2003 Chrysler T&C LXI with the autozone climate control. Its getting cold here now and what I notice about the climate control is the AC is always on if I use the either the HI or LO auto settings. Even if the car is 60 inside and I set the temp controls to 80 the AC stays on as long as it is on 'auto'. It never goes off unless I hit the AC button ... which also turns the auto off. Is this supposed to work this way? My 2001 LXI didn't but maybe the '03 was redesigned.

And if it is NOT supposed to work that way anyone suggest the likely culprit? It seem to give me heat thru the windscreen and side vents but cooler (not cold) air thru the middle vents .. .and like I said, the AC light on the panel stays on.

I get that the AC would be on to speed up defrosting but it never goes off.

 

check your coolant level

 

Our 2002 Grand Caravan works the same way...if you manually turn off the A/C you lose the AUTO function as well. I believe the owners manual mentions this. (The coolant level is OK.)

That snowflake icon seems to stay on even when the outside temp is in the 30s... (F) I bet the air conditioning is not running all that much when it is that cold, though.

In our other (non-Chrysler) car with climate control, you can switch the A/C off and it will attempt to maintain the temperature without it...

 

Thanks for the comments. Seems counter-intuitive ... but what do I know.
I only pay for it and drive it.
Thanks again.

 

I know this is an old post, but I was searching for this problem because my '03 limited does the same thing. I know that this isNOT the way it is suppose to operate. Anybody know what causes this ... and it is not the coolant level.

Thanks!

 

I know, because mine did the same thing and I have the dealer computer (DRBIII). Using the DRBIII I found that the front temperature sensor (between the two vents) was reading the temp at about 240F when it was really 20F. A new sensor fixed the problem (it comes as a unit with the two vents.) I should warn that there is a second sensor in the rear that is part of the rear climate control panel, that could also cause the same problem. (Though the front sensor costs less than a dealer diagnostic and repair anyway.)