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Old 1st August 2013, 09:07   #4666
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by Heavy Horse View Post
IMPACT OF ABSENCE
Despite a dozen naphthalene moth balls strewn throughout the car, there was some fungus growth on the steering and the gear knob, and some on the glove box door. I suspect that the quality of naphthalene balls were not good.
Please DO Not use naphthalene balls, they are carcinogenic to humans and known to cause cancer.
Further naphthalene balls does not prevent fungus growth which is aided by three factors, (low)light, (high)humidity and (high)temperature. Cut off any one of these and there will be no fungus.
Enjoy your ride.
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Old 1st August 2013, 09:40   #4667
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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In three tyres, air pressure was down by 2-3 psi. Despite a dozen naphthalene moth balls strewn throughout the car, there was some fungus growth on the steering and the gear knob, and some on the glove box door. I suspect that the quality of naphthalene balls were not good.
I know people using silica gels for moisture absorption, but mainly within small/controlled spaces like camera bag. They may not be sufficient (unless you keep a small bagfull of them) for something like a car cabin.
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Old 1st August 2013, 10:03   #4668
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Noticed something with regards to AC temp control today. Not sure if this was discussed earlier.

When I increased the temperature to 25 deg plus the fan flow direction indication on the screen automatically changes from face mode to face - floor mode to floor mode. Initially I thought this was a new niggle. But when I decreased the temp back to less than 25 deg the fan flow direction returned back to face mode. So it seems to be the way this system works.

Not sure why the fan flow mode should change with increase in temp. In really cold conditions if I wanted some hot air on my hands or face, will I have to place them on the floor.
I remember driving abroad in chilly conditions with the AC turned all the way to to red and enjoying the hot air on my face and hands.

FundaG
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Originally Posted by SDP View Post
^^
Fundagenie, I believe that belongs to the niggles thread.
I have not observed any such behaviour yet and does not seem logical. But since you mentioned it, let me try it out soon.
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Originally Posted by Nitrous Power View Post
I don't own the XUV5OO. But this is not a niggle for sure. It is how it works usually with AC in AUTO mode. The air flow is thru the face only vents when you set the temperature towards colder settings and airflow gets split towards all vents while when you select warmer temperature.
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I think this feature may have been in place due to the cold air/ hot air physical movement laws. The cold air will naturally settle down as it is heavy and the hot air will automatically rise due to lightness. Releasing the cold air at the top and the hot air at the bottom is a sure way of keeping the air flow naturally optimum. Looks like it's not a niggle but a established design principle. Was so hoping this was another star detailing from M&M.

Agree on SDP regarding moving this post to niggles thread. Was following both the Test drive and niggles thread in parallel and accidentally posted here.

Moderator : would need some help here.

If that how the system works in auto mode, its understandable. But the moment you adjust the blower speed and temp, it turns into manual mode. Which means everything including the direction flow has to be manual. And not partially automatic.

In hot weather, there are numerous times I have rushed into my car, switched ON the AC with blower at full, temp at the lowest, fans directed at my face and neck to cool myself off. In reverse, in cold weather if some one wants to warm himself in a similar fashion, it might be a tad difficult with such a system.

yogibears point on hot air/cold air physics is understandable and a good design to warm up the cabin. But to warm up your numb hands or face, would need some hot air blowing into them. Thats exactly what is out of control here.

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Old 1st August 2013, 19:29   #4669
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by fundagenie View Post
Noticed something with regards to AC temp control today. Not sure if this was discussed earlier.

When I increased the temperature to 25 deg plus the fan flow direction indication on the screen automatically changes from face mode to face - floor mode to floor mode. Initially I thought this was a new niggle. But when I decreased the temp back to less than 25 deg the fan flow direction returned back to face mode. So it seems to be the way this system works.

Not sure why the fan flow mode should change with increase in temp. In really cold conditions if I wanted some hot air on my hands or face, will I have to place them on the floor.
I remember driving abroad in chilly conditions with the AC turned all the way to to red and enjoying the hot air on my face and hands.

