Recirculation Issue

[Gohigh54]

I use the recirculation setting in vehicles often when there are unwanted emissions/smells outside. My 23 Yukon XL does not seem to be stopping the smells. Has anyone else experienced this or do I have a problem with my truck?

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

Recirc is for maxium cooling type situation. Think of it like this, if it is 105F and 80% humidity outside, if you recirculate the air from the cabin, you can change the difference in temperature between the air you have to cool/dry to something more like 75F and 40% humidity. You draw the pre cooled air from the cabin vs outside, and thus as the cabin cools, the A/C system can operate on intake air that needs less conditioning. There is always some amount of external air coming into the vehicle. I have never used recirc as a way to reduce exposure to outdoor air...but I suppose that works.

It is often easy to figure out if it is working, since the fan load decreases when in recirc as the fan does not have to overcome the pressure exerted by the vents to outside (cabin exhaust vents, usually in rear under the bumper cover). If the fan seems to "speed up" when hitting the recirc button, things are working.

 

[Gohigh54]

I am familiar with how the system works and think that maybe I need to clarify my question. When driving down the highway in front of a diesel truck with a bad fuel injector, do you smell unburnt diesel with the recirc on as if your windows were open?

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

I am familiar with how the system works and think that maybe I need to clarify my question. When driving down the highway in front of a diesel truck with a bad fuel injector, do you smell unburnt diesel with the recirc on as if your windows were open?

I must live a charmed life...never had that experience!

Honestly, where I live the air is so good that the thought of using re-circ to mitigate environental smells has just never been a strategy I have had to employ, hopefully someone else can chime in.

 

[Silverado4x4]

I use the recirculation setting in vehicles often when there are unwanted emissions/smells outside. My 23 Yukon XL does not seem to be stopping the smells. Has anyone else experienced this or do I have a problem with my truck?

The recirc setting does not prevent 100% of the outside air from coming in the cab as you will get some outside fresh air coming in, you have to have some fresh air coming in to prevent stale air inside. It also says that in the owners manual.

 

[BigdawgR6]

I am familiar with how the system works and think that maybe I need to clarify my question. When driving down the highway in front of a diesel truck with a bad fuel injector, do you smell unburnt diesel with the recirc on as if your windows were open?

I live in Houston and deal with this quite often. I've noticed that my 22 Denali does this as well although not terribly bad. I've had better air quality from my previous non GMC vehicles. It's not bad enough that I need to take it in but it does seem that if I'm directly behind a car with a bad exhaust, I'll typically pick up some of that in the cabin. Again it's not terribly bad but it's there.

 

[tj40371]

Same here...the recirc doesn't seem as effective at alleviating outside smells as in our previous (non-GM) vehicles. Not enough of an annoyance to check into service for (especially with no loaner programs).

 

[Nautilus571]

Change the cabin filter maybe. Get a premium filter