SAFE....and Comfortable Winter Driving.Applies to Toyota and Lexus vehicles with automatic climate control systems and probably to all vehicles of asian manufacture,a dn some US, that use the NipponDenso or Denso US design.
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During wintertime driving the very BEST way to operate a Toyota or Lexus climate control system is to turn the A/C compressor off(***), totally and completely, switch the airflow mode to footwell and windshield combined air flow' and then set, maintain, your temperature setpoint to your own personal comfort level, or that of your passenger(s).
Saturday morning I drove home, Portland to Seattle eastside, ~200 miles, temperature hovering around 34-36, overcast and light snow flurries the full way.
The significant level of warm airflow diverted to the windshield surface helped to keep mine and my wife's upper body warm. Otherwise NipponDenso, Denso US' unique dual layer airflow would have left our upper body subject only to the radiant cooling effects of the surrounding landscape amd more likely than not an encounter, an episode, with sudden and unexpected windshield fogging.
*** In earlier times I resorted to unplugging the a/c clutch circuit.
In my '92 LS400 I added a "winter mode" operational switch so the OAT sensor always indicated sub-freezing conditions during the winter months. Lexus disables the A/C entirely if the OAT is below ~35F.
My '01 AWD RX300 has two c-best optional settings that address this issue. one of those allows you to disable the A/C indefinitely by simply switching it off manually one time. The second unlinks the A/C from operating automatically (with no A/C "on" indication) in defrost/defog/demist mode.
Later Lexus model have additional C-best options, one that prevents the system from automatically switching into cooling mode when the cabin temperature rises to within a few degrees.
I notice that '08 models automatically switch to heating, footwell airflow with slight flow to the windshield, once OAT declines to the point of the A/C being disabled.
Previous models are prone, HIGHLY prone, to instances of sudden windshield fogging when the A/C is automatically disabled as the OAT declines below ~35F.
'90 LS400 to '08 models, 18 years and they still haven't gotten it "right".
That's what they meant by...
"Relentless Pursuit of Perfection"
Relentless = NEVER getting to your goal(s).
Do you suppose that's why they changed it too....??:
"Passionate Pursuit of Perfection"
