Air Quality Control System

[nb_mike]

I have read and re-read manual and I still don't understand what that button does and when should it be used????

 

[wallymn]

My wife calls it the stink gone switch, if you pass a bad smell the air filter does a good job of clearing it.

 

[dataguy]

It detects smog emissions outside and switches the vents to recirculate mode automatically. Very handy when you're behind a clunker or semi.

 

[mcginnpm]

Not sure what your owner's manual says, but mine is pretty clear. It says on page 4-90:

"Air quality System - The air inflow from outside the vehicle can be automatically controlled. Press the button to activate the air quality control system. When using AQS mode, AQS(Air Quality System) automatically senses outdoor air pollutants and minimizes them from entering the vehicle, however, unpleasant or foul odors that might be present may still be noticeable within the vehicle."

What the button does: Activates the air quality control system which automatically senses outdoor air pollutants and minimizes them from entering the vehicle.

When to use the button: When you want the air quality control system to automatically sense outdoor air pollutants and minimizes them from entering the vehicle.

Like wallymn says, it's a "stink gone" button.

 

[kidulan]

Does that mean we should turn this on all the time? Will it damage the system or other component if we turn it on for a long time?

 

[MattG]

The thing to understand is that the AQS turns the recirculate function on and off automatically. This is not going to harm anything, BUT:

There are some circumstances in which a person would want to manually control whether or not the car is in recirculate mode. For instance, if it is really hot outside, a person would want recirculate to be on (not automatic) to cool the car down really quickly. On the other hand, in some cool/wet conditions, recirculate leads to the fogging of windows, and a person wants recirculate to be off.

 

[incontrovertible]

Does the AQS turn the recirculate function on and off automatically for a set period of time, or does it somehow sense that the odor is present or gone?

 

[medhat]

I've been kinda lost on this one as well. When the button is "on", does that mean that the cabin air is recirculated, i.e. keeping the new, smelly air outside, or vice versa? In the meantime, I don't use it.

 

[dataguy]

I've been kinda lost on this one as well. When the button is "on", does that mean that the cabin air is recirculated, i.e. keeping the new, smelly air outside, or vice versa? In the meantime, I don't use it.

When the circle A button is on, the car's air smog sensor will determine when to recirc the air. If you want to be in control that, turn on or off the recirc button immediately to the left of the circle A.

 

[dataguy]

Does the AQS turn the recirculate function on and off automatically for a set period of time, or does it somehow sense that the odor is present or gone?

Don't know--the manual doesn't say. However, the nature of the warnings on that page seems to indicate that it's not timed but rather sensor based. So, for example, if it senses exhaust gasses, it will shut off the fresh air intake and recirc the existing cabin air. Potentially that could suffocate someone in a buttoned up car assuming there isn't a ton of air leaking in.

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[Canadian]

FYI - Experience has taught me the AQS stays on until you turn it off, regardless whether you turn of the ignition...with the following exception: If you direct the air flow to defog or feet & defog - Then the AQS turns off automatically. You can turn it back on by puching the button again but it will not stay on when the car is turned off and re-started. It should be called the "nobody really knows how it works" button.

 

[ctrcbob]

FYI - Experience has taught me the AQS stays on until you turn it off, regardless whether you turn of the ignition...with the following exception: If you direct the air flow to defog or feet & defog - Then the AQS turns off automatically. You can turn it back on by puching the button again but it will not stay on when the car is turned off and re-started. It should be called the "nobody really knows how it works" button.

I like that "nobody really knows how it works" button, only because its true.

In my case, I don't know how I did it, but without having that button on, I have the recirculate come on and off (Auto button on) by itself. Don't know what I did to get it to work like this, but I like it that way. Car cools down fast after parking in the hot Florida sun. I guess if I hit the recirculate button again, it would stay on all the time, but for now, it just comes on as needed, without ever hitting the "nobody really knows how it works" button.