There’s hot takes, ice cold takes, and now… climate control takes?
Who knew that scolding the apparently uneducated public about the best way to heat up or cool down their car was a good way to go viral? That’s exactly what’s happened with online creator Peter (@p.teur) with his recent TikTok clip that’s been viewed more than 600,000 times.
He may be onto something.
Taking control
Sitting inside an unidentified vehicle, Peter tells viewers that they’re almost certainly misusing their car’s automated climate control system by jamming the dials all the way to maximum hot or maximum cold.
“Everything is set to high, which is like the max it will go. Is your house thermostat set to 95 degrees? No, it’s not. It’s set to 72,” he says.
“All you have to do is set it to what you want, or maybe you like it warmer, maybe you like 74 degrees, 75. Most people don’t even use the dual zone, so you could just sync them so that they’re both the same thing.”
Dual zone climate control has been an option in cars for close to 40 years—the BMW E32 7-Series in 1986 was the first car with the option.
How hot or cold?
If your car has dual-zone climate control, you’ve got the power to keep the peace during road trips. While the driver and passenger can set their zones independently, many people don’t realize they can also sync the two zones for a unified experience.
So, next time your passenger cranks their side to 80 while you’re chilling at 65, just press that “Sync” button. No more playing thermostat tug-of-war.
Of course, not all climate control problems can be solved by setting the temperature to 72 degrees. If your system isn’t working as it should, you might be facing one of these common issues:
Low refrigerant levels
Your car’s air conditioning relies on refrigerant to keep things cool. If you’re only getting warm air, you may need to top it off or fix a leak. Don’t DIY this unless you’re confident—a professional mechanic can handle it easily.
Broken blower motor
If the air isn’t circulating, the blower motor might be the culprit. Symptoms include weak or non-existent airflow. Time to book a garage visit.
Clogged cabin air filter
A clogged air filter can restrict airflow and make the system work harder. Thankfully, replacing it is often a quick and inexpensive fix.
Faulty thermostat or sensors
Sometimes, the automatic system’s sensors can malfunction, leading to incorrect temperature readings or airflow issues. A diagnostic test can pinpoint the problem.
Hot tempers
As we covered recently, there’s some other modern advice for how to best heat up your car in extremely cold situations.
Viewers of Peter’s clip didn’t take very kindly to his approach to in-car temperature management. Those in northern states were especially hostile.
@p.teur How many of you are setting your automatic climate to HI in winter and LO in the summer??? Leave the damn thing alone!!! #cartips #cars #chevy #ford #dodge #ram #jeep #cadillac #buick #driving #drivingtips #winter #summer ♬ original sound – Peter
“When it’s 15 degrees and snowing here, it will be on HI until further notice,” one of them wrote.
Another isn’t about to give up the joy of ongoing hot and cold flashes while driving “I’d rather overheat my truck, then turn it all the way off till I’m shivering, turn it back to high and repeat,” they said.
Or there’s the driver who wants to manifest a micro tornado inside their car.
“For dual zone you set max AC on one side and max heat on the other and then enjoy the thunderstorm over the center console.”
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