[jmciver]

Originally Posted by thenew3

I tested my car today. I'm on 03/2020.35 and I was able to turn on 3rd row AC while the seats were folded down. I took delivery 10 days ago.

Do you remember what your A/C settings were? Specifically if you have your 3rd row A/C controls disabled or not, or if you have all 3 rows "sync'ed" or not?

The X7 has so many different configurations and combinations with the HVAC controls it would not surprise me if there is one unique configuration combo that is required to get 3rd row A/C working with the seats down. And of course it is not documented in the manual, especially since this is "new" functionality....

I would test this myself but unfortunately my X7 is still stuck at the dealer right now....

[thenew3]

Originally Posted by jmciver

Do you remember what your A/C settings were? Specifically if you have your 3rd row A/C controls disabled or not, or if you have all 3 rows "sync'ed" or not?

The X7 has so many different configurations and combinations with the HVAC controls it would not surprise me if there is one unique configuration combo that is required to get 3rd row A/C working with the seats down. And of course it is not documented in the manual, especially since this is "new" functionality....

I would test this myself but unfortunately my X7 is still stuck at the dealer right now....

I do not have my 3rd row A/C controls disabled and it is not sync'ed.

I individually set the temp during my test to 65 degrees and changed the fan speed from low to high and back to low to make sure I can hear a difference in speed to prove that it was working.

[jmciver]

3rd row A/C with seats folded - test SAT with 3/2030.58....

[RSouthern]

Originally Posted by MHvolley6

RSouthern - would you be willing to share your dealer information? I have forwarded this message to my dealer hoping they will be able to perform the same update for me as I too have dogs that travel in the rear... I sent my dealer an email but haven't received the response just yet.

I worked with Fremont BMW (in Fremont California). I was working with the GM as my service advisor due to some major problems when I took delivery of the first X7 (this is technically my 2nd X7, but we never even got the 1st one off the lot before it had problems). They have been very helpful and have looked after me. Some bad Yelp reviews for them, but they are trying to do the right things once you get past some issues with the low level staff (in our case the sales manager).

In any case, the availability of the new software sounded very recent - the GM called to tell me that it was available after I informed her of the problem and the risk it put the dogs in. It also took a long time for the dealer to do the update, so I suspect that the discussions around the .35 vs .58 (or whatever the older code version is) may not be complete, there may be other code involved to enable the 3rd row HVAC with the seats down.

In any case, I can confirm that with whatever code was updated, it definitely works and my 2 dogs are alive an well after an unexpected 6 hour drive from San Jose to the mountains last week (lots of traffic and 1 stop at Costco in Manteca)

[Wanderer73]

I was on 11/2019.40 at time of service. I just got my car back and now on 03/2020.58. I confirmed that HVAC controls are enabled and working with 3rd row down.

[ND40oz]

So if you don't opt for ZCW and get 4NN the 5-zone automatic climate control, do the third row vents operate off the 2nd row controls?

[thenew3]

Originally Posted by ND40oz

So if you don't opt for ZCW and get 4NN the 5-zone automatic climate control, do the third row vents operate off the 2nd row controls?

If you don't get 5 zone AC or cold weather package, you won't get vents in the 3rd row at all.

[mitch57]

Originally Posted by thenew3

If you don't get 5 zone AC or cold weather package, you won't get vents in the 3rd row at all.

Exactly! I still can't believe any car manufacturer would install 3rd row seats and not put "ANY" vents in the 3rd row. There aren't even any floor vents to the 3rd row seating area either.

I don't believe anyone could ride in the 3rd row seats in climates like Florida for more than 5 or 10 minutes even if you had the AC on high for the first and second row seating areas.

[ND40oz]

Originally Posted by mitch57

Exactly! I still can't believe any car manufacturer would install 3rd row seats and not put "ANY" vents in the 3rd row. There aren't even any floor vents to the 3rd row seating area either.

I don't believe anyone could ride in the 3rd row seats in climates like Florida for more than 5 or 10 minutes even if you had the AC on high for the first and second row seating areas.

It does seem like a strange choice. In the XC90 we are planning on replacing you can turn the third row off but if you have it on, the fan speed is synced to the 2nd rows controls. Not sure why BMW didn't so something similar if you don't want/need individual control of the 3rd row.

Anyone know how it works in the X5? I'm guessing they just didn't bother putting vents in for the 3rd row since most people don't seem to opt for it anyway?

