[X3emist]

Our new 2013 does not respond to putting the climate control on auto. If I have the AC on and the temp set to 70 and change it to 66 the system does not respond by speeding up the fan. The fan speed indicator can only have 1 bar displayed and it does not ramp up as required.

A couple times I have messed with it and gotten the fan speed to increase but the visual indicator does not move. I think the auto feature and or the controller may be malfunctioning. If you hit Max the fan does kick up but here again the indicator does not display additional bars which in our other BMW's indicate fan speed.

Anyone noticed this or has there been a mysterious and secret change to the system.

[gareth3685]

My 2013 seems fine. Are you using ECO PRO? I think I read this can make adjustments to certain ancillaries (A/C being one of them)to save power.

[MetaX]

This has already been discussed to a certain extent: http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=682002

I'm still a bit perplexed by the climate control system but it hasn't been a big problem for me. As long as I'm being kept at a comfortable temperature its working as far as I'm concerned.

[brissim]

This is my first BMW and I'm with what seems many people in several previous threads that the climate control is in my mind needlessly complicated. As with MetaX, I've now got it set up and no longer touch it.

X3emist - IMO the key to your issue is understanding the fan speed setting. This is a manual setting, set by the user and is the maximum fan speed that you are comfortable with. The climate control system with then automatically adjust to your set temperature - but all the time constrained by whatever maximum fan setting you have put in. Thus with only "one bar" set up as your maximum fan speed, it can never go above this.

Try manually adjusting your fan speed to say 3 bars and the repeat your lowering of the set temperature from the 70 to 66F. What should happen is that the fan will speed up but as it approaches your lower set temperature should start to slow down.

Tony

[X3emist]

Originally Posted by brissim

This is my first BMW and I'm with what seems many people in several previous threads that the climate control is in my mind needlessly complicated. As with MetaX, I've now got it set up and no longer touch it.

X3emist - IMO the key to your issue is understanding the fan speed setting. This is a manual setting, set by the user and is the maximum fan speed that you are comfortable with. The climate control system with then automatically adjust to your set temperature - but all the time constrained by whatever maximum fan setting you have put in. Thus with only "one bar" set up as your maximum fan speed, it can never go above this.

Try manually adjusting your fan speed to say 3 bars and the repeat your lowering of the set temperature from the 70 to 66F. What should happen is that the fan will speed up but as it approaches your lower set temperature should start to slow down.

Tony

Doesn't make sense but I can see how it might work but it gives a new meaning to "auto". I have 3 other bimmers, the climate controls are basically the same for the last 10 or 12 years and I am pretty familiar with their operation. This could be a change but it really is illogical but so is the whole iDrive system and the gear shifter as well.

[Alligator69]

Originally Posted by X3emist

Doesn't make sense but I can see how it might work but it gives a new meaning to "auto". I have 3 other bimmers, the climate controls are basically the same for the last 10 or 12 years and I am pretty familiar with their operation. This could be a change but it really is illogical but so is the whole iDrive system and the gear shifter as well.

Oh well, it does make sense. Effectively with my previous 320d the max fan speed appeared in the iDrive settings and this is not the case anymore. While I noticed without giving it too much attention that the "auto" remained lit eve when fiddling with the fan speeds, which didn't make sense. Now that brissim and others have described the way this "new" system works, it effectively sounds more logic. I've been traveling these days with temperatures raising and the air conditioning started working, the air speed had been always low as I chose the first speed. I also noticed that the dial in the center of the console makes a noticeable difference, it's use is to avoid having too cold air in the face, but apparently affects the whole system. Someone here was telling he uses it for "fine tuning", the effect seems that.

[Nahoa]

Originally Posted by brissim

This is my first BMW and I'm with what seems many people in several previous threads that the climate control is in my mind needlessly complicated. As with MetaX, I've now got it set up and no longer touch it.

X3emist - IMO the key to your issue is understanding the fan speed setting. This is a manual setting, set by the user and is the maximum fan speed that you are comfortable with. The climate control system with then automatically adjust to your set temperature - but all the time constrained by whatever maximum fan setting you have put in. Thus with only "one bar" set up as your maximum fan speed, it can never go above this.

Try manually adjusting your fan speed to say 3 bars and the repeat your lowering of the set temperature from the 70 to 66F. What should happen is that the fan will speed up but as it approaches your lower set temperature should start to slow down.

Tony

One adjustment to the above. In Auto the fan speed setting is not a hard limit, it's a general preference of less air flow or more air flow. If it gets very warm (or cold) and a higher fan speed is needed to effectively cool the vehicle the system will use it regardless of the setting. Once initial cooling is done and if it's not so hot that higher air flow remains needed, it'll slow down in accordance with your setting -- moving air more slowly for a lower setting, always higher for a higher setting, but no hard limits.

[Nahoa]

Originally Posted by X3emist

Our new 2013 does not respond to putting the climate control on auto. If I have the AC on and the temp set to 70 and change it to 66 the system does not respond by speeding up the fan. The fan speed indicator can only have 1 bar displayed and it does not ramp up as required.

A couple times I have messed with it and gotten the fan speed to increase but the visual indicator does not move. I think the auto feature and or the controller may be malfunctioning. If you hit Max the fan does kick up but here again the indicator does not display additional bars which in our other BMW's indicate fan speed.

Anyone noticed this or has there been a mysterious and secret change to the system.

The outside temp is important. If it was relatively cool outside, your car was warm because you just got in and just started up, a lower temp setting won't necessarily produce large air flow.

The indicator doesn't change in Auto because it's not a fan speed indicator in that mode, it's the setting for generally how forceful you prefer your system to move air -- generally light, or generally high.

If you want to select fan speed, take it out of Auto and then adjust fan speed. There the indicator is for fan speed, should move up and down with the buttons, and should maintain at the speed you select. If that doesn't happen, there might be something amiss.

When you hit max, you should get the manual fan speed display with the fan setting all the way up. You should then be able to adjust it down from Max to a preferred manual setting. If you're not seeing that, something could be off.