FundaG
FG I tried it in my vehicle today. Normal setting is flow to the face, 24C and manual control. Changed it to 25C and then 26C. No change in airflow !! It would be interesting if others reported for their vehicles.
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Old 1st August 2013, 20:27   #4670
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by fundagenie View Post
...
If that how the system works in auto mode, its understandable. But the moment you adjust the blower speed and temp, it turns into manual mode. Which means everything including the direction flow has to be manual. And not partially automatic.
...
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FG I tried it in my vehicle today. Normal setting is flow to the face, 24C and manual control. Changed it to 25C and then 26C. No change in airflow !! It would be interesting if others reported for their vehicles.
Tried it in my car. No change in airflow mode.
#BaalKiKhaalExperimentNo37
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Old 1st August 2013, 21:19   #4671
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Tried it in my car. No change in airflow mode.
#BaalKiKhaalExperimentNo37
Tried this in my car (an i20 though ) and air did come from the vent near my feet - at around 26 degrees.
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Old 1st August 2013, 21:29   #4672
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

Guys, this is not a niggle/problem with XUV-5OO. Almost all the Climate control systems change the direction of the vents with the selected temperature and difference between Inside and Outside temperature. For quickest cooling, air to front vents is preferred, as soon as the set temperature is exceeded ACC splits the air between the top and lower vents. For Defogging ACC automatically switches on fresh air, with heater at high temperature fresh Air is switched on with Air preferred to be directed towards feet/ or split between windshield vent and feet.
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Old 2nd August 2013, 07:50   #4673
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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FG I tried it in my vehicle today. Normal setting is flow to the face, 24C and manual control. Changed it to 25C and then 26C. No change in airflow !! It would be interesting if others reported for their vehicles.
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Tried it in my car. No change in airflow mode.
#BaalKiKhaalExperimentNo37
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Originally Posted by arvind71181 View Post
Tried this in my car (an i20 though ) and air did come from the vent near my feet - at around 26 degrees.
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Guys, this is not a niggle/problem with XUV-5OO. Almost all the Climate control systems change the direction of the vents with the selected temperature and difference between Inside and Outside temperature. For quickest cooling, air to front vents is preferred, as soon as the set temperature is exceeded ACC splits the air between the top and lower vents. For Defogging ACC automatically switches on fresh air, with heater at high temperature fresh Air is switched on with Air preferred to be directed towards feet/ or split between windshield vent and feet.
OK XUVians, I decided to do a detailed analysis of the AC flow. Had to do a drive to the railway station today at 4.30 am in the cold bangalore weather . Below are what I have noticed. And I also dont think it is a niggle. And there is a twist at the end....

- The flow changes to face-floor mode at around 28-28.5 deg. And at around 30-30.5 it changes to floor mode. So it meant I could get hot air on my face and hands till 30 deg. Not bad.

- Since the flow changes to face-floor mode at 28deg, the throw of the AC vents in 2nd row becomes weak. Which means a fan speed of atleast 4-5 to maintain a pretty good throw in the second row. Post 30deg, there is no flow from the door side vents. However, hot air flows from the vents below the front seats.

- Since I tried out the first and second rows, decided to check out the third row AC situation also, though I dont use it. Kept the temp at 32deg on the DIS. Hot air from the floor vents of the first and second rows. Here is the twist.... The air coming from the AC vents in the 3rd row was cold...around 18-20deg cold . I waited for a min or so to see if there would be any change, but no change. So adjusted the temp in the DIS to 27-28deg which meant slightly warm air in face-floor mode. Went back and checked the 3rd row AC and it was still throwing cold air. Waited for again a min to see if it would change while playing around with the 3rd row fan speed. Still no change. Its cold air coming from these vents. Not sure if the air would get warmer with more time. Else it means any one travelling in the third row in cold climate would just have a freezing time.

