Weak AC/Heater blower

[Dhimiter]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been having this issue from delivery day but keep forgetting to check if prior loaners behaved similarly or not. In my opinion, at max fan settings, there is insufficient HVAC air flow compared to many other vehicles I’ve previously owned. At full tilt, my Audi Q5 probably has 4x the airflow.

Short of getting an air flow meter, which I just might have to get to prove to Lucid that my vehicle has a weak fan, has anyone else noticed this with their vehicle compared to other, non Lucid vehicles?

I live in the desert and with 120 degree temps (despite high quality UV blocking tint) the car is impossible to cool if sitting in the sun for even an hour.

Thoughts/feedback are appreciated.

 

[ColonelBadger]

I have the opposite. I moved from an Audi S4, and my Air T blows hard and cold, to the point in the afternoon I need to redirect the air away from me otherwise I get too cold.

 

[Dhimiter]

I have the opposite. I moved from an Audi S4, and my Air T blows hard and cold, to the point in the afternoon I need to redirect the air away from me otherwise I get too cold.

Interesting. I’d love to see if anyone has an airflow meter and measure from the front center vent with fan at max. The temperature of the air coming out does eventually get cold, so it’s not so much the temp of the air for me.

 

[SubSailor]

Living in Tucson, hundred-degree temps are pretty standard here in the summer. My 2022 GT A/C is sadly lacking for the two summers I have owned it. The car is fantastic but when the fans are at max to try to keep car cool, the interior noise is ridiculous. My spouse has a 2024 Model 3 which cools better with heat pump but still extremely noisy. It is what it is.... not like when I was 16 and just opened the windows.... yahoo!!!!

 

[coma24]

Can't help with the AC strength issue, but have you looked into the sunshades and windshield shade?

 

[j4gates]

If you havent already, make sure the rear AC is turned on. Mine felt inadequate with only the front zone running.

 

[Steveinarizona]

Living in Tucson, hundred-degree temps are pretty standard here in the summer. My 2022 GT A/C is sadly lacking for the two summers I have owned it. The car is fantastic but when the fans are at max to try to keep car cool, the interior noise is ridiculous. My spouse has a 2024 Model 3 which cools better with heat pump but still extremely noisy. It is what it is.... not like when I was 16 and just opened the windows.... yahoo!!!!

The noise issue: I suspect that the reason it sounds so loud in both cars is that the car is otherwise so quiet. We get used to all the ICE noises and the EV silence is confusing.

But a heat pump would definitely help. I have one in my GV60P and it cools my car quite quickly. I have three automatic fan settings: after the car has been sitting in the Scottsdale sun for a number of hours, I set the fan speed to three and after three minutes or so I can turn it down to 2 or even 1. When the Lucid adds a heat pump I expect it will improve the performance but not the sound.

 

[OCDC]

The newest 2024 Air GTs are supposed to have the heat pump from the Sapphire. Has anyone here taken delivery of one, and can they weigh in on how well the new AC works?

 

[SteveG]

I also live in the desert , I have only factory tint , also choose not to get the glass roof . I found that I couldn't cool my Tesla Y until I got the interior shade . It helped with cooling a bit but blocked the view. With my Lucid the a/c has been great , I would suggest a service call , always have my a/c on auto front & back .

 

[FM7]

Living in Tucson, hundred-degree temps are pretty standard here in the summer. My 2022 GT A/C is sadly lacking for the two summers I have owned it. The car is fantastic but when the fans are at max to try to keep car cool, the interior noise is ridiculous. My spouse has a 2024 Model 3 which cools better with heat pump but still extremely noisy. It is what it is.... not like when I was 16 and just opened the windows.... yahoo!!!!

This could be the noise of the battery fans (I think), because when the AC is on max you can't hear them inside the vehicle. But when the car has been parked under direct sun light for a while, the battery fans go nuts and it's ridiculously loud.

 

[SubSailor]

This could be the noise of the battery fans (I think), because when the AC is on max you can't hear them inside the vehicle. But when the car has been parked under direct sun light for a while, the battery fans go nuts and it's ridiculously loud.

Definitely the A/C fans since I can change the settings from 10 down to 4 and noise level follows. I agree on the battery cooling....both the Tesla and Lucid are LOUD when they are running.

 

[WildRide47]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been having this issue from delivery day but keep forgetting to check if prior loaners behaved similarly or not. In my opinion, at max fan settings, there is insufficient HVAC air flow compared to many other vehicles I’ve previously owned. At full tilt, my Audi Q5 probably has 4x the airflow.

