[AM20 BMW]

Hi guys, I have a 2019 X3 M40i. Had the car since brand new, though I’m from the UK where majority of the time it’s cold. Summer is coming near and unfortunately except turning on the AC, the air vents climate system continuesly blows hot air despite having it on the coldest temperature and settings from the iDrive, the car is like a sauna and is uncomfortable.

I also have a 2021 2 Series F22 my daily driver and the climate system works perfectly, never need to use the AC as that car always blows nice cold cool air so I’m comparing the X3 to my 2 Series.

Took the X3 to BMW and said no fault is found, just going to have to cope with it. Also had an F48 X1 in the past and that car was even worse. Is this a BMW SUV thing because the non-SUV BMW’s X models I’ve had, two 1 Series and a E46 3 Series, the climate system has been great.

If means I have to use AC so be it, not the end of the world but any advice and tips would be appreciated cheers.

[satz]

Do you mean it blows hot air when you're not using AC, but have the temp on minimum?

Does this happen after your car engine is hot? Or even when you first start it for the day?

My car pumps out hot air if I've already driven it and the engine is hot, and then I park it for a while and drive it again. I think it's the engine heat getting into the HVAC pipework.

I've had this problem with all my recent cars, esp BMWs with auto climate control. I guess the systems are designed to use AC, rather than just 'fresh air' through the vents.

Very annoying when the outside temp is only about 20C and the vents are pumping out much hotter air.

[838]

... colud it be the climate control AC settings, via ID ?

... this may help

[bouchy]

If your car blows hotter air than ambient, some of the flaps/valves inside are probably stuck. If the hot air would occur even with A/C on, then there is a leak of coolant, typically.

[Qsilver7]

Is the hot air only coming from the dash vents? If yes...does the G01 X3 still have the stratified air dial adjustment for the dash vents? Or was it removed completely?

I don't have a G01 X3 so I don't know if the stratified air dial(s) have been removed from the center dash vent and integrated into a sub menu like on some other G chassis BMWs.

For decades BMWs have had a stratified air dial that allows the driver & passenger to temper the air from the dash vents warmer/cooler...which doesn't affect the overall temp setting. The IHKA system will still keep the cabin at the set temp, but just adjust the air from the dash vents (or rear center vent for the rear passengers).

This can help the passenger that is sitting on the sunny side of the car or on the shaded side of the car...adjust the temp of the air blowing on them without having the driver adjust the entire system.

Again, BMW has moved this stratified air temp selection from a dial built into the center dash vent to being accessed in a sub climate menu on some newer BMWs. Check your climate menu to see if the dial is still there...but just moved to a sub menu and maybe is set to the RED (warm air) setting:

Examples of old stratified air dials when they were easily accessible:

[thelightning]

That scroll wheel is digital now. You have to go into Idrive Car settings -> Climate settings.

But I don't think it's OP's problem. I have the same issue. Especially the exhausts under the front seat (rear passenger footwell) was blowing extremely hot to a point where the waterbottle that was laying there was so hot, it was almost untouchcable for longer than 10 seconds.
The center console also gets extremely hot and it makes sitting very sweaty.

From the short research I did at that time, it's either a problem in the ducting in the center console and/or it's a software problem. An update of the system might be needed.

Since I was on a 1000km trip, While the wife was driving, I played around with the settings to implement a workaround. I can't recall exactly what I did but it had something to do with disabling the ventilation/climate control on the rear passenger controlpanel all together which resolved the problem. Or it was a combination of disabling it on the Idrive and opening or closing the rear passenger controls.

Havent looked into it since. My plan was to go to BMW for a software update as I don't think its a ducting problem as it was 30c outside, aircon modes where all on and it was still blowing out max heat under the seats.

[AM20 BMW]

Originally Posted by satz

Do you mean it blows hot air when you're not using AC, but have the temp on minimum?

Does this happen after your car engine is hot? Or even when you first start it for the day?

My car pumps out hot air if I've already driven it and the engine is hot, and then I park it for a while and drive it again. I think it's the engine heat getting into the HVAC pipework.

I've had this problem with all my recent cars, esp BMWs with auto climate control. I guess the systems are designed to use AC, rather than just 'fresh air' through the vents.

Very annoying when the outside temp is only about 20C and the vents are pumping out much hotter air.

Sorry for late reply, yes this happens as soon as I get in the car before any journeys made. Except once, in almost 5 years of owning the car I never seen the active shutter grilles ever open to let heat out as well so I’m thinking is heat ever releasing out.

[AM20 BMW]

Originally Posted by bouchy

If your car blows hotter air than ambient, some of the flaps/valves inside are probably stuck. If the hot air would occur even with A/C on, then there is a leak of coolant, typically.

Sorry for late response, yes that possibly could be it because we had the car brand new almost 5 years ago and only once, I’ve only seen the active grille shutters opened. It’s always shut and now I’m is heat ever releasing out the engine, we do have extended BMW warranty but except that the car has been fantastic but just a shame during summer it’s like jumping into a hot sauna and ruins the journey experience.

