[Freestylerfalcon]

Hello friends.

Ive owned a 2014 f30 335i for a few months now.
I absolutely love the car and the way it drives, but im finding the climate control irks me to no end.

Previous to this car i was driving a mercedes w204 c250 alot.
In that car, you set the temp to 23'c, press auto and you never have to think about it again. The car blasts aircon till it gets to that temp, and then just keeps it at that temp regardless of how hot or cold it is outside.
Even my 1999 nissan silvia will keep the car at a constant temp when set to auto.

In the 335i i find that even set to auto, i am constantly adjusting fan speed, temperature and also the little thumb wheel depending on how hot the day is, whether its night or day etc etc.
You cant even set the dual zone to the same temp without turning both knobs.

Does anyone else find this annoying or am i doing something wrong.

[jmg]

Is it just me or is this post a copy paste from some other thread? Yes, the HVAC is quirky. No, it doesn't behave like most other cars. Owning 2 F30s, a F80 and an i3, I've adapted to it. You gotta burn some calories, but it's not a deal breaker.

Most of the time I set it to 70 all year around and just turn the knob to taste. The climate here in SoCal is pretty tame though.

[evdok]

I agree the AUTO setting is a load of bollox compared to most vehicles, my 2003 MERC E320 AUTO setting was the nuts.

[eluded]

Originally Posted by jmg

Is it just me or is this post a copy paste from some other thread?

[wrickem]

It's because you don't understand how to use it.

If you're in "auto" you're not "adjusting the fan speed", you're adjusting the "auto program" . There's a difference, you should learn it and maybe you'll be okay with how it works.

[Freestylerfalcon]

Originally Posted by wrickem

It's because you don't understand how to use it.

If you're in "auto" you're not "adjusting the fan speed", you're adjusting the "auto program" . There's a difference, you should learn it and maybe you'll be okay with how it works.

Ok cool. Despite your dickheadish condescending reply, this is actually a revelation. Thanks for the info.

[COKen]

Originally Posted by Freestylerfalcon

Ok cool. Despite your dickheadish condescending reply, this is actually a revelation. Thanks for the info.

The only one with the type of reply described above is the OP.

[Freestylerfalcon]

Originally Posted by COKen

The only one with the type of reply described above is the OP.

"There's a difference, you should learn it and maybe you'll be okay with how it works."

Maybe just the informative statement before this would have been sufficient??

[wrickem]

Originally Posted by Freestylerfalcon

Ok cool. Despite your dickheadish condescending reply, this is actually a revelation. Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by Freestylerfalcon

"There's a difference, you should learn it and maybe you'll be okay with how it works."

Maybe just the informative statement before this would have been sufficient??

My apologies, I even editited my reply so it wasn’t as harsh as it started out.

Seriously, read some of the millions of complaint threads or your OM to learn how to use your AUTO system the way it was designed and find an auto program that works for you. I keep my AUTO program in the middle year round, temp set on 72, dial on blue for summer, red for winter and the only time I touch anything is on an extremely hot day i’ll put it on MAX for a few minutes then back to AUTO once it’s cool. I live in an ever changing climate with some extremes and I’m always comfortable in all 3 of my BMWs. It’s funny you mentioned Mercedes, I hate getting in ours and having the loud fan blasting air at first, I wish it would calm down a bit.

I hope i was less dickheadish this time. Sometimes it’s hard for me not to be a dickhead when people complain about something they don’t understand when the information is all over the place.

[wrickem]

Crap!i did it again

Originally Posted by wrickem

I hope i was less dickheadish this time. Sometimes it’s hard for me not to be a dickhead when people complain about something they don’t understand when the information is all over the place.

[Gearhog]

I also hate the blasting fan at start up, but I never use Auto. I just leave Auto off and set it at 72 with the red/blue wheel set in the middle. With this setting I don't have to make any adjustments 95% if the time. I am a hands on type of person so don't mind the occasional adjustment if needed due to extremes.

[Duperstar]

I came from an e60 535 that I had 5 yrs to the f30 and that was literally set it and forget it. I set 69 degrees and winter or summer it was dead on. I moved the wheel from hot to cold 3 or 4 times a year. I loved it. This f30 I am always tinkering and can never seem the get the right temp. It's fine in the summer but in the winter it is too hot. My temp is set to 62 and the wheel in the middle and blowing hot like it's set to 80. 61 and the ac comes on blowing cold. I go to far to blue on the wheel and it's a foot furnace and an arctic face blast. I've had the car two years and it's always been that way. Dealer says it's fine, but my blower motor is creaking so I'm going to have them look at the whole system again.

[chiefneil]

Originally Posted by Freestylerfalcon

"There's a difference, you should learn it and maybe you'll be okay with how it works."

Maybe just the informative statement before this would have been sufficient??

