[Scottaw]

I feel that my X3 has a malfunctioning heater, where it is not outputting enough heat. Not only does it take forever to heat, but even after 20 minutes it doesn't put out hot heat like other cars I've driven have.

In addition, today I made another observation. While I would get discouraged without how warm air would come out of the vents, and then the HVAC system would put out cooler air through the vents... I always thought it was the same temperature coming out the defrost/vent/feet ducts. Turns out that the air is hot on the defroost/foot area, but the vent is cooler, significantly.

Yes, the adjustment dial on the console for the vent temperature is cranked all the way up. This is also with the temperature setting set at 80.

I noticed when it cool air was coming out the vent if I adjusted the console dial down to cool air it would lower the vent air temperature. Then, I'd adust the dial all the way up, and then the air coiming out the vent would be hot, the same temperature coming out the defrost/feet ducts. But, this would only last about 30-60 seconds, and then the controller was obviously adjusting the temperature outoupt and it'd cool the temperature coming out the vents. I am able to repeat this on demand.

Can someone else on the forum who lives in cold environment (I'm in upstate NY) chime in and let me know if you've had any similar experiences? Also, I have to keep the heat cranked to keep the windshield from icing over, even when the outside temperature is in the 20's Today, being around zero, I wasn't expecting anything great... but the X3's heater system sucks as it currently works. Which stinks, becausse I like everything else about the X3, and especially like the xDrive system compared to the Quattro drive system on my previous Audis.