[cscade]

Personally I'm rather annoyed by the A/C coming on automatically when you set your environment controls on defrost. That in itself isn't so bad, but the fact that you can then no longer turn off the compressor without restarting the car just drives me nuts.


Greybeard posted a solution in this thread http://www.b15sentra.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25822 but unfortunately it involved cutting some wires.

I ripped apart my dash today to fix it in my car, and found a solution that doesn't involve cutting any wires, allowing complete reversability later. Want to control your A/C with the button and only the button? Read on.

First, take apart your center console around the radio. The upper compartment and lower trim plate pop off with no tools. Then unscrew the radio and remove it. You will be left with a hole that looks like the picture below. The wires causing the problem are highlighted.

The wires travel around the control box to the underside, where a microswitch is hidden. Remove the 4 screws holding the controls in place, and then rotate the controls as shown below to slide them out to where you can work on them. You have to push against the control cables a little to do this, don't be afraid.

Now you can see the microswitch and the mechanism that activates it underneath the controls.

The switch is a generic spring loaded 2 way switch. It is wired to be NC (Normally Closed) which is why the snip-and-solder mod works. You're keeping the curcuit closed, preventing the auto-engage.

Take a small Zip Tie, and insert it under the metal tab, next to the switch's button. This will prevent it from being triggered. You could also break off the end of a toothpick under it and then electrical tape it, but that's messy. In reality, this step is not absolutely required if you're not worried about something hitting the switch, but I'm paranoid and I don't like ripping things apart twice

The hole in the control panel that mounts the switch to the underside is drilled all the way through. This allows you to screw the switch down to the top of the housing, securing it to prevent vibration and keeping it from touching anything. It even clears the radio in this position.

And there you go. The A/C now will only run when you push the button, and will shut back off when you push it again, regardless of the vent control position. And the best part is, it's completely reversible. Should you ever decide you want this "feature" back, just cut the zip tie and move the switch.

Hope this helps everyone who hates this bit of engineering genius as much as I do!

 

[Octane]

whao! thanks for taking the time to make this great howto! good pictures, good instructions, what else could a car buff ask for!

I'm gonna try this during the weekend!!!

 

[SpecVman]

Great contribution.

Thanks!

 

[Kalok]

Personally I'm rather annoyed by the A/C coming on automatically when you set your environment controls on defrost. That in itself isn't so bad, but the fact that you can then no longer turn off the compressor without restarting the car just drives me nuts.


Greybeard posted a solution in this thread http://www.b15sentra.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25822 but unfortunately it involved cutting some wires.

I ripped apart my dash today to fix it in my car, and found a solution that doesn't involve cutting any wires, allowing complete reversability later. Want to control your A/C with the button and only the button? Read on.

First, take apart your center console around the radio. The upper compartment and lower trim plate pop off with no tools. Then unscrew the radio and remove it. You will be left with a hole that looks like the picture below. The wires causing the problem are highlighted.

The wires travel around the control box to the underside, where a microswitch is hidden. Remove the 4 screws holding the controls in place, and then rotate the controls as shown below to slide them out to where you can work on them. You have to push against the control cables a little to do this, don't be afraid.

Now you can see the microswitch and the mechanism that activates it underneath the controls.

The switch is a generic spring loaded 2 way switch. It is wired to be NC (Normally Closed) which is why the snip-and-solder mod works. You're keeping the curcuit closed, preventing the auto-engage.

Take a small Zip Tie, and insert it under the metal tab, next to the switch's button. This will prevent it from being triggered. You could also break off the end of a toothpick under it and then electrical tape it, but that's messy. In reality, this step is not absolutely required if you're not worried about something hitting the switch, but I'm paranoid and I don't like ripping things apart twice

The hole in the control panel that mounts the switch to the underside is drilled all the way through. This allows you to screw the switch down to the top of the housing, securing it to prevent vibration and keeping it from touching anything. It even clears the radio in this position.

And there you go. The A/C now will only run when you push the button, and will shut back off when you push it again, regardless of the vent control position. And the best part is, it's completely reversible. Should you ever decide you want this "feature" back, just cut the zip tie and move the switch.

Hope this helps everyone who hates this bit of engineering genius as much as I do!

I can see how this would keep the Defrost from engaging it, but how does it allow for the AC pump to shut down when you turn off the AC?

 

[cricket_pimp69]

well i know what i'm doing tonight Great write up and good pics to help out with it.

 

[angel2167882]

AWESOME!!! I've post the original thread over 1 year now and I did know that some made it. But, with all the pictures you provide and the new method without weld or break anything, you rock!

I did want to do the mod for long time ago too but on my old 2002GXE, it was'nt too annoying because once the control was set back to FOOT zone the A/C was shut off. But now on my 2003 Spec-V, once I've put the zone to DEFROST, the A/C keep running until I shut down the car even if I put back the zone to FOOT or VENT.

I will install my new HU soon, so be sure I'm gonna do this mod too

Thanks again!

 

[dnelsen]

All the zip-tie, screwing, etc. all seems a little overboard. Don't get me wrong, this is a great article, but I think most would be just fine with flipping the switch and leaving it at that. How many people have noticed that the AC stopped coming on when they turned to defrost? I don't think you have to worry about vibrations turning the switch back on....

