Add physical climate controls to Lightning with big screen???

[randomstriker]

Has anyone attempted this? It would eliminate my #1 pet peeve about the Lightning ('23 Lariat ER), which is sluggish climate controls via the big screen.

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[SpaceEVDriver]

Where would you put them?

 

[Revenge]

Where would you put them?

Right where I converted my shifter to a rotary knob. Plenty of space now.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Right where I converted my shifter to a rotary knob. Plenty of space now.

That’s where I would put them too. I didn’t want to influence the suggestions.

I wonder if there’s a plug-and-play option or if an additional module would need to be purchased.

 

[Firn]

I expect the HVAC controls are run through CAN, if so it should be possible to build such a system. Not exactly just adding some buttons however

 

[swajames]

You can also set temperature etc via voice controls.

 

[Shmoe]

You can also set temperature etc via voice controls.

Buttons that activate recorded commands ftw!

 

[Revenge]

I don't mind the touch screen for most of the controls I just want a couple buttons for recirculation, heat on/off and maybe Max AC.

 

[Shmoe]

I don't mind the touch screen for most of the controls I just want a couple buttons for recirculation, heat on/off and maybe Max AC.

I will say when I had an XLT loaner that the max AC button was the nicest part.

 

[bmwhitetx]

That’s where I would put them too. I didn’t want to influence the suggestions.

I wonder if there’s a plug-and-play option or if an additional module would need to be purchased.

I have looked into this - having built an Arduino canbus controller for my old F-150. In the winter, I want the heated seat and steering heat on quick and it's frustratingly slow waiting for Sync to fully boot. Pushing the onscreen buttons has a huge lag (at least for me) and the volume dial also lags.

@Firn is correct, controls are on the canbus. For heated/ventilated seats, they are controlled by the Driver Front Seat Module with messages from the HVAC module on the MS1 canbus. I have not been able to find the messages that are sent though.

 

[DKENVY]

This has never made any sense to me. There is no reason for 2 Max defroster buttons on the console. One physical on the lower left, and one on the lower right of the screen. Just make the screen a Max AC. Easy fix that would make a lot of people happy.

It took me a while to find the Max AC and recirculating button.

 

[LiteNing]

This has never made any sense to me. There is no reason for 2 Max defroster buttons on the console. One physical on the lower left, and one on the lower right of the screen. Just make the screen a Max AC. Easy fix that would make a lot of people happy.

It took me a while to find the Max AC and recirculating button.

This is actually one of my pet peeves. The climate screen is completely unnecessary. Important functionality is hidden in a menu while less important things are always visible.

If I were king, this is what I would do:

• Delete the climate power button (you can already set fan to zero from the main screen)
• Delete the max A/C button (what’s the point of auto climate if it doesn’t give you max A/C when you need it? What does that button even do anyway?)
• Delete the “heat” button and combine that functionality with the A/C button on the main screen into a three way modal to cycle between: Fan Only (no heat or A/C), Econ (heat only, except when defrost is selected), Normal/Comfort (everything on)
• Delete the stupid max defrost touchscreen button. Move the recirc button there. FRONT AND CENTER!
• Move the Dual/Sync button from the bottom of the climate menu and the “driver focus” button from the top to the center of the passenger temperature rocker (touch and hold passenger temp to cycle between sync, dual and driver only)
• Now we no longer need a *menu* for climate! Would you look at that! Gee wiz!
• Replace the climate menu button with vent button (keep the same icon). When you press the vent button, it cycles through the dash-floor-defrost combinations. The different vents on the icon switch between white and grey to show the active vents. If you must keep max A/C setting, put it here.

We keep the same functionality, have better discoverability, and important controls aren’t hidden. The only stuff that’s hard to get to is stuff that affects the passenger (who doesn’t need to look at the road) and stuff that the driver needs is always present and always in the same spot. Win win win

Edit: I see that a lot of people like Max A/C , so I would revise my plan to put it below the vent button. Should be enough room because the left side has two buttons vertically in the same space.

 

[roddiaz1]

What he said.
I like it.

 

[randomstriker]

OK, getting back to how to actually do this ... CAN bus via Arduino or Raspberry-Pi seems like the way to go and is feasible for me. But I saw mention somewhere that Ford is now encrypting CAN bus messages? Is there a way to crack that?

 

[CD4TNF]

Air recirculation button please. That's my wishlist item.

By the time I do the 2 button presses and wait for the screen lag, smog has already entered the cabin.

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