issue Recirculate cabin air

[sduff]

Gm called and said they may have a fix for us...They said when the vents close they still stay open about 10% (WOW). Anyway they said they can reprogram the onboard computer and change the level of closure. I will be doing it this weekend! I hope it works.

 

When i had the truck in for the 'fire recall' I had them check that the door was completely closing because that had been suggested in an earlier post. My dealership checked that and told me that the door was closing all the way. That lead to the registered complaint with GM and the testing that was performed today...No one has made a determination on the path that the outside air is taking if the door is completely closed...this remains a mystery. It would appear that there are additional breaches in the bulkhead somewhere if air is getting in and the door is closed. GMs just says its 'Normal'. Easy way out if you ask me.

 

I have no idea what the next step is on this issue since the manufacture believes there isn't a problem. It would appear that we have encountered an impasse. Maybe we need more owners to flood their dealerships with the complaint and maybe that will let GM know that we are not satisfied with this response. Call and set up an appointment tommorrow. UNITE!!

[take2]

 

When i had the truck in for the 'fire recall' I had them check that the door was completely closing because that had been suggested in an earlier post. My dealership checked that and told me that the door was closing all the way. That lead to the registered complaint with GM and the testing that was performed today...No one has made a determination on the path that the outside air is taking if the door is completely closed...this remains a mystery. It would appear that there are additional breaches in the bulkhead somewhere if air is getting in and the door is closed. GMs just says its 'Normal'. Easy way out if you ask me.

 

I have no idea what the next step is on this issue since the manufacture believes there isn't a problem. It would appear that we have encountered an impasse. Maybe we need more owners to flood their dealerships with the complaint and maybe that will let GM know that we are not satisfied with this response. Call and set up an appointment tommorrow. UNITE!!

They told me the same thing. They said it was opening and closing all the way but all the way is not totally closed according to my last conversation.

[newbraunfelsgmc]

This may not have anything to do with the post , but i did notice on my 2014 sierra that if i put button too circulate the inside air, ie hit recirc button, AND the air was set to blow from the bottom, ie button showing air going to the feet, i would still get outside air coming in. I noticed this not from the smell so much, but since it is cold outside, and i have the temp to hi, warm air was still coming into the cab. If i switched it to air coming from vents, ie button showing air coming to the upper body, no air came in. I could tell cause i could no longer feel warm air and the cabin would get cold, or vise versa, depending on the temp setting. I really don't know why this is happening, or if it related somehow. i just know that on my previous vehicle, a toyota sequoia, if i hit the recirc button, absolutely no air, hot or cold, or smell for that matter, would enter the cabin.

[xoriceboiox]

I went into a laser car wash the other day and turned on the recirculate air thing before the wash started but all the chemical smells were going right into the cabin. I shut off the heater all together but was too late.

[MJFlores]

I wonder if the vents not closing all the way have something to do with people smelling burning smells? I keep getting a "burning / oil / break in smell from time to time and I'm careful to leave on recircuate only. Seems like a lot of us are gtting this smell but cant find an oil leak anywhere.

[Silverado Steve]

I wonder if the vents not closing all the way have something to do with people smelling burning smells? I keep getting a "burning / oil / break in smell from time to time and I'm careful to leave on recircuate only. Seems like a lot of us are gtting this smell but cant find an oil leak anywhere.

All the recirc button does is keep the fresh air that comes in from the base or your windshield from coming in your cab. Smells coming in from the engine bay come through the gaps in your firewall, like where your steering column extends to your front wheels. Your cabin is not 100% sealed from the outside elements by design. If it were it would be a vacuum chamber subject to pressure changes and potential lack of air.

[Sooperdave]

Getting behind a stinky ass vehicle or diesel sucks! I don't want to be smelling that. Hope it gets resolved!

[pm26]

Well, it looks like "recirculate" actually means "redirect outside stench into your vehicle".

[MJFlores]

Well, it looks like "recirculate" actually means "redirect outside stench into your vehicle".

HAHA...tell me about it. I'm getting a little tired of waiting for this "break in" smell to go away. Theres clearly a fan or vacuum sucking burning engine smells into the cabs of these trucks. It might be faint, and occasional but its happening and really isn't acceptable. Would BMW have vehicles driving around like this? Cmon Chevy.

[sduff]

I am afraid the GM participants in this process have not experienced the issue first hand. If they had, responses like this might be a little more sensitive to the issue that is being discussed. I guess they just-don't-get-it. Just because "other trucks were also tested" and reacted the same has mine only proves the issue/problem. I suspected going into the test that they would discover that all the trucks were performing the same; why wouldn't they, it would be expected. What is disappointing here is the fact that their fall back is that "...vehicle is operating as designed." I guess we can all (GM and Owners) agree on one thing; the design(ed) is a poor one. If 100% closer of the cabin from the outside is a 'health hazard' it is suprising that some mitigation of the amount of air being introduced into the cabin could be reduce to also limit the offensive oders that are being caricaturized as 'fresh air' into the cabin of the truck. I suspect this will eventually be corrected some how in later models. Will this drive truck buyers away from the GM product; only time will tell.

