Curt's JK

If it is like vehicles I have had in the past when it's hot out it turns the ac on to cool the cab. If it is cold outside it automatically turns on the defrost in case the windows are frosted. All vehicles nowadays the ac is on when the defrost is on. Many decades ago vehicles would only engage the ac compressor when the ac was selected by the occupants of the vehicle. Due to this people would use the heat all winter and not use the ac. After a long winter with no use the next spring the ac compressor would not work anymore. Due to this the auto industry started making cars that would run the ac compressor when the vehicle was in the defrost mode to exercise the compressor durring the winter so it would not go out due to lack of use. You can still turn your temp all the way to heat and it will be hot. If you listen close you can hear the ac compressor kicking on and off when in the defrost mode just as you do in the warmer times of year. The reason I know this is because my father told me stories from back in the 60s & 70s how he would go out to start a vehicle to let the engine warm and would turn the ac on while it was warming to allow the ac compressor get used and then when he would come out to leave he would then turn on the heat to warm the cab. He said if you didn't do this it would ruin the compressor. Just a thought, don't know if this will help much.

Kapone

That last post makes sense. What I don't understand however is that I notice that (without being in auto mode) I 'll have my fan on low (the first bar) and position the temp at say 75. The fan will be warm and pretty much a comfortable temperature neither too cold or too warm then other days the same setting I have AC like cold air coming through the vents for a long while until about 30min to an hour?

Maybe I'm losing it but that's what my Jeep does for whatever reason.

2012unlimruby17

I have also been fighting with Jeep for some time now, The Shop Foreman at the dealer ( who has been more than professional and helpful ) called today to make an appointment to bring my Jeep in for computer tests and readings for the cooling head. This is per the Chrysler Rep who visited the dealer about this issue. The appointment is next Saturday. I will post results

I also was told by " Star " Engineering that this was a normal function to " Cool the box " in remote start mode. ( no one was able to tell me what this BOX is) or why it only happens in remote start, or why or who is then supposed to deactivate the a/c every time? However I have the same issue that you have.. I insert the key and drive away after the remote start... A/C never goes off.. I have to turn it off. does not turn off by itself ever!! Lets say I remote start... fan speed 2, temp at 76 and duct setting on FLOOR. I remote start , and as soon as i pop the drivers side door open the orange a/c light comes on and compressor too. Now with that being said I than rotate the duct control from floor.. to auto, the a/c light goes off. If i then go back and select any duct setting.. instantly the orange light illuminates again.

So another question is, when both fan speed and duct are on auto.. and temp is lets say 72. Your heat and air will work together to keep the cabin at that precise temp. but you never see the a/c light come on and off as this happens. Thats because it does it automatically, otherwise the orange indicator light would be blinking like crazy. I understand that on full auto.. you will have them both working together.. and I understand that with the defrost on.. the a/c will come on.. and I am not even sure the a/c light comes on in that scenario. So to me, there is no way... that the a/c coming on when remote started is even close to normal.. there is a problem for the simple fact .. it doesn't make sense and no one at Chrysler has a direct answer..

Jim M

Thanks for the detailed reply. However, my particular issue is a little different. First, I have manual controls, not automatic. Second, my A/C compressor comes on, but the light never lights up, and after I insert the key and drive away, I can NEVER turn off the compressor, unless I kill the entire HVAC system by turning the fan speed to 0. Then, if I turn the Jeep off, and restart regularly, with the key, no remote start, I still have the problem: A/C compressor runs, I cannot turn it off. This is just silly since I often run without the top or doors.

The winter mode seems to work fine. Remote start when cold turns the rear defroster on, puts the airflow to the front defrost setting, then runs the fan at max speed. I assume the heat is set to max, but I can't tell since it's usually cold when I remote start it. Then, as soon as I open the driver's door (and only the driver's door), the system reverts back to whatever is on my manual controls, except for the rear defroster which stays on until I turn it off. I don't even need to insert the key to get back control, just open the driver's door.

Now, if Jeep have figured out how to give me back control in the winter, why can't they give me back control in the summer?

2012unlimruby17

This may be a Stupid question but you mentioned " Winter Mode" is this something you have noticed happens when remote starting, now that it's colder? Or is there actually a set of parameters that occur when remote starting in the winter months? I know you said you have manual HVAC controls. So are you saying this winter mode happens when you remote start, then when you open the door, the settings that you left the Jeep on take over? Just curious! I've been leaving mine on Auto lately, and I'm actually really happy with the results. Is there any literature in the manual that covers all the modes and options when using remote start?

2012unlimruby17

New/ Unfound issue that goes with the topic of this thread. All 2012 JK & JKU owners with Auto Temp Control or Auto Temp Control with Remote start. A connected issue that I have also noticed.. especially today with the temps in the 70's. Ive been running with the Auto setting on both fan speed and Duct control for a while now. Today I took my Freedom Panels off and it was a little chilly, so I moved my fan speed to midway, temp to 84 and as soon as I moved my duct setting from auto to Floor/Upper Panel.. the a/c light came on.. I quickly moved it back to auto duct.. it went off? I then proceeded to go back to Floor/Upper Panel.. again.. the a/c light came on... I waited for 20 mins while driving to see if it would shut off....... never did.. I had to turn it off! Why Why Why does this happen? So I leave the setting.. a/c light off.. temp at 84 fan speed at midway and duct control at Floor/Upper panel. I park the jeep and come back an hour later. I remote start as Im walking up to the jeep.. and as soon as the door opens... orange a/c light comes on. This only happens when NOT in auto temp mode. Why would the a/c light come on when turned from any duct control setting ,while the a/c light is off to auto temp setting.. then as soon as you turn the dial up to any setting besides auto.. the a/c light comes on? Im baffled by this.. anyone else experiencing this? or try these scenarios and see if it happens?

alex00

Mine behaves exactly the same way. Also, I tried responding to your PM but your box was full. Long story short, I'm waiting until my next oil change to take it to the dealer to have them look at it. Figure the longer I wait, the closer they will be to having a solution to the problem. Did we ever get a solid answer from Jeep (not a dealership) that this is, indeed, a problem and not by design?

jsalbre

My (owned for a week) new 2012 JKUR (Built 30DEC2011) does exactly the same thing.

Start with key: Everything works as expected.

Start with remote start: A/C compressor runs no matter what setting you put the controls on.

Start with key after having started with remote start: Same issue as above.

Wait ~10 minutes, then start with key: Everything works as expected.

I'm going to bug my dealer about it when I go in to get my plates, but I'm hoping someone here has had some luck with theirs already?

teamx

THE BIG AC Mystery with AUTO START... so they call Chrysler and worked with them and after verifying that my AC/Auto Start behavior was the same as the ones on the lot Chrysler told them that is the logic built into the Auto Start. They enable the AC compressor for a set period of time but did not say what that period was to not only cool the vehicle if hot but to dry the air to help with condensation on the windows. So for now I'm fine with it but will try to see how long it stay enabled... Turning the vehicle off does not reset the timer once its been enabled.

jsalbre

That's a BS answer.

I drove around for 2 hours and the compressor never turned off no matter what I set the controls to (except turning the whole system off of course).

Also, what if you have the temp set to 72deg and it's 60 or so outside? It runs the AC and makes the inside colder. That seems pretty broken to me.