On my Mk2, the cabin air recirculate button on the heater control panel is default set to off when the car is started.

If pressed once the engine is running, it will stay on until the engine is switched off, or if the button is pressed again.

Is there any way to change it to stay on whatever setting it was left on when the engine was switched off?

My last car had a mechanical linkage, so it stayed where it was set until moved by the driver. I did prefer this mechanism.

2 hours ago, AntonovAN12 said:

Is there any way to change it to stay on whatever setting it was left on when the engine was switched off?

No, though I am curious why you would want such functionality!

Less wear on the vent mechanism, as well as not having to press the button each time.

8 hours ago, AntonovAN12 said:

Less wear on the vent mechanism, as well as not having to press the button each time.

Aahhh yes, the famous 'vent mechanism' wear issues that plague us all. 🤔

To be fair, when I saw from your profile that you were in London, I thought it was a defense procedure against all the air pollutants/particulates that your psychotic mayor allows to be pumped from the underground directly onto perfectly clean street level with no filtration intervention whatsoever.

I think I have used 're circulation' once in the last 30 odd years when driving through the countryside smelling some farmer activities on spreading pig ***** on some fields, at least it was natural LOL 🤣

Recirc really isn't meant to be used for long periods.  Stale air quickly builds up in a small space, and cars are generally full of damp, mould & bacteria.  When you open the front intake that allows a flow through the cabin, fresh air in and stale air exits through vents in the boot. 

Recirc is only for reaching desired cabin temp more quickly (in very hot or very cold weather) or for blocking out unwanted smells when following a bin lorry for example.

I am sure I have read on here that the electronic controlled vent flaps can fail, and are a pig of a job to repair.

Having removed a dashboard on another vehicle in the past, I won't be doing it again any time soon.