I've recently noticed a couple problems with my 2005 Mada's A/C contrrol and function:

I think most people turn the "air input type" control to "Recirculate" (i.e., called Max in some cars) when they get behind a deisel truck, or other acrid smell. This has seemed to work for me - keeping out the smell - till the last couple weeks, when I now can smell the deisel etc, even when I push the "button" in the middle of the fan control knob to turn of Recirculate.

I also notice (now), that air will continue to come out the vents even with the fan control turned all the way off. If I want to stop the air completely, I have to then push the button for Recirculate. This might have always been the case, but I'm not sure..

It is irritating that the vents themselves can't be closed completely; air comes out most of them even if you push them to one side or the other.

The rear air can not be set to a different temperature (warm vs cold I think, but it could be the other way around) than the front, at least not completely. If I try to run cold air in the front, and warm in the back, no matter how I use the front/rear controls, the back will not be the correct temp.

Anybody else have similar problems?

I think the AC system is poorly designed in the armada. There is no one single button to turn off the A/C. Temperature adjusment takes forever to jump from lowest to highest.

I think the AC system is poorly designed in the armada. There is no one single button to turn off the A/C. Temperature adjusment takes forever to jump from lowest to highest.

yes u are right, its been poorly designed, now there is a TSB out for the A/C, and to turn the a/c off, is to turn it all the way to zero ;)

The air will NOT stop coming out the vents unless recirculate is turned on. I'm not referring to the AC inparticular.

I've recently noticed a couple problems with my 2005 Mada's A/C contrrol and function:

I think most people turn the "air input type" control to "Recirculate" (i.e., called Max in some cars) when they get behind a deisel truck, or other acrid smell. This has seemed to work for me - keeping out the smell - till the last couple weeks, when I now can smell the deisel etc, even when I push the "button" in the middle of the fan control knob to turn of Recirculate.

I also notice (now), that air will continue to come out the vents even with the fan control turned all the way off. If I want to stop the air completely, I have to then push the button for Recirculate. This might have always been the case, but I'm not sure..

It is irritating that the vents themselves can't be closed completely; air comes out most of them even if you push them to one side or the other.

The rear air can not be set to a different temperature (warm vs cold I think, but it could be the other way around) than the front, at least not completely. If I try to run cold air in the front, and warm in the back, no matter how I use the front/rear controls, the back will not be the correct temp.

Anybody else have similar problems?
I you push the "button" in the middle of the fan control knob to turn of Recirculate (light in the middle of the fan knob is on) you should never get any air nor outside smell. So if that is the case go to the dealer to check this out.
When the light is off you will get air even if the knob is turned all the way off.

If you turn the fan knob for the rear air to R in the front controls then the rear knobs will take over the controls of both temp and fan speed. But other than that position(R) you will be controlling both speed and temp from the front knobs.