Short of getting an air flow meter, which I just might have to get to prove to Lucid that my vehicle has a weak fan, has anyone else noticed this with their vehicle compared to other, non Lucid vehicles?

I live in the desert and with 120 degree temps (despite high quality UV blocking tint) the car is impossible to cool if sitting in the sun for even an hour.

Thoughts/feedback are appreciated.

I have a 22 AGT and have the exact same problem. Insufficient air flow except at the max fan setting in which case the fan noise is extremely loud. Service told me that there is nothing out of normal specs.

 

[Haggy]

The cooling is definitely not as good as I'd like. Last week we had a 119⁰ F day. About 4-5 minutes before I got to the car, I used the app to cool it down. I know I could do it earlier but I rarely remember to. My wife's Tesla was in the same parking lot. I used the app to start hers around the same time... except the Lucid app said that the car needed to wake up, which took a while but that's another story. By the time she got to her car, it was at the set temperature of 72⁰ F. The Lucid was in the 80s.

Part of it is that the Tesla has cabin overheat protection so it would have started cooling down from 100⁰. Part of it is that responsiveness from the app isn't good. A fair rest of the AC itself would be at the same time and same starting temperature. But from a practical perspective, I don't have a good solution with the Lucid.

Perhaps if I find myself in that position more, I'll start to remember to cool the car down 15 minutes ahead of time. What comes out of the blower feels cold enough.

 

[translux]

If you havent already, make sure the rear AC is turned on. Mine felt inadequate with only the front zone running.

This having rear ac turned on makes a massive difference in cooling for me. For example-95 degree day with high humidity front only set to 67 keeps car livable. Same day with rear ac on 67 is uncomfortably cold. 72 all around is perfect. Metal roof with no window tint for reference.

 

[MJAir23TheGoat]

AC is a definite weak spot compared with other vehicles in class. Especially in 100 degree days which in my area are common.

 

[borski]

AC is a definite weak spot compared with other vehicles in class. Especially in 100 degree days which in my area are common.

Have you used "Max A/C"? I've had zero issues since that was introduced.

 

[Dhimiter]

Have you used "Max A/C"? I've had zero issues since that was introduced.

Yes. Max AC is inadequate compared to other vehicles. Again, we’re talking 115+ degrees. The blower is just weak, period. I’m sure that functions well enough in more moderate temps.

 

[borski]

Yes. Max AC is inadequate compared to other vehicles. Again, we’re talking 115+ degrees. The blower is just weak, period. I’m sure that functions well enough in more moderate temps.

I'm not arguing; genuinely curious. My max A/C settings gets me pretty comfortable pretty quick. If I don't have the rear A/C on, though, it takes a lot longer (max A/C turns it on automatically).

We've had a heat wave here in NorCal recently with 105+ temps also, hence why I've gotten to test it recently.

But: I also have my windows all tinted (70% windshield, 35% everywhere else) and I have the Lucid sunshades for the roof (which I ordered from the rewards store because a heat wave was coming, haha), and I suspect those help a lot.

Got either tint or sunshades?

 

[segbrk]

Yes. Max AC is inadequate compared to other vehicles. Again, we’re talking 115+ degrees. The blower is just weak, period. I’m sure that functions well enough in more moderate temps.

Agreed on this. It's fine for me here, and the fact that it can be preconditioned remotely is a big help, but my previous ICE car's max A/C was an immediate powerful blast in the face of cold air. The Air's max A/C is... gentle and moderately cool.

 

[borski]

Agreed on this. It's fine for me here, and the fact that it can be preconditioned remotely is a big help, but my previous ICE car's max A/C was an immediate powerful blast in the face of cold air. The Air's max A/C is... gentle and moderately cool.

Just to be clear: I agree it feels weaker; my Mazda 3 definitely blasted me in the face. I just don't know if it's:
a) actually weaker (I've tested the temp with an IR thermometer at the vent, and it definitely gets plenty cold; I haven't used a flowmeter to measure output yet though), or,
b) it just feels weaker because it is literally impossible to get the vents pointed directly at your face.

(b) is honestly probably my biggest gripe with the car. I need to get in a car and have AC slamming me in the face, because that is what I have always done. When my wife drives, she's the opposite; she wants the AC to be ambient and not touching her at all, so she moves the vents around. It then takes me what feels like a week to get them back into a position that they can blow on my face again, even a little bit. The overhang above the vents just redirects all the air, lol.

So I don't know if it's literally weaker or just feels that way. That's all I mean.