[325_bucks]

This might be a case of RTFM but can anyone shed any light on the climate system?

Firstly, I like the car warm, but I'm sitting here taking it to extremes to test it. The car has heated up and hot air is available. I set my side to 27 and the other side to 24. The air coming out my vent (by the door) is chilly, whereas if I want 27 surely it should be warm?

Also with the centre vents, I have the dial on red, but the right vent(ie my side) is cool and the vent on the passenger side is significantly warmer.

I don't understand! Anyone shed any light on how it works or is meant to work or if I've got a fault!?

[AP]

ok its straightforward.

first make sure that the under both temperature gauges the AUTO light is lit, if not, press it so AUTO is lit.

Also make sure that the air conditioning is on (snow flake symbol or might be marked as A/C)

Then select the temperature you want in the cabin, I'd sugest around 22 is probably ok , I wouldn;'t have thought you need it much about that to be honest.

Then the centre dash control dial, set that to half way.

That's what I have mine set to , a/c on, fully automatic and around 22C each side.

the central dash dial controls the temperature that comes out of the face vents, so you can choose cold, warm or something in between. This is separate from any temperature you chosen. For this time of year around the middle setting is probably about right but obviously adjust you prefer.
Summer time, you'll probably want that face dial on blue for cold.

The "fan speed" dials control the INTENSITY of air conditioning, ie how quickly it adjusts the temperature. I have min set to the middle setting. the manual isn't too clear about these. Despite setting an intensity, the fans are still in an automatic mode.

That's about it, the only things I ever change thought out the year might be the temperatures by a degree or so and the face vent dial, mid for winter and cold for summer. let the system take care of everything else for you.
you can of course override the controls but to be honest I think the system manages it all well and I never feel the need to do this.

[Piers]

the vents should be the same temperature across the dash, set either red/mid/blue

[325_bucks]

Firstly, 22 degrees, id freeze my arse off! Can't go below 24, usually 25-26, just like my house!

Secondly what do you mean by auto under each temperature gauge? I don't think mine says auto apart from on the auto button?

[AP]

Originally Posted by 325_bucks

Firstly, 22 degrees, id freeze my arse off! Can't go below 24, usually 25-26, just like my house!

Secondly what do you mean by auto under each temperature gauge? I don't think mine says auto apart from on the auto button?

Ok the rotary dials that you use to set the temperature, if you press, they turn the system to auto should it have been manually overidden. The led within that rotary knob should be lit .

Make sense?

[325_bucks]

Wait...the rotary dials push...?!

[AP]

Yep

[325_bucks]

erm...mine don't push...

picture attached of what i have

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by 325_bucks

erm...mine don't push...

picture attached of what i have

You've got the basic system, so yes, has less features. You have the LED light to show you are in auto mode, plus it is displayed on the air volume/intensity bar.


Your car must be like an oven with those temperatures, I do wonder if part of the air flow strategy is overriding the face level 'heat', cooling it to the face vents.

I know from my 330d, it would change blend temperatures on the fly, as part of the strategy, and was completely normal. You could feel it change on occasion, and not just after the initial stage with its warm blend.

I don't run that high a temperature, so no idea how the more advanced system reacts, to moderate the face level flows at that elevated temperature, even with the thumbwheel towards the red.

HighlandPete

[AP]

I dont see AUTO lit within the rotary temerature dials. You should be able to press those to set that auto mode, can't see the led or the wird auto on those dials either not clear in pic

[325_bucks]

Yeah as highlandpete says I have the non extended system so don't have the buttons you do

[325_bucks]

Highlandpete I see what you're saying but my point was more that when the left was set lower than the right, the right air coming out seems cooler than the left, fairly cool in fact. And the centre vent was definitely warmer on the left than the right.

