This is old and I hope someone is still following this...but if I'm reading this correctly, even though I have the basic manual HVAC controls (not ATC or dual zone or heated seats), it will still be activated when I remote start?? Here I was all ready to buy an auto climate control to get it to do it, but if I dont have to, yippie!

 

I may be wrong, but think it only works if you have the Automatic Climate Control setup.

You can test it by setting the system to heat or cool and turn the temp control max heating of cooling, then use the remote start. If it works, it should turn the fan on and heat or cool. I highly doubt it will.

 

That was my thoughts too, I'll certainly try it out to see for myself but doczenith1's post (post #3) with the pic of the manual got my hopes up!

 

Yes the HVAC will be activated if you have the basic manual system. For trucks with single-zone manual climate control, the truck will only sense the outdoor temps during a remote start. If it's hot, it will turn the A/C on. If it's cold, it will switch on the heat. It does this automatically, regardless of what setting you had it on last when you shut the truck down. Simple function but it works.

Once you insert and turn the key, the HVAC system will go back to your last setting when you shut down the vehicle.

 

I've had it both ways - now 2 XLTs with remote start (a '12 and a '16) plus a '15 Lariat in between with remote start.

Here's my take - the XLT temp control works *better* with remote start than the Lariat dual-zone auto version.

The auto version tries to get the cabin to 72F regardless of outside temp. However, on a diesel, for the maximum 15 minute remote start run time period, the only thing going to be providing heat is the supplemental electric heater, which only provides heat at low fan speed or it is overwhelmed. So this is no different XLT or Lariat regarding heat.

But for cooling, my experience is that once again, the auto system runs at a very low fan speed. Even on a 95F humid day, the A/C system would be running at a very low fan speed...and even after 10 minutes would be better, but not great. The XLT with manual controls blows harder, in my experience. On my '12 gas truck, you could even influence the blower speed by whatever setting you left the speed dial in. EDIT: this may happen due to the low idle of the diesel. The gas trucks use a different A/C compressor with more refrigerant in the system than the diesel trucks do. Maximum A/C would result in the compressor not being able to keep up with the hot air being drawn into the vehicle.

The WORST part about the auto system is that you couldn't change fan speed after a remote start, even after inserting the key and driving away. Frequently, I'd get in on a hot day, find the remote cooling function was not adequate, and crank the temp down to 60F on both sides. Fan speed would not change. Max A/C, or shutting the system down and turning it back on again were the only solutions. This is a known issue with the auto climate control / MyFord Touch system. It bugged me to no end. At least with the manual controls, as soon as you turn the key on, the controls are live and can be easily adjusted.

It was nice to get in to the pre-heated seats, but I had complaints there, too. The heated seats work by blowing heated air through the leather perforations. They don't begin to get as hot as a seat heated by a wire grid. Nevertheless, my biggest complaint was the seat coolers. The base works, the seat back does nothing. I never could figure it out; even unzipped the back of the seat...blower was blowing. Just not a great design.

In the end, I bought an XLT this time. I didn't want to pay extra money for the flawed auto climate control system, the lukewarm seat heaters, and the coolers which only cooled the base.

The XLT interior is way too plain and cheap looking for the price (except the non-cut dash top looks better) but it is functional, and the truck is just as comfortable and quiet as the Lariat.

I'm planning on ordering a '17 as soon as they become available. I'll get a truck with the big moonroof, and heated / cooled leather seats and nav. I'm guessing things have improved.

Meanwhile, I'm actually enjoying the XLT very much. It's a nice truck; I feel better about putting my sweaty / greasy hands on the plastic steering wheel vs. the leather one; I cover the seats when I'm dirty from a job, and the cloth doesn't wrinkle and crack like the leather does. Depending on how finances go, I might just keep the '16 (last of the steel Super Dutys!) as my work truck. I really didn't need a crew-cab XLT for work, but I love it. We'll see.

 

I tried this out several times over the long weekend and lo and behold the HVAC does initiate on the remote start, even though I have the manual controls. As troverman says above, it basically sets the fan and temperature to full-bore once the system detects adequate coolant temperature. Pretty neat feature and it saves me the money of buying the ATC and interior temp sensor.