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      03-19-2019, 12:02 AM   #1
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HVAC system has mind of its own.

I’ll turn on my AC and set it to the dash vents, for my face, not the windshield

AUTO off
Recirc off (not on A or M, no lights on)

It will normally start off pretty weak(not really sure where it’s blowing the air), I’ll be driving and it will finally switch to dash vents and air pressure has a strong increase, so obviously it switched to correct setting.

My question is, is this normal? It does it every day. I just patiently wait it out
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      03-19-2019, 11:42 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 328dX View Post
I'll turn on my AC and set it to the dash vents, for my face, not the windshield

AUTO off
Recirc off (not on A or M, no lights on)

It will normally start off pretty weak(not really sure where it's blowing the air), I'll be driving and it will finally switch to dash vents and air pressure has a strong increase, so obviously it switched to correct setting.

My question is, is this normal? It does it every day. I just patiently wait it out
The system works best in AUTO mode, set the temperature and forget about it.
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      03-20-2019, 06:18 PM   #3
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I apologize for the rant, ahead of time. But I've never been able to figure out the climate control in this car. It's horrible -- especially when not in 'auto'.
  • THE BASIC DESIGN IS ABYSMAL. The driver has to adjust the temperature in FOUR places, which is the dumbest thing I've ever encountered: Driver's side, passenger side, center vent rheostat, and then reach around and feel-around for the rear passenger rheostat (while driving), as well. It's asinine. Also unbelievable BMW couldn't at least have an option to sync the driver's and passenger's air temps -- it's a super-basic, common-sense feature, even found in compact economy cars, that they just chintz-out on.
  • The A/C comes on whenever it wants to -- even when the A/C button is off and the car is not in defrost mode. There's some sort of humidity sensor in the cabin and it thinks it's smarter than you are. So I get the temp just right, then A/C kicks in (on it's own accord) and I start freezing. So I change the temp, then after a while, the A/C compressor turns off, and it's way too hot -- so I adjust the temp again. Then A/C turns back on... And the cycle repeats, over and over, and over. DUMB.
  • Allegedly the hot/cold rheostat for the center vents, controls the air temp for only the center vents, but I've found that to not be true. It still works in concert with the main temperature display, somehow -- but I've never completely figured out how.
  • When the rheostat does seem to work as expected, it has a "hair trigger" right in the center. 1mm of movement, one way or the other, changes the temp drastically. Anything beyond that is full-on hot or cold. It belongs in the dumpster.

I miss the simplicity of just having ONE temperature control. The driver should be able to set the temp and forget about it, especially in a car that has "automatic" climate control.

I've only found it livable by setting it to "auto", but even then I have to constantly mess with the rheostat, especially in the winter. It seems like maybe after the car warms up I can have the rheostat cranked all the way to hot or cold and nothing changes at all, there's barely any air coming out, etc... so I don't know. It's dumb.

When not in "auto", though, regardless of the A/C being on, or off, the climate control has a mind of it's own -- especially on long drives. I've had the cabin temp cranked down as low as it will go, the rheostats cranked all the way to cold, and there will be 90+ degree warm air cranking out of the vents -- on a cold winter's day. WTF??

BMW really called this one in -- super low effort.

Last edited by natesi; 03-20-2019 at 06:40 PM..
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      03-20-2019, 06:22 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by natesi View Post
I apologize for the rant, ahead of time. But I've never been able to figure out the climate control in this car. It's horrible -- especially when in 'auto'.
  • THE BASIC DESIGN IS ABYSMAL. The driver has to adjust the temperature in FOUR places, which is the dumbest thing I've ever encountered: Driver's side, passenger side, center vent rheostat, and then reach around and feel-around for the rear passenger rheostat (while driving), as well. It's asinine. Also unbelievable BMW couldn't at least have an option to sync the driver's and passenger's air temps -- it's a super-basic, common-sense feature, even found in compact economy cars, that they just chintz-out on.
  • The A/C comes on whenever it wants to -- even when the A/C button is off and the car is not in defrost mode. There's some sort of humidity sensor in the cabin and it thinks it's smarter than you are. So I get the temp just right, then A/C kicks in (on it's own accord) and I start freezing. So I change the temp, then after a while, the A/C compressor turns off, and it's way too hot -- so I adjust the temp again. Then A/C turns back on... And the cycle repeats, over and over, and over. DUMB.
  • Allegedly the hot/cold rheostat for the center vents, controls the air temp for only the center vents, but I've found that to not be true. It still works in concert with the main temperature display, somehow -- but I've never completely figured out how.
  • When the rheostat does seem to work as expected, it has a "hair trigger" right in the center. 1mm of movement, one way or the other, changes the temp drastically. Anything beyond that is full-on hot or cold. It belongs in the dumpster.

