Over the last few weeks the air Recirculation control starts disengaging on its own after a few min. I dont like the smell of other cars' exhausts when driving in heavy traffic, so I often keep it on.

The only other thing I can think of that may be related is that it has been really cold here in North California, and am wondering if this is related. I think this may have happened once or twice last winter, but am not sure. In any case, I could not find anything related in the manual about it being expected to behave like that in cold weather.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

 

Yes, I have as well. It only seems to do it during the winter. I am wondering if it has something to do with how much heat you have blended in as wierd as that may sound. In the summer I am running it on recirculate with the A/C running on cold and it does not do it. I also had a 2010 F150 that did the same exact thing.

 

Mine does the exact same thing. I turn it on because the trucks up ahead smell, and then I'll notice it turned itself off because I can smell the diesel exhausts again.

 

Probably some sort of safety mechanism to ensure the oxygen level doesn't get too low in the car. You'd burn through the available O2 in there pretty quickly if you weren't replenishing it.

 

Are you switching to the front defrost at any point? Doing that turns recirculate off.

 

siggyfreud I have thought about that as well. My question is the same as the OP. Why does it only do it when the heat is on. It does not do it with the A/C in recirculation on full blast. bgoose99, no I am not switching anything. Not flaming or trying to be a smart mouth. Just trying to answer a couple of questions at the same time. I would not think a car is that air tight as to have to have O2 replenished. I have noticed that it is doing it when the A/C is on defrost & the floor. I will run it on the floor and see what happens. In the summer most of us have it blowing through the dash vents, but still in recirculation. Looks like I will just have to take a road trip to find out and play with the stupid thing! Again, my apologies if I am coming across as a smart mouth.

Edit; bgoose99, hello neighbor! Always glad to see a "local" on the forums. It used to be that every now and then you would see someone from AL, but now I am seeing more and more from around this area.