# Atlas Owners ~ tell us about the AC



## jspirate (Jan 15, 2011)

From those of you pimping that Atlas already... how does the AC do in the warmer areas of the country?


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## Plagueis (Nov 4, 2013)

Florida here, it's great. I keep my side of the car set to low below 60 hate Florida heat. Much better AC setup than other similar cars aside from my R since I'm tinted up front. I like it Arctic in the car. 


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## GjR32 (Dec 22, 2010)

jspirate said:


> From those of you pimping that Atlas already... how does the AC do in the warmer areas of the country?


It's very powerful and comes on cold straight away which hasn't been the case with other VW's I've had.


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## JungleMindState (Jun 17, 2013)

It's been over 100 here all week, and the AC works very well. My only complaint is that the dash seems to absorb a lot of heat from the sun, so it seems heat is constantly radiating off. Also, the cabin is so big that it takes a while for the ambient temp to stay cool, but the direct blowers are ice cold. 


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## nkresho (Aug 8, 2010)

I just drove mine from PA to NC, then spent a few days down there. AC was awesome, front and middle row. Haven't had a chance for anyone to try out the third row. but I expect it to be equally good.


Additionally, since there aren't any decent areas to change a baby, most of the way down there, we used the back seat (folded down).

Sitting parked with the AC on in 90 degree + heat there was also no issue with the AC, so the fans are definitely appropriately sized and work well, when the Atlas isn't moving.



For anyone wondering too, the "sync" button, on the AC controls, will kick the rear AC on with the same settings as the front. I need to RTFM to figure out what "rest" does.


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## jkopelc (Mar 1, 2017)

"Rest" will allow you to run the system when the vehicle is off. Typically for about ~15 min or so. Believe it is only for warm air as it will use some of the engine heat before it fully cools down to keep the cabin warm. I have the same function on my X5. I pulled the following from online for a Touareg

What does the "REST" button do on the climate control? 

"Rest" is the German word for "residual". The "REST" button enables the Touareg's residual heat function, which uses an electric pump to circulate engine coolant through the heat exchanger for a maximum of 30 minutes after the car is turned off. This allows interior of the vehicle to stay warm even after the engine is no longer running.

Not sure if the same applies in summer for any residual A/C air - which likely would become room / outside temp air very quickly.


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## Tall Mini (Apr 20, 2011)

Agree that for the most part the system works fine (even with the black interior down here in NC.) Tend to think a little additional window tinting would go a long way as there is, obviously, a ton of glass. One thing that you will notice is that with the Start/Stop you lose A/C when the motor stops at a light (in any setting other than Max.) Can be more than a little annoying especially on very humid days as you will start to fog up in a hurry. Easy to turn off (or just lift your foot slightly) but takes a little getting used to.


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## jkopelc (Mar 1, 2017)

Believe the system is set up that it will kick in to maintain the set temperature. On cold winter days, the heat will not shut off if the cabin is not at the set temp


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## Jiminy Crickets (Jul 1, 2017)

It's been in the 80's all week out here in Central California -- the black interior of my SEL definitely feels like it keeps the temp on the hotter side compared to some of the other large vehicles I've had. With that said, the AC on the Atlas is 5 stars. Very cool air within 20-30 seconds, and the ability to bring the overall cabin temp down significantly in under a minute. Very pleased with that!


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## nkresho (Aug 8, 2010)

jkopelc said:


> "Rest" will allow you to run the system when the vehicle is off. Typically for about ~15 min or so. Believe it is only for warm air as it will use some of the engine heat before it fully cools down to keep the cabin warm. I have the same function on my X5. I pulled the following from online for a Touareg
> 
> What does the "REST" button do on the climate control?
> 
> ...


Thanks.  Now i'm never going to have to read the manual.


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## chipster (May 30, 2017)

*On HOT days*

... I simply turn off the Start/Stop feature to keep the cabin cool on hot California days... 

I'm starting to get used to the Start-Stop feature.. It took a while. It does help with economy.
As an engineer I always thought how aggressive that feature was on electronics and the powertrain.... but as I looked into the details of the system, the components and controls are such that the starter and associated parts SHOULD last as long as typically expected.

We shall see.


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## Captainzero (Jul 5, 2017)

Living in Austin, TX, I can vouch for the AC system being quite effective. It cools down quickly and cools the entire cabin relatively quickly. We have the Black on Black as well so we are having a new tint put on soon.
The start/stop of the engine at stoplights greatly effects the effectiveness of the system in the extreme heat. I wish I could set the system off permanently during the heat (8 months of the year)


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## JeremiahSOW (Apr 9, 2007)

The only issue I've noticed is the third row. I sat back there on a trip and while it was ice cold coming out of the vents, it didn't keep me cool


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