[thenew3]

Originally Posted by ND40oz

It does seem like a strange choice. In the XC90 we are planning on replacing you can turn the third row off but if you have it on, the fan speed is synced to the 2nd rows controls. Not sure why BMW didn't so something similar if you don't want/need individual control of the 3rd row.

Anyone know how it works in the X5? I'm guessing they just didn't bother putting vents in for the 3rd row since most people don't seem to opt for it anyway?

In the XC90, 3rd row vents gets it's heated/cooled air from the same heater/AC compressor as the first and second rows.

In the X7 and GLS, 3rd row has it's own stand alone AC compressor and blower fan. The vent piping are not connected to first or second row.

My guess is BMW/MB engineers thought that due to the size of the vehicle (bigger than XC90) it needed it's own cooling system in order to cool down the 3rd row sufficiently.

I don't think the X5 (even with the 3rd row seats) has a separate AC compressor for the 3rd row. X5 is roughly same size as XC90.

[jmcd2524]

Originally Posted by thenew3

In the XC90, 3rd row vents gets it's heated/cooled air from the same heater/AC compressor as the first and second rows.

In the X7 and GLS, 3rd row has it's own stand alone AC compressor and blower fan. The vent piping are not connected to first or second row.

My guess is BMW/MB engineers thought that due to the size of the vehicle (bigger than XC90) it needed it's own cooling system in order to cool down the 3rd row sufficiently.

I don't think the X5 (even with the 3rd row seats) has a separate AC compressor for the 3rd row. X5 is roughly same size as XC90.



[/QUOTE]

So just to be clear; if you don't order the 5th zone control, you don't get the additional cooling / heating system and you don't get vents pushing air from the other heating zones? The heating and cooling for the wayback of the interior relies on the air circulating from the 4 zones circulating on its own? Sounds like a really bad idea for a vehicle of this caliber.

For anyone on this board who lives in the warmer climates, and did not order the 5th zone, please feel free to comment about the climate control in the back of your X7 in the summer months. thanks to all.

[thenew3]

Originally Posted by jmcd2524

So just to be clear; if you don't order the 5th zone control, you don't get the additional cooling / heating system and you don't get vents pushing air from the other heating zones? The heating and cooling for the wayback of the interior relies on the air circulating from the 4 zones circulating on its own? Sounds like a really bad idea for a vehicle of this caliber.

For anyone on this board who lives in the warmer climates, and did not order the 5th zone, please feel free to comment about the climate control in the back of your X7 in the summer months. thanks to all.

Correct, if you don't order the 5 zone AC (part of the cold climate package (go figure )) then you do not get the separate AC compressor/blower and vents in the 3rd row.

To be honest, I haven't tested one without the 5 zone to see how uncomfortable it gets back there. But I've rented plenty of full size SUV's (Expedition, Suburban/Tahoe etc) that did not have vents in the 3rd row in the heat of Texas, Florida and Southern California and never had any passengers in the 3rd row complain. We did always make sure the AC in first/second rows were always or nearly always on high.

[iconoclast]

Originally Posted by jmcd2524

My guess is BMW/MB engineers thought that due to the size of the vehicle (bigger than XC90) it needed it's own cooling system in order to cool down the 3rd row sufficiently.

Probably because they learned from Audi on the 4L Q7 and Land Rover on the LR4. The original Q7 had rear compressor and blower with dedicated duct work. If you didn't get the four zone (tropical climate) package you got duct leading off the front vents plumbed through the b-pillars. I don't recall exactly how the LR3 and LR4 did it but I think it was a similar system.

[Heimdall]

Originally Posted by thenew3

In the XC90, 3rd row vents gets it's heated/cooled air from the same heater/AC compressor as the first and second rows.

In the X7 and GLS, 3rd row has it's own stand alone AC compressor and blower fan. The vent piping are not connected to first or second row.

My guess is BMW/MB engineers thought that due to the size of the vehicle (bigger than XC90) it needed it's own cooling system in order to cool down the 3rd row sufficiently.

I don't think the X5 (even with the 3rd row seats) has a separate AC compressor for the 3rd row. X5 is roughly same size as XC90.

Ok smart to think an additional cooling unit is required for such a huge vehicle,
But isn't it kind of ridiculous to think that such size and needs would disappear when the 3rd row is down. 🤦🏻*♂️

By any means, they owned their mistake and fixed it.

Not let's hope that this 5zone or at least vents back at 3rd row becomes a standard.