Car AC Vent Blows Hot Air While Driving Even When AC Is Off

There are few things more frustrating than getting into your car on a hot day, turning on the AC, and having it blow hot air. Even more frustrating is when you turn the AC or climate control system off and it still blows hot air. In this guide, we will discuss some of the most common causes of hot air from car AC even when AC or climate control system is off.

Why Does My Car AC Vent Blow Hot Air When Driving Even When The AC Is Off?

Hot air from the car AC vent when driving even when AC fan is off is caused by the outside hot air being pushed into the car’s cabin due to its motion. Air continues to circulate from outside through the car’s cabin when the air recirculation mode is off or you have set to the fresh air mode. As your car moves while driving, the wind from driving forces some air down the ducts, and the air can go through some openings to ventilate the car. Air ducts at the base of the windshield also let the air enter the car’s cabin while you’re driving. Moreover, the airflow into the duct of the car AC system also goes over the hot engine bay, blower motor and heater core, due to which hot air comes out of car AC vents even when AC is off.

If hot air continues to blow out of car AC vent when AC is off, it can also be due to a stuck blend door actuator. The blend door actuator is responsible for controlling the mix of hot and cold air that comes through the AC vents. When you turn the temperature dial to the hot setting, it will send the air over the heater. If the blend door actuator is stuck open, the air will pass over the heater core, and become warm.

Moreover, if the air recirculation valve is stuck open, the outside air will continue to enter the vehicle’s cabin through the vents even when you turn OFF the fan.

Physics Behind Outside Air Entering The Cabin Of Vehicle At Highway Speeds

When you’re driving down the highway, have you ever noticed how the air pressure inside your car seems to increase? It’s not just your imagination–the physics behind it are actually pretty interesting. 

As your car moves forward, the air in front of it is compressed. This compression creates a higher-pressure region in front of the car. So, despite blower/fan is off, the difference in pressure between the high-pressure region in front of the car and the low-pressure region inside the car causes air to push through the vents and enter inside the car’s cabin to equalize the pressure on both sides.

This same phenomenon also explains why air seems to rush into the cabin of your car when you open the windows at highway speeds. The difference in pressure between the high-pressure region outside the car and the low-pressure region inside the car creates a force that pushes the air into the car. 

So, this is why air continues to blow from the AC vents even when the fan or climate control system is OFF.

How Does Climate Control System Work In Modern Cars?

The climate control system in modern cars is a complex system that uses a variety of sensors to regulate the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle. The system is controlled by a computer that constantly monitors the conditions inside the car and adjusts the various components of the system to maintain the desired temperature.

The climate control system has two nodes:

• Mechanical part
• Electronic part

Like a traditional ac system, the climate control system is made up of several different parts, including the evaporator, condenser, compressor, and expansion valve. The evaporator is responsible for removing heat from the air inside the car. The condenser is responsible for removing heat from the refrigerant. The compressor is responsible for pressurizing the refrigerant. The expansion valve is responsible for regulating the flow of refrigerant. 

The system is also equipped with a variety of sensors that help the computer to regulate the system. The climate control system takes into account the outside temperature, the sun’s position, the humidity, and the occupants’ body temperature to maintain the ideal cabin temperature and also adjust the airflow from the AC vents accordingly. 

When the climate control system is on, i.e., it is set to ‘AUTO’, it automatically selects the setting of air recirculation mode based on the temperature setting. If you adjust any setting, such as fan speed or air distribution, on your own, the climate control system will turn off and the HVAC system of your car will be in manual mode.

Furthermore, in some cars, recirculation also turns off when the climate control setting/HVAC system is turned OFF. So, you may have to manually turn on air recirculation mode so that outside warm air cannot enter your car’s cabin.

Bonus Read: Vinegar Smell From Car AC Vents

What Is Air Recirculation Mode?

Air recirculation is a setting on your car’s climate control system that allows you to recycle the air inside the cabin. This mode seals the car’s cabin from the ambient and recirculates the air in the cabin rather than drawing in fresh air from outside. The advantage of this is that it can help to cool or heat the car’s cabin more quickly and also reduces the amount of pollen and other allergens that can enter the cabin. 

Air recirculation reduces the amount of outside air that enters the vehicle, which can be helpful in areas with poor air quality. Moreover, air recirculation reduces the amount of energy used by the HVAC system.

As you drive the car, the air inside the cabin becomes stale and has high humidity. So, air recirculation mode is automatically turned off to replenish the cabin with fresh outside air and defog the car windows. 

But, as you drive the car, the high pressure of air induced due to car motion forces the air to flow through the ducts of the HVAC system of the car, due to which hot air is blown out of car vents while driving when AC fan or climate control system is off.

If you want to keep air recirculation system on, you have to perform some steps which depend on how the vehicle is programmed. For this, you can read my guide on car air recirculation mode turns off automatically.

How Can I Have the Vents Set to Cold Without the AC on?

In modern cars, there is some airflow through the vents even when the fan is off. You can prevent hot air from the vents when driving by the following two steps:

• Turn on the air recirculation mode: This mode turns off automatically when you turn off the climate control system. So, make sure to press the air recirculation button to turn it on.
• Turn the temp dial to the coldest setting or mid-cold: Turning the temperature dial also affects the airflow. The temperature dial works by opening or closing the passage to the heater core. So, when you turn the temperature to the coldest setting, it will prevent air to pass over the heater core.