remote start reverts to ac mode in defrst

Help me out guys. You proved way beyond valuable in the past. My girl has a 2003 Kia Rio that i installed a remote starter in last year. Here is the issue. When she leaves the car at night and sets the heat on high, if it is set on defrost or defrost / floor, the ac light comes on and the car idles like s&*( and will not get warm. I have already removed the fuse from the panel to disengage the ac due to the fact that i maintain the car and i know the ac is slowly killing her motor. I just told her that the ac needs recharge and is not worth the money for a car that old. However, how can i manipulate the Kia to give hot air to the defrost in the am and not always turn on the ac light?????? Thanks in advance for the advice. I am willing to try anything to help her out here. As it stands, she starts the car from inside, then after it has been running for about 5 minutes, she goes outside and turns the ac button off. Therefore truely defrosting the windshield. We are in NH and this needs to be rectified asap. Thanks again, the brawler.

Does the car behave the same way if it were started with the key?   If not, did you get both ignition wires?

	Battery		GREEN/ RED & BLACK/ BLUE		(+)		IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS
	Ignition 1		BLUE/RED		(+)		IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS
	Ignition 2		BLUE/BLACK		(+)		IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS
	Accessory 1		RED / BLUE		(+)		IGNITION SWITCH HARNESS

The AC compressor comes on with the defrost in order to help dry the window.  There shoild be something to increase the engine RPM when the compressor comes on.  That is why I am thinking you may not be powering the second ignition.

I could hardly imagine living with a car without AC, even here in Boston where it's cold most of the time, but that's another story.

Anyway, do all these same issues come up even when you start the car with the key? I'd be curious, if you leave the AC fuse in place and the selector in heat/defrost or defrost, but then start the car with the key, does it run equally badly?

IF IT RUNS BETTER WHEN STARTING WITH KEY:

Your car has one ignition wire, and then two accessory wires.

One accessory wire has power in the Run position only---this is for the heater and is needed.

The other accessory wire has power in Acc and Run---this is for the radio, and I never hook it up, but on your car it might not be a bad idea.

Also, many people power the radio wire mistakenly as Ignition 2, so that it gets power even during cranking while remote starting....I've never seen this hurt anything, but, if you did power the radio wire, make sure it drops power during cranking like it's supposed to.

IF STARTING WITH KEY MAKES NO DIFFERENCE:

OK, I understand what you want to do. You want to be able to warm up the car, defrost the windows, but with the AC compressor off.

However, if you park the car, and then remote start it, the AC mode comes on automatically, correct?

What kind of remote start? Hopefully it has some type of output that activates after the remote start process is completed. Audiovox calls it "pulse after start," but other companies use different terms.

Anyway, you'll want to pull out the climate control cluster, test all the wires on the back of it (with the ignition and heater blower on), and find out which wire comes from the AC button.

It's probably negative trigger. I would have no idea as to the color since I've never had to do this---just test all the wires. Or maybe you could buy a wiring diagram for the car online, or ask nicely for a printout at the parts department at the Kia dealer.

Anyway, sorry if I'm talking too much here, but it should be a simple matter of connecting your "pulse after start" output to the Kia's AC on/off wire.

However, keep in mind that if you park the car with the AC already off, and then remote start it, your "pulse after start" is now going to turn the AC on instead of off........maybe put a little toggle switch inline to disable it when you don't want it.

It looks like there is a seperate switch for the a/c ?    There is a brown wire pin 11 at the control head. That goes from your heater control head to the a/c switch

i have seen a/c compressors fail in these cars

at the a/c switch there should be 3 wires

brown pin 1 goes to the heater head
YELLOW /GREEN pin 2 goes to a/c pressure switch
black pin 3 ground

i would check what chris said first though ive never seen this before

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If i Can't Install it    I Don't need it   Joe

Sorry for the delay in response guys. I've been gone for a couple days.  First off, thanks for the replies. Next, the remote starter is an Ultra Start. Not sure of the model. The box is gone and the brain is burried. I will dig it out if i have to though. Here's a little clarification for you guys. The AC fuse was pulled 2 years ago and is totally unrelated to the remote starter. The car is junk and has over 120k miles on it. Thats why it runs like crap, but, is even worse when the ac switch is on. It gets hot in summer, but, she is smart and listens when i explain things to her. It is better to have no car payment and no ac when times are as tough as they are right now. Chris, your thought on sending the pulse after start sounds like it would be correct. The ac switch is the type that you push in that creates contact then release. Have you any idea on which wire should be connected to create a pulse after start? Chev104275, those 3 wires you described to me, should they just be disconnected seeing as how the ac is never used? If not, what do i need to do with them. I am sure that my wiring at the ignition is correct. This was the first remote starter i installed and i triple checked all connections and colors with a DMM and soldered all connections as well. I get the same result with key as i do with the remote start. Thanks again guys.

does the car only run bad when the a/c engages ?   with the fuse you have removed does the a/c compressor still come on ?


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If i Can't Install it    I Don't need it   Joe

With the AC engaged the vehicle should go into idle boost. If there is an idle boost request and no extra load (A/C clutch fuse pulled) this could cause an issue also but it's unlikely. Does the vehicle only run poorly like this during cold starts? You said when you push the AC button on a cold start it begins running fine? If you set the temp to warm, you should still get warm output from the defrosters whether or not the AC light is on.

The car always runs like $%^#, but, especially so when the ac light is on. The car does not put hot air to the defroster until the ac button is manually turned off. I just want to somehow override that button for good.  The car does idle higher with the ac on, even though the fuse has been pulled. However, just because it is idling higher, does not make it run any better. I just want to get hot air from the defrost. Thanks again.