Keep that climate control in good order
One of the most over-hyped features since push-button transmissions — funny how they’re making a comeback — has to be the multi-zone climate control. This hightech system was promoted as a way to end passenger feuds over the cabin temperatures in a vehicle.
No longer would passengers be told to bundle up if it was too chilly, or strip off some layers if it was too hot.
Passengers would have their own temperature controls and everyone would be heading down the road happy, right? Wrong.
The obvious fault with this system — yet one that a surprising number of people miss — is how it controls and maintains different temperatures in a single open space. There are no walls or dividers between the so-called zones, so all these units really achieve is mixing different air flow temperatures together to create an outcome that’s the average of its outputs.
About the only real plus a multi-zone system brings is the ability to direct cooler or warmer air to your face and feet, so it gives only the sense of individualized control.
So, if it’s included in the price of the vehicle, why should anyone care if it doesn’t really provide truly separate temperature control? The problem is the complexity and additional components that come with these multi-zone systems.
And the more equipment you add, the greater the chance something can go wrong.
While electric actuators that move the duct doors aren’t terribly expensive for mainstream vehicles — averaging less than $100 each — some of them are extremely difficult to access. Few can be removed, or even inspected, without removing a good chunk of the dashboard and/ or lower console. In some cases, when a duct door breaks, the entire heater box has to be replaced. These repairs can easily top $1,500.
There are a few steps drivers can take to reduce the chances of heater box-related failures. First, keep the interior as dry as possible. This means shaking out slush-covered floor mats from time to time, and even bringing them into a heated area to dry out.
Excessive moisture can lead to corrosion on any duct door equipped with metal hinge pins, and corrosion can lead to the electric actuator’s plastic drive gears stripping or breaking.
And, of course, use it or lose it. From time to time, exercising all the doors can help prevent their foam seals from sticking and leading to damage. Run each zone slowly through its temperature range and switch the air controls through all various vent positions. Driving.ca