[AP]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=f1...2F%3B640%3B485


Google this and you can see the word auto on the dials

[325_bucks]

you're right in that i can't find a single picture of one without the words on, however I'm not going mad, mine don't have anything written on them and press as hard as i can, there is no way to press them. Having read the manual, the non extended climate does indeed not have words on it and are not buttons

[Piers]

Originally Posted by AP

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=f1...2F%3B640%3B485


Google this and you can see the word auto on the dials

There is no auto on the basic knobs....

[325_bucks]

Manual:

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by 325_bucks

Highlandpete I see what you're saying but my point was more that when the left was set lower than the right, the right air coming out seems cooler than the left, fairly cool in fact. And the centre vent was definitely warmer on the left than the right.

I'm following your observation, I think you may well find this is part of the design. I have looked at some of the BMW data, but it doesn't go far enough in explaining the exact air flow strategy for the single thumbwheel variant. The twin thumbwheel, as in the 4-zone CC has two potentiometers, so clearly each side is a separate blend.

Why I raise this, the IHKA CC system in the E9x models only had the single thumbwheel, but did blend differently to the drivers side, always cooler than for the passenger. I've never played with the system in the F11 as it works so well, without user interference. BMW have commented somewhere, (not sure I can find the reference) that air temperatures to the drivers face are controlled to keep the driver alert, so may well have a more controlled temperature range than your cabin setting, seeing as you have it so high. Personally I couldn't stand that sort of heat, mine is set to 20C summer and winter.

I know I've been in discussion on this air flow temperature difference, (driver to passenger) for the E9x models, I'll see if I can find my posted comments.

HighlandPete

[325_bucks]

ok thanks, to be honest, its not that big a deal. Its only because i was sitting in a car park waiting today, that i was playing with it and noticed the "odd" temperatures that seem opposite to what I would expect, however this is probably by design and overall, the car does seem to be comfortable in daily driving. I know my temps are high but I personally couldn't live with 20, i would freeze mu nuts off. Luckily my wife also doesn't mind it warmer. Just like my house that's set at a constant 24 when we're in!

I guess the centre dial issue seems to be because when putting it on red, i would expect it to be warm. The weirdest thing is that if i move it to blue, it all goes cold, then if i move it to red again, both sides go hot, but then my side cools down again.

In my e92 it was easy, blue was cold no matter what the climate temp, and red was warm no matter what

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by 325_bucks

In my e92 it was easy, blue was cold no matter what the climate temp, and red was warm no matter what

Did you not notice the face stratification ventilation was variable? Would not pump out cold air on a cold day, with cold engine, until there as a bit of heat in the system and it could blend correctly. Then it would switch.

I've looked back at some of my comments, my E91 and a E92 user, we both noted the CC system was driver biased. Both blend temperatures and fan speed being biased to the driver, I can see the same applying to the basic F10/11 CC system with the common fan setting.

HighlandPete

[325_bucks]

yes i can see how that would be true. Just wish you could choose the bias or remove it.

Anyway I think im going to upgrade my climate system to the extended one. Apparently its a simple swapping of faceplates/control panel as all required sensors appear to be in place already, except perhaps the "sniff" sensor to work the auto recirc mode, but still trying to find that out.

[bd250]

24 in your house! I'd be walking around in my underwear!

The ventilation system in BMWs is very different to systems in other cars. The face thumbwheel is not very intuitive, but once resigned to it seems to work very well. The boss can't stand the sound of heating fans, so they are turned low as well and the cabin temperature still seems comfortable, so I've just left it for an easy life!

22 is a max for me. I think its usually set at 20, certainly no more than that with the heated seats on. If I need adjustment I generally turn the thumbwheel. 18 or 19 in the summer, the thumbwheel to blue and the heated seat on low. Beautiful!

[325_bucks]

I know I'm weird. Strangely you would think I would love the heat of summer but actually much prefer winter! Just like it hot indoors otherwise I freeze!

Anyway the heating system is unique certainly, but most of the time it does the job I want it to so maybe I should stop trying to work out what it's doing and just let it do it!