[AM20 BMW]

Hi there, sorry for my late reply and thank you so much for the information and pictures you have given on here much appreciated. My F22 2 Series has exactly what you shown on the pictures with 2 dials for temperature control and air vent control. On the orher hand our X3 only has a one dial to switch on/off the air vents from blowing air but for temperature control there’s a button located near the climate control area to open a climate control menu settings on the iDrive and everything there is where all temperature settings is configured only via on the iDrive system. But I configured everything to the coldest possible settings and still no luck unfortunately.

[pr0gi]

Mine blows hot air for like 2-3 seconds when I just start the engine and it was driven beforehand. After that, cool air starts to come through the vents. I haven't checked if it's just the middle vents or the side vents as well. I was thinking this happens because it's so hot outside; I've never had such issues with any other BMW so far. But if yours is blowing hot air all the time, even with the AC on, maybe it's better to go and check the system at a shop.

[fdpxfunix]

Just my 2 pennies worth…

2018 30d here. Never had any issues with air temperature or AC in the last 3 years from any vent (in fact I have my front vents set a little warmer than the middle position) and leave my fan speed on 3 or 4... until BMW changed my cabin air filter and 'flipped the flap' (tm) above where the filter is housed.

I had to drive to Manchester from Sussex (and back home again) on May 17th/18th and although the weather was nice (not super-hot), the car was roasting. AC on for most of the journey in the daytime was keeping the cabin cooler, but fan speed was 7 and wasn't doing much. My Mrs kept commenting on it feels too warm in here. Apart from poor/warm airflow in the cabin, you may hear a whistling sound when you set the fan speed to 5 and above.

I asked BMW to checkout the flap position (as they had changed the filter some months before) when the car went in for something else, but they said it was fine and just replaced a screw that would not tightening fully.

I took matters into my own hands and fixed the flap in this thread... https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showt...+filter&page=6

Thanks again to 'freshxdough' input on this thread. I bet he's bored stupid with that thread now.

Since I 'flipped the flap' back, the airflow and temperature is back to normal. The active shutters on the front of my car do open/shut every now and again, but that doesn't seem to be tied into cabin air flow/temperatures as far as I can tell.

Your issue could be something totally different with flaps/AC/heater matrix etc but a lot of what you describe matches what I experienced.

J.

[AM20 BMW]

Originally Posted by pr0gi

Mine blows hot air for like 2-3 seconds when I just start the engine and it was driven beforehand. After that, cool air starts to come through the vents. I haven't checked if it's just the middle vents or the side vents as well. I was thinking this happens because it's so hot outside; I've never had such issues with any other BMW so far. But if yours is blowing hot air all the time, even with the AC on, maybe it's better to go and check the system at a shop.

Thank you for your response, the AC works perfectly fine and but without it, it just constantly blows hot air and I only reason I avoid using the AC is because it drinks the petrol so much. We had an X1 F48 beforehand which was a lot worse but I daily drive a F22 2 Series as well and had previous BMW’s and never had any issues with them.

[AM20 BMW]

Originally Posted by fdpxfunix

Just my 2 pennies worth…

2018 30d here. Never had any issues with air temperature or AC in the last 3 years from any vent (in fact I have my front vents set a little warmer than the middle position) and leave my fan speed on 3 or 4... until BMW changed my cabin air filter and 'flipped the flap' (tm) above where the filter is housed.

I had to drive to Manchester from Sussex (and back home again) on May 17th/18th and although the weather was nice (not super-hot), the car was roasting. AC on for most of the journey in the daytime was keeping the cabin cooler, but fan speed was 7 and wasn't doing much. My Mrs kept commenting on it feels too warm in here. Apart from poor/warm airflow in the cabin, you may hear a whistling sound when you set the fan speed to 5 and above.

I asked BMW to checkout the flap position (as they had changed the filter some months before) when the car went in for something else, but they said it was fine and just replaced a screw that would not tightening fully.

I took matters into my own hands and fixed the flap in this thread... https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1828458&highlight=cabin+filter&pa ge=6

Thanks again to 'freshxdough' input on this thread. I bet he's bored stupid with that thread now.

Since I 'flipped the flap' back, the airflow and temperature is back to normal. The active shutters on the front of my car do open/shut every now and again, but that doesn't seem to be tied into cabin air flow/temperatures as far as I can tell.

Your issue could be something totally different with flaps/AC/heater matrix etc [...]

Cheers mate, as a fellow UK resident both me and you have cold weather’s majority of the time anyways but yeah what you’re saying could be the issue. At least this doesn’t effect us most of the time. The X3 is my parents car which I made this thread on their behalf and for me too as I daily drive their X3 as well and we had an X1 F48 beforehand which was a lot more worse. But again I personally drive a F22 2 Series and we had 3 Series and couple of 1 Series etc and no issues with the climate system whatsoever so I was thinking does this only affect BMW X models. But thank you so much for your help and letting me know. Luckily we purchased extended warranty for our BMW’s so hopefully in the near future it can be sorted.