 

Sent 13 February 2014 - 12:35 PM

Hi Steve,

I am sorry to hear the resolution to your concern wasn’t the one you desired. I reached out to General Manager, Jack Anderson, at Laura Buick and followed up with him regarding your recirculation problem. Your vehicle is operating as designed. If you were to seal the vehicle completely off, it will become a safety hazard. There were other trucks that were also tested, which operated the same as yours. I apologize for any frustration this may have caused. If you ever have any other concerns, or need any assistance please let us know.

Kristen A.

GM Customer Care

 

 

Edited February 21, 2014 by sduff

[MJFlores]

"Performing as designed". OK, Then GM designed a truck that draws in external smells, (burning oil smell, deiesel exhaust, fast food joints, anything within proximity to the truck) and circulates it into your cab where you're trying to breathe. NICE. Strange how I've never experienced this with any other vehicle...but for some reason GM designed it like that in 2014. I guess we'll all have to remember this "design break through" in 3 or 4 years when we're all ready to drop $40,000 + on new trucks.

[xoriceboiox]

Yeah, I'm getting tired of breathing in exhaust fumes everyday that I drive my truck. Yesterday, I had a guy to my right smoking with his window partially rolled down(all my windows and doors were shut). I had my recirculate air on and I was smelling that as well. The dealer said that everything was fine when I took it in.

 

I think this is the last Chevy/GMC vehicle that I buy. I'll probably be trading this one in sometime in the very near future and take the hit. Having to deal with exhaust and 2nd hand smoke fumes is not acceptable for me.

[sduff]

 

I am afraid the GM participants in this process have not experienced the issue first hand. If they had, responses like this might be a little more sensitive to the issue that is being discussed. I guess they just-don't-get-it. Just because "other trucks were also tested" and reacted the same has mine only proves the issue/problem. I suspected going into the test that they would discover that all the trucks were performing the same; why wouldn't they, it would be expected. What is disappointing here is the fact that their fall back is that "...vehicle is operating as designed." I guess we can all (GM and Owners) agree on one thing; the design(ed) is a poor one. If 100% closer of the cabin from the outside is a 'health hazard' it is suprising that some mitigation of the amount of air being introduced into the cabin could be reduce to also limit the offensive oders that are being caricaturized as 'fresh air' into the cabin of the truck. I suspect this will eventually be corrected some how in later models. Will this drive truck buyers away from the GM product; only time will tell.

 

Sent 13 February 2014 - 12:35 PM

Hi Steve,

I am sorry to hear the resolution to your concern wasn’t the one you desired. I reached out to General Manager, Jack Anderson, at Laura Buick and followed up with him regarding your recirculation problem. Your vehicle is operating as designed. If you were to seal the vehicle completely off, it will become a safety hazard. There were other trucks that were also tested, which operated the same as yours. I apologize for any frustration this may have caused. If you ever have any other concerns, or need any assistance please let us know.

Kristen A.

GM Customer Care

 

 

 

 

This related issue goes directly to the problem. Apparently at GM the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Even though we are all being told that the operation of the recirculation feature of the HVAC system is as designed, according to the attached document someone is unaware of the choice that the customer/owner has in this. As a customer and an owner it seems as though we do have a say on how the HVAC should work. Some in this forum have been able to get several facts out to us because of discussions they are having with their service departments or other research. What is unfortunate here in this case, we conducted a test to determine whether or not in the HVAC Recirculate mode that outside air was being introduced into the cabin of the truck. The outcome of the testing was predictable but GMs response was not. They clearly understood that the situation was not acceptable to the owner and yet they failed to meet expectations which they so clearly outlined in their response. Someone is not doing their homework. Now I have been told that the door when in the recirculation mode is closing all the way, others have been told that it is closing 90%. Both could be true and depending on what the issue is should drive the response. After reading the attached document #PIT5229A which is discussing Excessive Dust Intruding into the Cabin Interior - (Jan 15, 2014) we are left with a choice. I remain convinced that my dealership is telling me that the door is closing all of the way which for them is equal to 90%. This will be my next question to them. Unfortunately these fine folks are unable to think outside of the box. I don't believe they possess the skills necessary to properly satisfy the customer...if they did they would have ensured that the door on my Sierra was closing all the way (100%) and then set me on my merry way, another happy customer. Instead I suspect this testing charade was created without truly analyzing the problem. Someone got credit for opening a case and then closing it as resolved without satisfying the customer by correcting the problem when choices are clearly available.

 

I suggest we all print the attached document off and present it to our dealerships and let them explain why they were unable to present these options to us. Then - just fix it so I don’t smell stuff in my truck anymore!!

 

 

[pm26]

They should have used Florida as test ground for the recirculation mode. Follow some redneck driving a 1968 Ford pickup belching white smoke, burning more oil than gas. There are no smog tests here so everything goes.

[WhiteLTZ14]

Did any of you get this corrected or any updates? Do any of you know if the recirc door is actually closed 100% or 90%? Does anybody know how to get to the recirculating door? And if the door was only 90% close, has any of you gotten the dealer to close it a 100%?

Edited April 9, 2014 by WhiteLTZ14