 

[angel2167882]

Re: Re: How To: Disable Automatic A/C "Feature" without electrical modification

I can see how this would keep the Defrost from engaging it, but how does it allow for the AC pump to shut down when you turn off the AC?

When pushing the A/C button, the compressor turn ON. When you push back the button to release it, the compressor will turn OFF.

That mod will prevent the A/C from starting AUTOMATICLY when you put the vent zone in FEET/DEFROST or DEFROST. The rest will function as normal. Read the original post with the link provided at the top of the thread for more infos...

For the mod itseft, what can be done too is to cut the 2 wires of the switch and wire them together! It will NEVER auto-engage the A/C then.

 

[Kalok]

Re: Re: Re: How To: Disable Automatic A/C "Feature" without electrical modification

When pushing the A/C button, the compressor turn ON. When you push back the button to release it, the compressor will turn OFF.

That mod will prevent the A/C from starting AUTOMATICLY when you put the vent zone in FEET/DEFROST or DEFROST. The rest will function as normal. Read the original post with the link provided at the top of the thread for more infos...

For the mod itseft, what can be done too is to cut the 2 wires of the switch and wire them together! It will NEVER auto-engage the A/C then.

I guess I don't understand how this microswitch controls the AC pump in NORMAL operational mode. Meaning, I have my AC set uo upper vents. I turn it on for some cooling. I turn it off when I am done, STILL keeping the vents on the upper setting. How does this allow for the pump to turn off? The pump normally stays on until you turn off the car.

 

[angel2167882]

The microswitch control only the AUTOMATIC A/C when you put the vent zone to the defrost. That microsoft is NO WAY related to the regular A/C button you push each time and it still gonna work as normal.

Again, read all the thread here and you gonna understand everything
http://www.b15sentra.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25822

Hope it help!

 

[bmidd]

it's too simple, i just don' think he is getting it!

 

[Kalok]

it's too simple, i just don' think he is getting it!

No....*THIS* part was throwing me off...."The A/C now will only run when you push the button, and will shut back off when you push it again, regardless of the vent control position."

Accoirding to that it lead me to believe ANY time it would shut off once this mod was made regardless of where the vent control was. INCLUDING the "normal" straight out position.

 

[blurred]

the fact that you can then no longer turn off the compressor without restarting the car just drives me nuts.

where is this info coming from?
i dont think my 2002 acts like this. when i turn the switch between defrost and feet, it turns on , then off. no need to turn off the car.

 

[cscade]

Re: Re: How To: Disable Automatic A/C "Feature" without electrical modification

where is this info coming from?
i dont think my 2002 acts like this. when i turn the switch between defrost and feet, it turns on , then off. no need to turn off the car.

It appears to be something specific to the '03 models. For some reason they changed something to keep the compressor running until the engine shuts off, once this switch has been triggered. At first I thought mine was just defective, but then I realized many other '03 spec drivers were complaining about the same thing.

 

[cscade]

No....*THIS* part was throwing me off...."The A/C now will only run when you push the button, and will shut back off when you push it again, regardless of the vent control position."

Accoirding to that it lead me to believe ANY time it would shut off once this mod was made regardless of where the vent control was. INCLUDING the "normal" straight out position.

Keep in mind that by "A/C", I don't mean "air coming out of the vents". I mean only that the compressor for the actual air conditioning is running or not. The fan and position controls are completely uneffected.

 

[cscade]

Great contribution.

Thanks!

Thank you all for appreciating it!

 

[Kalok]

Keep in mind that by "A/C", I don't mean "air coming out of the vents". I mean only that the compressor for the actual air conditioning is running or not. The fan and position controls are completely uneffected.

So this DOES shut that compressor off even if it is in the normal position? If the compressor is shut off, no cool air is blowing out.

How does this mod shut off the compressor if you're not in defrost mode, but are in normal vent mode?

 

[cscade]

So this DOES shut that compressor off even if it is in the normal position? If the compressor is shut off, no cool air is blowing out.

How does this mod shut off the compressor if you're not in defrost mode, but are in normal vent mode?

By default, the compressor is always off unless one of two conditions happen:

1. You press the A/C Button
2. You turn the control knob to defrost

What this mod does is prevent the second condition. Therefore, no matter which hole you have the air set to come out of, the compressor will only come on when you press the A/C button, and will shut back off when you press it again. You can still of course run the A/C whenever you want, just by pushing the button. This simply prevents the car from doing it automatically.

I hope I'm not saying stuff you already know, perhaps I don't understand the question?

 

[mcampo]

The AC compressor comes on in either of two ways.
Manual....hit the little AC button.
or
Automatically comes on when you switch to defrost or foot/defrost. When you move the dial off of defrost/foot-defrost, the compressor goes off.

This mod ONLY effects the automode. Now when you go to defrost the AC compressor wont turn on. If you want AC, just hit the button.
AC will route to wherever you have the dial set to.

There isnt much else to explain.

 

[cscade]

When you move the dial off of defrost/foot-defrost, the compressor goes off.

I wonder who the Nissan genius was who decided to change this in '03... ours dont go off again until you shut the car off. Which is totally pointless. You can on/off it with the button just fine, but as soon as the auto mode kicks, you're screwed. Thats why I actually did this in the first place. If mine shut off how yours does, I wouldn't have cared.