Brings something to my mind. The only time I had used the third row seats was when the car was brand new and the passenger was an old lady relative of mine. The 3rd row AC was On and at the end of the 3hr journey, she said it was really really cold in the back. While the rest of us in the first and second rows were OK as the temp was set at sort of normal. At the point of time, we thought it was probably because the person was old. But right now with the above observation it could be that she was getting the AC at 18-19deg through out the trip while the rest of us at what ever comfortable temp that was set.

So does that mean the 3rd row has a separate AC compressor or something with no possibility of temp control?

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Old 2nd August 2013, 08:24   #4674
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by fundagenie View Post
...

So does that mean the 3rd row has a separate AC compressor or something with no possibility of temp control?

FundaG
Very detailed analysis and good conclusions!

There is indeed a separate compressor for the 3rd row AC vents. Although the same ACC controls could have been used by M&M designers to control the 2nd AC as well, seems like they missed it.

I don't see this as a too much of inconvenience though. The 3rd row has a independent flow control rotary knob at the back. So when in need of cold air, the flow could ne moderated to achieve lesser cooling if needed. On the other hand, if the main AC is at 30 degrees or so and you are basically trying to get warm air, one should not start the 2nd AC at all and just use the fan in the 3rd row.

Last edited by SDP : 2nd August 2013 at 08:26.
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Old 2nd August 2013, 09:30   #4675
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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So does that mean the 3rd row has a separate AC compressor or something with no possibility of temp control?
In XUV-5OO, 3rd Row has a separate compressor, it is not linked to Climate control system, the temperature cannot be regulated. This is similar for most large Utility Vehicles. In some vehicles like Innova and Fortuner, both second and Third row are linked to the second A/C compressor, the temperature for these rows cannot be controlled through ACC module.

So at times when my XUV is parked in sun on a hot sunny day, to get the cabin cooled fast i used both the compressors, it helps in cooling the cabin a lot faster. XUV clearly has one of the strongest Air conditioning systems in the market.
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Old 2nd August 2013, 09:39   #4676
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Very detailed analysis and good conclusions!

There is indeed a separate compressor for the 3rd row AC vents. Although the same ACC controls could have been used by M&M designers to control the 2nd AC as well, seems like they missed it.

I don't see this as a too much of inconvenience though. The 3rd row has a independent flow control rotary knob at the back. So when in need of cold air, the flow could ne moderated to achieve lesser cooling if needed. On the other hand, if the main AC is at 30 degrees or so and you are basically trying to get warm air, one should not start the 2nd AC at all and just use the fan in the 3rd row.
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Originally Posted by .anshuman View Post
In XUV-5OO, 3rd Row has a separate compressor, it is not linked to Climate control system, the temperature cannot be regulated. This is similar for most large Utility Vehicles. In some vehicles like Innova and Fortuner, both second and Third row are linked to the second A/C compressor, the temperature for these rows cannot be controlled through ACC module.

So at times when my XUV is parked in sun on a hot sunny day, to get the cabin cooled fast i used both the compressors, it helps in cooling the cabin a lot faster. XUV clearly has one of the strongest Air conditioning systems in the market.

Good to hear this points. So that solves the mystery of the XUV AC. Case closed.
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Old 2nd August 2013, 10:33   #4677
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by .anshuman View Post

So at times when my XUV is parked in sun on a hot sunny day, to get the cabin cooled fast i used both the compressors, it helps in cooling the cabin a lot faster. XUV clearly has one of the strongest Air conditioning systems in the market.
Thanks for this nifty idea.

I'll definitely try this method, Let us see how fast it cools in summer
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Old 2nd August 2013, 14:31   #4678
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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So at times when my XUV is parked in sun on a hot sunny day, to get the cabin cooled fast i used both the compressors, it helps in cooling the cabin a lot faster. XUV clearly has one of the strongest Air conditioning systems in the market.
Anshuman I'm sure you must have tried this in addition to switching on both ACs, which is to let the hot air accumulated inside, out by rolling down all windows for a couple of minutes while driving the car. This is with the ACs on, since the first minute or so the blowers also spew out hot air till the compressors start generating cool air.
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Old 2nd August 2013, 18:19   #4679
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

With the condition of the roads as it is these days in Pune, the XUV is in it's element on these pathetic roads... swallowing up potholes like nobody's business. It is on occasions like this that one can appreciate the efforts that must have gone into tuning the suspension so well.