I miss the simplicity of just having ONE temperature control. The driver should be able to set the temp and forget about it, especially in a car that has "automatic" climate control.

I've only found it livable by setting it to "auto", but even then I have to constantly mess with the rheostat, especially in the winter. It seems like maybe after the car warms up I can have the rheostat cranked all the way to hot or cold and nothing changes at all, there's barely any air coming out, etc... so I don't know. It's dumb.

When not in "auto", though, regardless of the A/C being on, or off, the climate control has a mind of it's own -- especially on long drives. I've had the cabin temp cranked down as low as it will go, the rheostats cranked all the way to cold, and there will be 90+ degree warm air cranking out of the vents -- on a cold winter's day. WTF??

BMW really called this one in -- super low effort.
Wow I agree with all of this. It's just overly complicated I hardly try to use the system at all because of how much adjustment it needs.
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      03-20-2019, 07:26 PM   #5
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I just leave mine in AUTO with the temps set for driver's and passenger's sides, and modify the cold/hot air coming through the center vents as needed - I've never had any issues with this set-up. I note that OP is just south of Redlands and my suggestion is to try leaving it in AUTO all the time with circulation in "A" since our climates are very similar.
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      03-20-2019, 07:37 PM   #6
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That's weird mine doesnt act like that, the only complaint I have is that smell
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      03-20-2019, 08:05 PM   #7
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Just tell yourself its Parmesan.

= )

I know what you mean though. But I don't think I've ever smelled it in mine. Guess I'm lucky.

Last edited by natesi; 03-20-2019 at 10:15 PM..
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      03-20-2019, 09:26 PM   #8
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There is a reason it’s auto temperature control. I rarely make an adjustment.
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      03-20-2019, 09:30 PM   #9
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It's more like Limburger. But cleaning the AC coils isn't difficult, nor is changing the filter.
I leave my AC on auto as well, no complaints. Other than putting it on Max to cool the car faster on a hot day it's on auto all the time. Even though I don't use all the other adjustment options and could live without them myself experience here says that if the system didn't offer those adjustments people would complain about that too.
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      03-20-2019, 09:39 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
It's more like Limburger. But cleaning the AC coils isn't difficult, nor is changing the filter.
I leave my AC on auto as well, no complaints. Other than putting it on Max to cool the car faster on a hot day it's on auto all the time. Even though I don't use all the other adjustment options and could live without them myself experience here says that if the system didn't offer those adjustments people would complain about that too.
It's honestly not that complicated. Remove the stupid dials between the vents, add a sync button like every other car with dual climate. And don't operate things we didn't ask to be operated
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      03-20-2019, 09:42 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 328dX View Post
It's honestly not that complicated. Remove the stupid dials between the vents, add a sync button like every other car with dual climate. And don't operate things we didn't ask to be operated
I like the center dial. Especially in winter,it seems to warm up fast.
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      03-20-2019, 10:57 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elvisfan View Post
I like the center dial. Especially in winter,it seems to warm up fast.
Same here about the center dial control, that's the only thing I use to modify the incoming air temp through the center vents. I notice that the new models don't have the center dial anymore, so maybe that option has been taken away? It's a sad day!
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      03-20-2019, 11:01 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billfitz View Post
I leave my AC on auto as well, no complaints. Other than putting it on Max to cool the car faster on a hot day it's on auto all the time. Even though I don't use all the other adjustment options and could live without them myself experience here says that if the system didn't offer those adjustments people would complain about that too.
So true about options...too many and we complain, too few and we complain...
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      03-21-2019, 12:31 AM   #14
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So true about options...too many and we complain, too few and we complain...
I have to disagree, it's not about options, it's about the over complexity of the HVAC, i've owned a ton of cars and never had an issue with the HVAC.

Heck it even sounds like the new BMWs addressed these issues, I now know they don't have the center dial, and know they have a sync feature.
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      03-21-2019, 07:51 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 328dX View Post
I have to disagree, it's not about options, it's about the over complexity of the HVAC, i've owned a ton of cars and never had an issue with the HVAC.

