Air quality system for a vehicle

A vehicle having an air quality system for controlling air quality, comprising:

• a vehicle body defining a cabin;
• an air quality sensor proximate said vehicle body for detecting an air quality parameter;
• a controller proximate said vehicle body and responsive to said air quality sensor for determining a current value of the air quality parameter and determining whether the current value exceeds a predetermined limit whereby the predetermined limit indicates poor air quality for said cabin, said controller being operable between purging and non-purging modes for purging the air from said cabin in said purging mode when the current value of the measured parameter exceeds the predetermined limit;
• an HVAC unit proximate said vehicle body having an air inlet valve responsive to said controller and movable between recirculate air and fresh air positions such that fresh air from outside of the cabin moves through said air inlet valve and said HVAC unit into said cabin in said fresh air position and said air inlet valve moves to said fresh air position when said controller is in said purging mode to improve the air quality within said cabin;
• and
• a cabin relief valve proximate said vehicle body, responsive to said controller, and movable between purge and recirculate positions such that the air within said cabin is discharged from said cabin to the outside of said vehicle body when said cabin relief valve is in said purge position and said cabin relief valve moves to said purge position when said controller is in said purging mode to improve the air quality within said cabin of the vehicle.

A method of controlling air quality within a cabin of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a predetermined limit for an air quality parameter;
• determining a current value of the air quality parameter;
• comparing the determined current value of the air quality parameter to the predetermined limit for the air quality parameter;
• automatically moving a cabin relief valve from a recirculate position to a purge position to allow the air within the cabin to move to the outside of the cabin in response to the determined current value of the air quality parameter exceeding the predetermined limit for the air quality parameter;
• and
• automatically moving an air inlet valve from a recirculate air position to a fresh air position to provide fresh air from the outside of the cabin into the cabin to expedite movement of the air within the cabin to the outside of the cabin in response to the determined current value of the air quality parameter exceeding the predetermined limit for the air quality parameter.