Air recirculation mode not working

[dazed]

I've noticed recently that the quality of air in my cabin is really bad (especially in heavy traffic) despite the air-recirculation mode being on.

I can hear a short whirring sound when I switch between recirculated air and air from outside so the motor is obviously doing something. However, the quality of air entering the cabin is the same irrespective of which mode is selected. This is definitely a problem that has developed recently.

Does anyone have any suggestions how I could attempt to diagnose the cause of the problem and whether or not it's going to be straightforward.

If it involves dismantling half the car I'll leave it to the garage.

Thanks.

[madasahatter]

Is that with the air con on or off? Filters maybe needs a change have have they been done recently.

[Monocle]

I doubt this will be much help to you but I have never really noticed the difference between the two. So maybe mine doesn;t work either. Like you, when in heavy traffic or behind a bin truck, etc. I would reach to the button. Sometimes it would be already on other times off. But if you think about it, if you press it to go into recirc mode when there is a bad smell, will that not just circulate the bad smell and trap it in the car?

I do notice that when you have the aircon on and you switch from hot to cold air, it will automatically switch to recirc mode. Not sure if that is going from hot to cold or vice versa. I presume that is just for efficiency reasons. 

[scudney]

if you are getting a bad 👎 smell then your cabin pollen filter probably needs changing 

[dazed]

The pollen filter was changed at the last service. The smells I'm getting in the cabin are diesel fumes, not mouldy air-con smells. The smells are most noticeable when I'm following a stinky diesel vehicle or stuck in heavy traffic.

I've been driving IS250s for the past 10 years and have never had this problem before.

I always used to be able to tell when the system was in re-circulation mode as the air had a different quality to it - it's hard to describe but it just smelt 'cleaner' - perhaps more sterile, but not necessarily fresher. A bit like the air in an aircraft cabin.

Anyway, something definitely isn't right. Perhaps the garage messed up at the last service (which could actually coincide with when I first started to notice a difference).

[dazed]

I'm starting to get a really bad feeling about this:

http://my.is/forums/f127/is250-cabin-air-filter-388060/

Quote

IMPORTANT: Please ensure that the vehicle is in recirculate mode. If not, you will force open the computer controled damper and damage the HVAC system.

We just replaced one for a customer at the tune of $2000.00 damage from not having the recirculate mode on.

It is extremely important to follow this process on all newer 2nd gen models inclusing the IS350. As I do not own one of these vehicles, nor do I know the differences between IS250 or IS350 HVAC systems.

My car was serviced a few weeks ago and they changed the filter....

[Verbout]

Just beat me to it.   ;)

Its easy to check, the flap/cover should go up and down when you toggle the circulation button.

There is a DIY fix for it I believe on the USA forum.

[dazed]

48 minutes ago, Verbout said:

Just beat me to it.   ;)

Its easy to check, the flap/cover should go up and down when you toggle the circulation button.

There is a DIY fix for it I believe on the USA forum.

Yep, that's the problem. The flap/cover doesn't move when I toggle the button.

The car was serviced (at great expense) by Lexus a couple of weeks ago during which they replaced the filter.

It looks like I'm about to find out how good Lexus customer service really is after 10 years of no problems.

[Verbout]

Could it have been damaged before Lexus did the service?

 

[Malc]

did they really actually change the filter ?

Malc

[Fishboy]

That's why I never let anyone change the pollen filter other than me. Besides it's so easy.

[Verbout]

19 minutes ago, Fishboy said:

That's why I never let anyone change the pollen filter other than me. Besides it's so easy.

That's why I don't let anyone do anything to my car.  

[dazed]

3 hours ago, Verbout said:

Could it have been damaged before Lexus did the service?

No. It was definitely working before the service. The first suspicion I had that something might not be quite right was about five days after the service.

2 hours ago, Malc said:

did they really actually change the filter ?

Well, that's a good question. They certainly charged me for it!

[normski2]

Z that's very frustrating if they've broken it. Go back to lexus in the first instance and get them to sort it. Hope it goes well for you.

For anyone reading this and being a little puzzled ..... this is how to change the cabin filter

And this may help with a fix if you're reasonably handy with tools

 

[toffee_pie]

i had an almighty job fixing that broken servo arm, ***** almighty.

If Lexus broke that i would be shocked.

[dazed]

10 hours ago, toffee_pie said:

i had an almighty job fixing that broken servo arm, ***** almighty.

How did yours get broken?

And thanks Normski for the links.

[toffee_pie]

well, i broke mine in a haste so all my own fault.

There really should be a <!> sticker on that saying read user manual for replacement instructions. You are not meant to force that flap out of the way which is what most people do that leads to the servo arm breaking.

[dazed]

39 minutes ago, toffee_pie said:

well, i broke mine in a haste so all my own fault.

There really should be a <!> sticker on that saying read user manual for replacement instructions. You are not meant to force that flap out of the way which is what most people do that leads to the servo arm breaking.

Fair enough - my commiserations. What I'm trying to establish is the likelihood of the mechanism just spontaneously failing in normal use.

Personally I'm very suspicious. It worked fine before the filter was changed by the dealer and then within a few days of it being changed I suspect something is wrong - I live out in the countryside so I don't encounter bad air every time I take the car out.

[madasahatter]

On 09/05/2017 at 2:15 PM, madasahatter said:

Is that with the air con on or off? Filters maybe needs a change have they been done recently.

 

[dazed]

On ‎09‎/‎05‎/‎2017 at 8:54 PM, normski2 said:

Z that's very frustrating if they've broken it. Go back to lexus in the first instance and get them to sort it. Hope it goes well for you.

My local Lexus dealer has had a look at the car and agreed to fix it free of charge. Well done Lexus.

[Farqui]

Excellent news, gawd bless the dealer