Are HVAC knobs electronic

[hi-im-jeff]

Ok, so the slate uses the older 3 knob HVAC system, but does anyone know if those are electronic knobs, or simpler switches?

I.E. do you physically have to turn the knob to change the HVAC settings, or can they be done remotely?

My thought is, it's a fall day, it's hot during the day and you drive out somewhere for the evening. You have the A/C on while driving. Then you're out, the sun goes down, it's now cold and you use the telematics module to turn on the HVAC system. In this case, will it be the A/C mode, and you're making the cabin COLDER or will it be able to change the settings to heat?

Someone who has seen the truck in person, have you tried the knobs? Could you tell if they are rotary encoders, or physical switches?

 

[AZFox]

Whatever is lowest on cost is probably what they went with.

some_desired_feature = knobs that can be adjusted remotely

The template is something like this:

Slate Automotive's ethos is Radical Simplicity that's achieved by leaving out what isn't necessary.​

​

For a feature like [some_desired_feature] to be included they'd need to consider it necessary.​

 

[Trace26]

They look to be electronic knobs from the different videos and pictures I've seen.

 

[Frozen North]

Almost certainly (99.9%) set up to allow the telematics to adjust the temp of the vehicle during people preconditioning.

 

[Kopsis]

They look to be electronic knobs from the different videos and pictures I've seen.

Electronic doesn't necessarily mean digital. Simple rheostats for the fan and temp and a multi-pole switch for the mode would be a typical low-cost/low-complexity solution.

 

[Moe]

Electronic doesn't necessarily mean digital. Simple rheostats for the fan and temp and a multi-pole switch for the mode would be a typical low-cost/low-complexity solution.

This is highly likely what they are. The position indicators on the knobs suggest their settings are absolute and will be what one gets when the vehicle is remote started. I don’t believe using telematics for remote start rather than the fob will be any different. But we’ll see.

 

[hi-im-jeff]

Oh yeah, you can definitely see it in this pic, those are physical indicators

 

[kvermeer]

My thought is, it's a fall day, it's hot during the day and you drive out somewhere for the evening. You have the A/C on while driving. Then you're out, the sun goes down, it's now cold and you use the telematics module to turn on the HVAC system. In this case, will it be the A/C mode, and you're making the cabin COLDER or will it be able to change the settings to heat?

I've retrofitted remote starters into older cars with 3-knob controls, you learn to live with it. If it's been warmed up and you've just got minimum-fan heat on your toes to finish the drive home, but the next time you drive will be a snowy morning, you just switch it to max heat, medium fan, and defrost when you park it at night. Turn the radio down so you don't get your ears assaulted, pull your CD and switch to your morning audiobook, whatever you need to do.

The next morning you can start it in the driveway while drinking your coffee and the windshield will be clear by the time you're ready to leave. It's not hard, just takes a bit of forethought!

Yeah, if you don't know when you'll drive it next or what the conditions will be you can't preset it, but it's relatively infrequent that you want either high AC or high heat.

They could have physical indicators and still override them from the telematics module: the most recent control can take precedence, so if you set it to heat from the app while the knobs are telling the climate control unit to provide cold air the marking will just not indicate correctly until you wiggle the knob.

I'd argue it would be less expensive and less complicated to use a 10k pot and computerized motor drivers than true control knobs that pass real current through big rheostats.

 

[Johnny5]

It'd be my guess that they're low cost pots that control the hvac through a central brain box rather than old timey high current switches. The HVAC will probably have sensors to detect malfunctions and leaks, in a way that the vintage machines I'm used to driving don't. As much as I like my old buckets I won't miss the rats nest of vacuum lines residing behind that dash panel.

 

[Kopsis]

I won't miss the rats nest of vacuum lines residing behind that dash panel.

Amen to that, brother!

 

[Moe]

They could have physical indicators and still override them from the telematics module: the most recent control can take precedence, so if you set it to heat from the app while the knobs are telling the climate control unit to provide cold air the marking will just not indicate correctly until you wiggle the knob.

They could but I think the probability of getting in the car with the HVAC doing other than what the knobs are set for would be confusing and unlikely if happen. YMMV

 

[E90400K]

It'd be my guess that they're low cost pots that control the hvac through a central brain box rather than old timey high current switches. The HVAC will probably have sensors to detect malfunctions and leaks, in a way that the vintage machines I'm used to driving don't. As much as I like my old buckets I won't miss the rats nest of vacuum lines residing behind that dash panel.

I miss the days of good 'ole hard-wire cables and sliders on the dash. Nothing to go tits up electrically.

 

[tubes]

I miss the days of good 'ole hard-wire cables and sliders on the dash. Nothing to go tits up electrically.

Amen to that. My Subaru was great, but the blend motor buried in the dash would slowly fail over time. They all did it. This motor controlled paddles to direct air to the top or bottom. If a cable actuated it, it never would have failed. Instead, this is where I found myself a few years ago. (It is not a crime scene and yes I did successfully get it back together.) Slate has 700 parts. I think I manipulated 700 parts to get to that motor.

 

[cadblu]

I seem to recall that they are electronic based on this video:

HVAC knobs testing

 

[E90400K]

Amen to that. My Subaru was great, but the blend motor buried in the dash would slowly fail over time. They all did it. This motor controlled paddles to direct air to the top or bottom. If a cable actuated it, it never would have failed. Instead, this is where I found myself a few years ago. (It is not a crime scene and yes I did successfully get it back together.) Slate has 700 parts. I think I manipulated 700 parts to get to that motor.

The way modern car dashboards are assembled is utterly ridiculous. My 1989 BMW E30 325i was so well designed. 3 sliders for air direction (windshield, torso vents, floor vents). One dial for temperature control (hard-wire cable actuated blend door). And an electronic rotary control for fan speed, which fed a stepped resistor pack. If the fan speed switch failed, the resistor pack went to zero and only high speed was operable for the fan (easy way to diagnose the system). The resistor pack was easily accessible through the cowl in the engine bay under the windshield. Take the access door off to the HVAC blower motor fan, plug in a new $20 resistor pack, and it was fixed.

Better was the heater core. BMW built in an access door for the heater core. Drain the cooling system, undo 6 screws on the door perimeter - driver's side footwell, pop the door off, disconnect the heater core hoses, slide the core out and replace it with a new core. Could be done in 45 minutes, buttoned up.