Heck it even sounds like the new BMWs addressed these issues, I now know they don't have the center dial, and know they have a sync feature.
Sorry but BMW haven't got rid of the face level air stratification adjuster. Just moved it into the iDrive menu. Many prefer it as an easy manual adjuster, rather than have to go into it, via a menu. For example, E60 models used an iDrive 'solution', confused users even more, brought back out front in the F10 models.

I don't understand all the negativity about a HVAC system that works fine on Auto, has an additional level of face vent temperature adjustment so that users can tune the air temperature to the face. Brilliant 'additional' option to a HVAC system, which many totally understand and value.

All BMW HVAC systems I've ever used are set and forget. Auto, AC on, select cabin temperature, set intensity, set preferred face level temperature and don't fiddle. (Mid thumbwheel position is pretty much neutral, as if it is not there). The only thing that may need adjustment, is when the driver wants a change in face level air temperature. That is "advanced climate control" for you!

Only caveat, there is something wrong if 'Auto' doesn't just work unobtrusively in the background, doing its job efficiently.

Once we drop out of Auto and choose our own way of running it, we have some functions still working automatically and others manually.
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      03-21-2019, 07:57 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 328dX View Post
I’ll turn on my AC and set it to the dash vents, for my face, not the windshield

AUTO off
Recirc off (not on A or M, no lights on)

It will normally start off pretty weak(not really sure where it’s blowing the air), I’ll be driving and it will finally switch to dash vents and air pressure has a strong increase, so obviously it switched to correct setting.

My question is, is this normal? It does it every day. I just patiently wait it out
Is it normal? Depends on how you set up some of the functions, For example, what air flow intensity level are you set to?

How does it work in full Auto? If it does the same sort of erratic flows in Auto, there is likely something wrong and requires investigation.
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      03-21-2019, 09:51 AM   #17
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I only use the HVAC in manual unless I’m on a road trip where the temperature in the car has time to stabilize. It works well enough, but I agree the system is fiddly, and has always been fiddly going all the way back to my first new 1995 325i.

For heat, I’ve definitely noticed that the system blows soft for a few minutes until warmed up. Then the fan speeds up to the set fan speed once warm air is actually available. Not sure if I’ve noticed the same with a/c for cool air, but I wouldn’t be surprised at similar behavior.
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      03-21-2019, 10:15 AM   #18
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It does, the car's smart enough to know that it's counterproductive to have the fan blow at full intensity until there's something worthwhile to blow.
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      03-21-2019, 10:27 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HighlandPete View Post
Is it normal? Depends on how you set up some of the functions, For example, what air flow intensity level are you set to?

How does it work in full Auto? If it does the same sort of erratic flows in Auto, there is likely something wrong and requires investigation.
What level of air flow i set it too is not irrelevant. If I set it to X speed, it should be at X speed, not start off at X speed and randomly get stronger.
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      03-21-2019, 10:44 AM   #20
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What level of air flow i set it too is not irrelevant. If I set it to X speed, it should be at X speed, not start off at X speed and randomly get stronger.
I come back to what happens in Auto mode? You may find it works perfectly, heating and cooling on demand, all working in the background. If Auto works correctly, there is some issue with the way the manual settings are working.

In manual mode, depending on how it is set, there are still some auto functions. There is the possibility it could be faulty. There have been issues in some examples.
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      03-21-2019, 10:45 AM   #21
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It does, the car's smart enough to know that it's counterproductive to have the fan blow at full intensity until there's something worthwhile to blow.
Exactly, some user demands are illogical.
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      03-21-2019, 10:51 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chiefneil View Post
For heat, I’ve definitely noticed that the system blows soft for a few minutes until warmed up. Then the fan speeds up to the set fan speed once warm air is actually available. Not sure if I’ve noticed the same with a/c for cool air, but I wouldn’t be surprised at similar behavior.
Cooling speeds are also variable. Partly due to the intensity setting, also due to the differential in ambient and dialled temperatures.

Face level temperatures are also influenced by the thumbwheel setting and outside ambient temperature. There is a 'comfort' element to how the air flows, both in volume and temperature.

The system is much more advanced than many users appreciate. It is where the Auto setting 'shines'.
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