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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum How's your AC running in hot weather??
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      06-25-2016, 12:38 AM   #1
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How's your AC running in hot weather??

Just wondering, since the weather is getting nice and the temps are getting up there, how's your AC running? I feel my AC fan speed picks up very slow when I startup the car. I feel like it take a few second to register that the air is running. I set my interior temp to 68 on auto, fan speed to 4 and with the dial next to the unlock and emergency button to blue but the car never really feel like it's cool. I thought that because my car is black on black that it soaks up more heat so I purchase a windshield visor to see if it helps lower interior temps and it does but not much. My wife's Lexus on the other hand, AC systems cools the car down very fast and and the fan speed picks up on it last setting super fast within a second or so. I set my temp in the Lexus as I do in the BMW and sometimes I have to turn down the fan speed in the Lexus because it's starts getting cold.

I would like to hear how your AC are running. Is there a slow or delay in fan speed when turning on the car? Does it takes long to cool the cabin in your car? What setting or temp setting do you use?

Thanks.
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      06-25-2016, 01:12 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomyang View Post
Just wondering, since the weather is getting nice and the temps are getting up there, how's your AC running? I feel my AC fan speed picks up very slow when I startup the car. I feel like it take a few second to register that the air is running. I set my interior temp to 68 on auto, fan speed to 4 and with the dial next to the unlock and emergency button to blue but the car never really feel like it's cool. I thought that because my car is black on black that it soaks up more heat so I purchase a windshield visor to see if it helps lower interior temps and it does but not much. My wife's Lexus on the other hand, AC systems cools the car down very fast and and the fan speed picks up on it last setting super fast within a second or so. I set my temp in the Lexus as I do in the BMW and sometimes I have to turn down the fan speed in the Lexus because it's starts getting cold.

I would like to hear how your AC are running. Is there a slow or delay in fan speed when turning on the car? Does it takes long to cool the cabin in your car? What setting or temp setting do you use?

Thanks.
My wife's '16 528i has fantastic AC we think. Here in CA right now it's been in the high 90s to a bit over 100 for a few days and we haven't had any issues. Granted we did get the windows tinted with 35% ceramic tint just before the heat arrived...I think that helps a lot. The front sunshade while parked (like you are using) is also key (we too have a black interior).

But the air does blow VERY cold. Our car does have the same "issue" where the fan speed takes a few seconds to get up to speed once you turn the car on, but I've found the work around is to just hit MAX and it instantly goes to full blast and drops to 60 degrees. I think the reason BMW ramps the air up slowly is for a bit more "luxurious" feel...so it doesn't just go from 0 to 100% instantly. We only have to run it on MAX for a couple mins or so in 100 degree temps before we have to turn in down.
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      06-25-2016, 04:43 AM   #3
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If you AC is not running ice cold when the fan kicks in, then you most likely had a problem. I did have this a few weeks back and found that my condenser had to be replaced.
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      06-25-2016, 08:45 AM   #4
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I think the AC system on my 5er works far superior to my f30. The fan is much quieter, seems to blow colder air, and doesn't require constant fiddling to get the interior cold enough.

My car also takes awhile to start blowing air when it's really hot. I think that's a design feature that allows the AC compressor to run awhile to get the system cooled down before the fan starts blowing (my home AC operates the same way). If the fan started blowing right away, you would have a blast furnace of hot air blowing on you awhile before the system cooled down. The heater system works the same way, it won't start blowing air until the system has warmed up.

Overall, I'm very happy with the climate system in my 5er.
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      06-25-2016, 10:33 AM   #5
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Using the MAX button is the easiest test to see if the system is chilling efficiently. Air vent temperature should be somewhere between 5 - 8C, once heat soak is chilled away.

Besides the initial airflow speed appearing slow to respond (which from experience is normal), remember the intensity setting also controls the speed range in which the airflow works. The higher the intensity the more air you will get on demand, both heating and cooling.
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      06-25-2016, 03:07 PM   #6
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Thanks for all the reply. It's very informative stuff. I guess low fan speed at startup is just a design with BMW. I thought it was just my car. Want to ask before taking it in to BMW.
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      06-30-2016, 08:35 AM   #7
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I think the Lexus ac in auto mode is easier for everyone. You set a temp and that's what you get. The BMW is not completely full auto as the fan speed can still be adjusted and the blue/red dial by the center vents can still change the temp. With that said, I like how much you can tweak the temp to make it just the way you want.
I usually have the auto on 76 with the fan speed in the middle and the blue/red dial on blue. Fan starts slower than my Lexus, Honda, Toyota but once it starts it cools the inside pretty fast.
If you use the max button it will cool the inside faster.
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      06-30-2016, 09:24 AM   #8
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Initial fan speed depends on the temperature. I have the auto set on 77 with fan speed in middle and the blue/red dial set on blue.

Nowadays, when the temperatures are in the 90s, my fan will start fast automatically and then slow down as the car cools down (cooling is within seconds of startup). When the temperatures are not so hot (70s and low 80s), the fan does not start fast, but just normal speed.
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      06-30-2016, 09:34 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trian View Post
Initial fan speed depends on the temperature. I have the auto set on 77 with fan speed in middle and the blue/red dial set on blue.

Nowadays, when the temperatures are in the 90s, my fan will start fast automatically and then slow down as the car cools down (cooling is within seconds of startup). When the temperatures are not so hot (70s and low 80s), the fan does not start fast, but just normal speed.
Agree with the above comment, that is how it should be working in Auto mode.

Will follow that procedure even on the lowest intensity setting, just doesn't get the peak airflows of the higher intensity settings, which is totally logical. If we desire more airflow in the Auto mode, up the intensity.
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      06-30-2016, 10:28 AM   #10
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This^^^^^^

What most people seem to have trouble understanding with BMW's system is that in AUTO mode, you're not setting the fan speed, you're setting how intense the fan will blow to maintain the set temperature. In AUTO mode, if you have the intensity set at a low setting, the fan will NEVER blow very hard and will have a difficult time cooling the car down if the outside temperature is high.

I have mine set on the fourth intensity setting during the summer and the third intensity setting in the winter and that seems to do an excellent job keeping the car at a comfortable temperature.
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      07-01-2016, 03:54 AM   #11
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@DDD31

People really do have trouble understanding "intensity setting" and blue/red dial. There's never a time of year that I'm uncomfortable using full auto med intensity.
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      07-01-2016, 11:47 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DDD31 View Post
I have mine set on the fourth intensity setting during the summer and the third intensity setting in the winter and that seems to do an excellent job keeping the car at a comfortable temperature.
I'm not too keen on loads of fast moving air, but do have all the vents open. I find in my conditions (no real extremes of temperature) I'm totally comfortable at the lower intensity. Plenty of capacity with the higher intensity settings, when demands are greater.
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      07-03-2016, 05:21 PM   #13
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I have a 2011 528i with black interior and live in Houston. I rarely have to turn the intensity past 3.
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