You're the only one on this thread saying things like, "sucks ass", "dickheadish", and "condescending". Honestly, you're been overly defensive and very quick to be offended, which in turn is making your posts pretty offensive.

The fan speed when in auto sets what BMW calls "intensity". You can think of it as setting a combination of maximum and minimum fan speed and overall system aggressiveness in reaching and maintaining the set temperature.

Higher intensity (ie high fan speed) will try to reach the set temp faster than a lower intensity by blowing more air. It will continue blowing at a higher speed as it approaches the set temp. Once the target temp is maintained it will also blow at a higher minimum speed, although I believe it will moderate the actual temp while maintaining that higher fan speed so as not to overshoot the target temp.

Lower intensities are for folks that prefer lower fan speeds and don't mind if the a/c takes longer to reach their target temp.

The red/blue thumbwheel on the dash doesn't affect the auto setting or previously described behavior. It only adjusts the temp of the air coming from the dashboard vents; useful if you like different temp air going to your face vs your feet or windshield.

Hope that helps. I personally never use auto myself when running around town. I do use it for longer road trips though.

[roll_the_dice]

I have owned BMW's since the early 90's and it is somewhat quirky, but I don't even think about it anymore...if I am hot, I turn the knob to blue and the temp down...if I am cold I turn the knob to red and turn the temp up. I have never had a car that I could set to auto and forget about it...I don't buy cars for the ease of the HVAC system...as long as it works, the other aspects of the car should outweigh the HVAC.

[paul e]

Geez, what car do I have? My intensity is set to max, both sides are set to 73°. The red/blue thumbwheel is mostly in the blue, as I detest warm air in my face, so sometimes very blue and sometimes in the middle.

I do sometimes put it in MAX on startup, especially if it was parked in the sun.

I also use the seat and steering wheel heaters as needed.

And that’s it. I adjust the radio more than the HVAC.

I did, however, read about the HVAC in the manual, but then again it is my personal policy to “always read the directions”.

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by wrickem

I keep my AUTO program in the middle year round, temp set on 72, dial on blue for summer, red for winter and the only time I touch anything is on an extremely hot day i’ll put it on MAX for a few minutes then back to AUTO once it’s cool.

I do pretty much the same, except I prefer 68 degrees, and I always keep the dash dial in the blue. Works a treat.

it is my personal policy to “always read the directions”.

And risk this?

[Rebound]

I hate it.
Biggest problem is that if the engine is warm, the heater core gets warmed whether you want it or not and you get a blast of hot air on a hot day. No, other cars, even cars costing many thousands less, don’t do that. And the whole Red/Blue knob makes no sense when you have an Auto mode which is supposed to keep the cabin at a fixed temperature — so why do I need another temp adjustment? Or I can take it off it Auto and Set the temp, but there’s still this weird Red/Blue knob? It doesn’t make much sense.
On the plus side, it warms fast and it air conditions well, so at least I’m not left freezing or baking.

[chicagoshark]

Originally Posted by wrickem

It's because you don't understand how to use it.

If you're in "auto" you're not "adjusting the fan speed", you're adjusting the "auto program" . There's a difference, you should learn it and maybe you'll be okay with how it works.

I hated it... now I think it works perfect now that I understand the unnecessary nuances.

You have to accept the quirks. But if you do, it works really well.

The visors are garbage though, never have gotten over that

[wrickem]

Originally Posted by chicagoshark

I hated it... now I think it works perfect now that I understand the unnecessary nuances.

You have to accept the quirks. But if you do, it works really well.

The visors are garbage though, never have gotten over that

I’m right with you there on the visors. THEY suck ass and are dickheads

[Billfitz]

Originally Posted by Rebound

the heater core gets warmed whether you want it or not

It has to, explained below.

and you get a blast of hot air on a hot day.

That's never happened to me. Well, it did once, sort of. I dropped something that went to the rear floor and when I reached back to get it noticed hot air coming out the rear seat vents. That was entirely my fault, because I'm the one who set the dial to heat.

The whole Red/Blue knob makes no sense when you have an Auto mode which is supposed to keep the cabin at a fixed temperature

The red/blue knob allows you to have hot or cold air coming from the center dash vents and the rear seat vents to your preference, no matter what the the overall temperature is set at. In order to have the ability to provide both cold and hot air at the same time the heater core must always be in the loop.

It doesn’t make much sense.

It makes perfect sense if you understand how it works. The first time I had this system was 20 plus years ago, it was called 'bi-level', and I liked it a lot. My last few cars didn't have it and I missed it, glad to have it back again now.

[Rebound]

Originally Posted by Billfitz

It makes perfect sense if you understand how it works.

Would you please explain how to use the climate control system? Because it doesn’t make much sense to me. I would sincerely appreciate that.

[IAmATeaf]

I have mine set to 21 and it does sometimes get too hot or cold but I use the centre vent to make the cabin a bit cooler or warmer. That is what I assume the bilevel refers to?