[robwoods]

Seems like everyone is misinterpreting the Fan Speed controls here.

When the you have it in 'Auto' the fan speed indicator changes slightly, you'll see a difference on the screen. The car is adjusting the fans 'automatically' so that they will be faster when the car is far away from the target temperature, and slow down as the car reaches the target temperature.

Like the manual says, by hitting the plus and minus you are adjusting the intensity, i.e. how fast you would like to reach the desired temperature, and how much draught are you willing to put up with. So by pressing plus you are biasing the fan speeds up a bit, and vice versa, but the car is still varying them as the internal temp changes.

So it is in fact 'better' than the kind of auto-fans I had on my 3-series with climate control, since the car just set the fan speed for me, and I didn't get to dial in my preference on intensity.

It's exactly like the auto-windscreen wiper intensity adjuster. In that case, the car still changes the frequency of wiping depending on rainfall, but you get to bias it to be more frequent or less frequent depending on your taste.

When you turn the Auto A/C off (by pressing one of the air direction buttons) the fan speed indicator changes on the display, and you are then controlling the fan speed directly.

[bluedevils]

Last night I got the car and the fan setting was at the lowest (without being off). The fan RPM sounded like it was at one of the highest settings. It later settled down to the lowest setting.

An interesting though, the auto climate control sets the temp for passenger and drive separately. Does the thumbwheel negate the separation? I'll have to experiment with that.

BTW the thumbwheel in the back is less of an issue for me. My passengers can heat or cool back there to their hearts content.

[bren]

Originally Posted by bluedevils

Does the thumbwheel negate the separation? I'll have to experiment with that.

The thumbwheel (only) impacts the center dash vents.

[clivem2]

Originally Posted by bren

The thumbwheel (only) impacts the center dash vents.

I've never analyzed it in detail but I find the thumbwheel allows the temp in the whole car to be tuned. Most of the time in Auto mode the CC is only pumping air to the feet and screen vents so maybe it changes if the dash vents are not in use?

[bren]

Originally Posted by clivem2

I've never analyzed it in detail but I find the thumbwheel allows the temp in the whole car to be tuned. Most of the time in Auto mode the CC is only pumping air to the feet and screen vents so maybe it changes if the dash vents are not in use?

The center dash vents are "ventilation" air and the temp is controlled by the thumbwheel.

Unless they've changed something recently, that's the way it's been for at least the past decade.

[clivem2]

Originally Posted by bren

The center dash vents are "ventilation" air and the temp is controlled by the thumbwheel.

Unless they've changed something recently, that's the way it's been for at least the past decade.

In which case there's more air coming through the vents than I'd appreciated.

[bren]

Originally Posted by clivem2

In which case there's more air coming through the vents than I'd appreciated.

There's another set of thumbwheels to close off the vents.

[clivem2]

Originally Posted by bren

There's another set of thumbwheels to close off the vents.

I never shut them off as I don't seem to have much air coming through them in Auto mode. If I want more airflow on a hot day I hit all 3 buttons on the LHS.

[swallowtail]

Originally Posted by robwoods

When the you have it in 'Auto' the fan speed indicator changes slightly, you'll see a difference on the screen. The car is adjusting the fans 'automatically' so that they will be faster when the car is far away from the target temperature, and slow down as the car reaches the target temperature.

Like the manual says, by hitting the plus and minus you are adjusting the intensity, i.e. how fast you would like to reach the desired temperature, and how much draught are you willing to put up with. So by pressing plus you are biasing the fan speeds up a bit, and vice versa, but the car is still varying them as the internal temp changes.

Interesting... mine certainly does not change the indicator in the HVAC controls when the fan speed changes. On Auto I can set the default fan speed which changes the display within the 5 settings, and the display then always stays where it is.

Also interestingly, in the car's coding there is a setting called HVAC Auto Intensity. By default it is "Nicht Activ", that is not active. Mine is now set to "Activ", and the fan now appears to adjust speed over a much wider range to reach the set temperature (even with it on 1, the fan now goes to flat out if I set the temp to e.g. 16c, whilst the display remains at 1), before settling back to the default position as set by the +/- fan speed controls.

[Razel]

A/C button on = If the A/C is needed to achieve the requested cabin temperature, it will be activated. Off, no A/C will be available whether it's needed or not.

Vent controls in the center control the air output for vent closest to the control AND the other one at the end of the dash for the driver/passenger. O is closed for both, | is all center vent. About 1/3 of the way down from | and you get about the same amount of air from both vents that the wheel controls.

Temperature is set to, lets say, 72ºF/22ºC. The system will maintain that temperature in the car. The wheel with the red/blue dot will put air out the center vents to satisfy the whim of the driver/passenger. Some folks like to feel a bit cooler air on warm days, or a bit of warmer air on cold days. So, if you like a bit of cooler air, the car will still keep the temps where you set it, and compensate for your "whim". Call it a "feel-good" wheel.

[JSY]

Originally Posted by robwoods

Seems like everyone is misinterpreting the Fan Speed controls here.

When the you have it in 'Auto' the fan speed indicator changes slightly, you'll see a difference on the screen. The car is adjusting the fans 'automatically' so that they will be faster when the car is far away from the target temperature, and slow down as the car reaches the target temperature.

I don't think people are misinterpreting it. I think that is what people are expecting but are not getting. In my F25, when it's in Auto, the fan speed does not adjust automatically. In fact, when I change the fan speed, AUTO continues to display.

In my 2009 and 2007 X3, AUTO adjusted the fan speed on it's own until the desired temperature was reached. If I decided to manually change the fan speed, the AUTO sign would go off.