Getting a new (or new-to-you) car is an exciting occasion! You get to experience new features and capabilities, including some that you may have no clue how to use. That’s where we come in! In an effort to help you get to know your new vehicle, we have put together an informative guide on the buttons of your Toyota RAV4’s dual-zone automatic climate control.
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The dual-zone climate control system in properly equipped Toyota RAV4 models within the last 5 years or so, includes 2 dials with 2 buttons on each as well as 8 buttons in between them. Read on as we explain what these buttons mean and do.
The left dial, in addition to controlling the temperature setting for the driver, has Auto and Off buttons. The Auto button turns on the climate control system and, when illuminated, maintains the temperature settings displayed on the screen. Adjusting the buttons in the middle may automatically turn off the Auto function. The Off button turns the entire system off.
The left dial can be used to adjust the temperature for the front seat passenger. When the Sync button is illuminated, the temperature settings for the driver and front seat passenger are synched. If the passenger turns the right knob, the settings automatically un-sync. The A/C button turns the air-cooling system on or off.
Read more: Should you turn off your A/C before turning off your car?
Microdust and pollen filter button – This button is located to the right of the Auto/Off dial, and pressing it automatically switches the air outlet to FACE mode. This feature (as well as the light) will turn off after about 1 to 3 minutes.
Circulation button – Below that button, the circulation button allows drivers to choose whether to recirculate air (if the light is on) or bring in fresh air from outside (light off). This is especially helpful if you’re driving behind someone blowing stinky exhaust right at you.
Fan arrows– These buttons, you guessed it, allow you to change the fan speed using the up and down arrows.
Position/Mode arrows – With these buttons, you can change which vents are being used. As you circulate through the options, you can see the choices in the display.
Front Defrost button – This button overrides the system settings (except for temperature) to defrost the front windows. To speed up the process, you can raise the temp and make sure the A/C indicator is on.
Rear Defrost button – This turns on the heating elements in the rear window and outside mirrors. It does not take the system out of automatic mode and stays on for about 15-16 minutes (depending on conditions). You can turn it off manually by pressing the button again.