Sometimes I want to be in re-circulation mode but don't want to run the compressor...such as if it's cold outside, but i'm behind an 18-wheeler and don't want to smell the fumes. I know I managed to do this at some point, but don't know how I did it because any time I press the re-circulate button, it seems to also turn on A/C.

Thanks!

 

I too have wanted this feature, but can't seem to make it work. My last non-Nissan vehicle let me do it.

Hmmm, Maybe it's time to look through the 3000+ pages of the service manual for an answer.

 

I used to be able to do it on my 95 max...but for some reason cannot figure it out on this car. I also like to do that...

 

I have to luxury of passing by a cesspool every day on my way to work. I have tried every possible way of making the re-circulate stay on and not having the A/C come on as well. No luck! It doesn't seem like something that should be so difficult or a feature that should be lacking. Maybe this was just a huge oversight?

 

Drives me crazy as well! I can't figure it out....

 

I have tried every which way and it won't let you re circulate without the a/c on. It's rather annoying. Sometimes I just want the heat on without the outside air coming in but i hate having to turn the a/c. Sucks

 

The climate controls in the Maximas are designed to be set and pretty much left alone. The concept of manually having to make adjustments is pretty much a thing of the past. I finally gave up trying to get the climate controls to do exactly what I wanted at any given time when I had my 5th gen. Now, I just pick a temperature and let the car do the rest. Heck, considering the price, it should be able to do this much. If I remember correctly, the purpose of the A/C coming on while trying to recirculate the air or when the heat is on is to keep the air from drying out too much. I believe Lightonthehill explained this previously in another forum. If so, please chime in Light.

 

What are you guys talking about my 7th gen is able to go into re-circulation mode without having the A/C on

 

Maybe with the Premium package only?

 

When I want it in re-circulation mode and the A/C turns on, I hit the A/C button and it stops the compressor but keeps it in re-circ mode. Is this what you guys are talking about? I have an SV with the Sport Package, btw. However, i don't think it's trim specific--

 

no.... i have a 2009 maxima S

 

This does not work on my Premium.

 

On my Premium, when I hit the 'AC' button in that situation, the AC goes off, but the
'recirculate' light also goes off and the 'outside ventilation' light comes on.

 

Agreed! As soon as you take off the A/C the re-circulate goes off as well.

 

turn the climate control off and then press the circulation button.....there u go u cant do it while the climate control is on because recirculating air turns AC on and does the same with all new german cars also but then again this isnt a german car

 

No way my max i could turn off my A/C and the re-circulation light will still be lit i just tried right now

 

Yes I can do the same if no fan is on...


Turn on the fan, with no A/C, and with re-circulation on.

 

air conditioning makes the air more dry. Nissan probably didn't want the windows fogging up when in recirc

 

After reading all the responses it appears to me, that you can NOT get Re-circ Mode with AC off in the Premium packaged Maximas. And is evident on my Premuim packaged car.

 

I concur. No way to engage no-AC recirculation with my car also.

 

I cannot do it with my car either I have a base 09 S. If I remember correctly I couldn't do it in my 06 SE either.

 

That's right. I had it backwards. At least I know I was on the right track. I was just going in the wrong direction.

 

Even if you don't have any packages still doesn't work at least on the 2009 Model Year, I confirmed this at the dealer last May jumping into several S, SV, SV with Premium, etc and none would work unless you turn it off (fan) which defeats the purpose.

It's a horrible decision on Nissan's part and I wish we could override it.

 

Nissan is not the only manufacturer with this setup.

For 90% of Maxima owners, the dehumidifying of the air can be a safety function. But having lived several years in the southern Arizona desert, where the humidity is often around 5%, I concur that automatic dehumidification has no overriding safety value there.

BUT

I think the decision makers that make keeping the AC on almost mandatory are doing that because 80% of drivers in the U.S. are seriously mentally challenged in one or more respects. Statistics show approximately 40% are driving under the influence of some sort of drug or substance such as alcohol at any given time, 70% use cell phones while driving, many are texting while driving - an insanity, many never use turn signals, many do not turn on their lights when it is raining, many do not turn on their lights at night until it is black dark, many tailgate at freeway speeds, many routinely speed up and fly through intersections just after a light has turned red, many do not slow down when there is water, snow or ice on the roadway, etc, etc. The stupidity list is absolutely endless.

So, in one respect, the manufacturers are sort of right. They know most drivers are somewhat more stupid than cattle, and design accordingly. As a result, the few real drivers on the road pay the price by not having as much control over the functions of their car as they would like.

 

The manufacturers need to work on something else instead of giving us less options to set things such as climate control the way we want it. IMHO its still a stupid thing for them to do.

 

Nope, can't turn on recirc without A/C in '09 Maxima S.

 

This isn't totally 'stupid' on the part of auto manufacturers. One important factor I forgot to mention in my earlier post:

When we are in the 'recirculate' mode, the natural moisture given off by people in the car (especially if my brother-in-law is among the passengers) stays in the car, and tends to fog up the windows. The AC prevents this.

 

Too True, but blowhard Brother-in-laws notwithstanding (I feel your pain!) I have to admit I might have been looking at this from a "too southern" perspective.

I recall that there were many times when I lived up north or on top of mountains in BFE where having the ability to control the humidity (read add more buy turning on recirc) provided great advantage and relief to the sinus cavities!

Do I understand the why Nissan made their decision? (other than the bovine reference Light made and I unfortunately have to concur with.) No, but I'm not too sure that the engineers or "test teams" got that far north during their development phases. Perhaps if they had, we might have seen this feature or at least a "user definable" humidity control.

 

You mentioned the cold north. The humidity in the southern Arizona desert (where I once lived for several years) stayed around 5%, and humidity that low can cause nosebleed. Being able to stay in recirculate mode would have made cooling the car easier in 110 degree heat, but with the AC staying on, the humidity could get even lower than 5%.

 

This is very strange. I have no problems switching between recirc and airflow whether my climate control is on or off.

 

I agree 100% with you! You've caused my "wayback machine" to kick in and I remember a lot of times in the desolation of Turkey and Iran where I used to keep a pot of water on the yukon stove to try and get some humidty in the air.

It is indeed a shame but we can't readily toggle this function (I think someone also mentioned the relief from the mal-tuned vehicles as well)

Lt.

 

On the Maximas of others in this thread, when we move from airflow to recir, the AC light comes on every time. And if we hit the AC button to turn the AC off, it goes off, but the recir light also goes off, and the airflow light comes on.

 

I'll double check and take pictures after the holidays, but I'm pretty sure I can have recirc on or off independent of the A/C.

 

Yeah i agree with CKphilly. I can also have recirculation on or off without the A/C on.

 

OK. It will be a rare photo to see the recirc light on and the AC light off.

While you're at it, can you shoot a photo of Bigfoot?

 

This is correct! I'm also looking forward to a photo of Bigfoot as well, since I've tried EVERY possible combination and cannot get the recirc light to come on without the AC light being on as well!!

 

Call the National Enquirer! Don't see why this was so hard to believe.

 

I'm a believer!

This pix shows the "S" HVAC interface. It looks like you can have recirculation without AC. It may be that the "SV" models have it the other way. This is certainly true with my Max.

 

This picture doesn't show that the fan is running.
I think the problem is that you can't turn on the fan with recirculation without ac being on.

 

Yeah my 09 S will do that if the fan is off but as soon as you turn the fan on it won't let you do that anymore. This has been stated multiple times in this thread.