (ahem) another member *cough*neiceanne**COUGH** **hack!**aka,yourmom*cough*.
If so then please drop by more often! Regardless of gender though, I'm heartened to see a new member using Jacques McSearch to the fullest.

 

Bman.... It's funny how great minds think alike!

 

One last question: GXEjane, are you really a girl? Now, before you e-clobber me, I'm just giving it the ol' "Crocodile Dundee Test" because there's been ambiguity once with (ahem) another member *cough*neiceanne**COUGH** **hack!**aka,yourmom*cough*.
If so then please drop by more often! Regardless of gender though, I'm heartened to see a new member using Jacques McSearch to the fullest. [/B][/QUOTE]

I am thankful to have a series of answers from all. It's great. I'm amazed...I'm speechless...I'm a girl! I'll supply proof-positive in the form of detailed pictures--yeah, right.
Seriously, though, surely their are other females around here--I would think it would be more common for a female to masquerade as a male, no?

Maybe, just maybe, I'll let you, Bman (and I see nubiannube, too), in on the super-secret girly-girl test.

Also, "Jaques McSearch?" Where does this name come from?

 

Ask DA-MAX i think they are friends

 

Actually, DA-MAX thought up Jack McSearch the man with the answers! But then I think ppl got p***ed off at Jack McSearch so he stopped mentioning it for a while. Jacques is his Canadian brother!

Upon reading my previous post I gotta say - it's weird. Even for me. Funny, since I wasn't drinking or anything... maybe I had a stressful day or somthing

 

Perfectly understandable, perfectly understandable, and perfectly understandable.