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Originally Posted by .anshuman View Post
So at times when my XUV is parked in sun on a hot sunny day, to get the cabin cooled fast i used both the compressors, it helps in cooling the cabin a lot faster. XUV clearly has one of the strongest Air conditioning systems in the market.
+1 to that... In summer i had kept the blower in the 3rd row perpetually on 2 or 3. so when I needed that boost in cooling, all I had to do was to switch on the "Rear AC".
Worked like a charm!


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Guys, this is not a niggle/problem with XUV-5OO. Almost all the Climate control systems change the direction of the vents with the selected temperature and difference between Inside and Outside temperature. For quickest cooling, air to front vents is preferred, as soon as the set temperature is exceeded ACC splits the air between the top and lower vents. For Defogging ACC automatically switches on fresh air, with heater at high temperature fresh Air is switched on with Air preferred to be directed towards feet/ or split between windshield vent and feet.
I think the logic behind that is that when it's hot and you want the AC, you'd want it in your face, but try that in winter with the heater and you'll start sweating immediately. The heated air comes from the floor vents, so the cabin gets heated uniformely and evenly.

One thing i've noticed however is that when I switch on the front windshield demister, the windshield vents blow cold air, but the floor vents [also functional] blow warm air. Is this also by design?
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Old 2nd August 2013, 18:29   #4680
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Re: Mahindra XUV500 : Test Drive & Review

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So does that mean the 3rd row has a separate AC compressor or something with no possibility of temp control?
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Originally Posted by SDP View Post
There is indeed a separate compressor for the 3rd row AC vents. Although the same ACC controls could have been used by M&M designers to control the 2nd AC as well, seems like they missed it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by .anshuman View Post
In XUV-5OO, 3rd Row has a separate compressor, it is not linked to Climate control system, the temperature cannot be regulated. This is similar for most large Utility Vehicles. In some vehicles like Innova and Fortuner, both second and Third row are linked to the second A/C compressor, the temperature for these rows cannot be controlled through ACC module.
To the best of my knowledge, XUV (and most other large utility vehicles) have only 1 compressor but 2 evaporators.

Compressor is the belt-driven machine which compresses the gaseous refrigerant and sends it to the Condenser (the huge radiator-like heat exchanger in front of the radiator) at high pressure.

The compressed hot refrigerant gas becomes liquid in the Condenser after being cooled by ambient air. The high pressure liquid refrigerant which comes out of the Condenser is branched off to 2 Evaporators -- one behind the front dashboard and the other on the RHS (behind the plastic panel) of the 3rd row.

The actual cooling takes place in the Evaporator where the liquid refrigerant expands (and starts boiling at low pressure after absorbing the latent heat from the air inside the car) and cools the air flowing over the evaporator coils. This air inside the car is pumped by an electric blower which can be either in recirculation or fresh air mode.

To put it in layman terms, the XUV has only 1 compressor but 2 separate cooling units (each cooling unit comprising an expansion valve, evaporator coils and electric blower).

When the AC is switched ON, an electro-magnetic clutch engages the compressor drive pulley to the compressor and the whole system starts working. When the AC is OFF, this clutch is disengaged and the belt merely turns the pulley, drawing negligible power from the engine.

When the AC is switched on, the front evaporator starts cooling the air inside the car (the front blower must be ON, otherwise the electro-magnetic clutch of the compressor will not engage due to an interlock). At this time, only the front evaporator is working and the rear evaporator is on standby mode. When the rear AC button is switched ON, then only the rear evaporator is activated.

It may be noted that the rear evaporator is always in recirculation mode.

Last edited by debuda : 2nd August 2013 at 18:32.
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