[Kevin_Trxn]

What's the point of auto climate control set to 72 degrees, when the little red/blue knob right below the vents is what controls whether the air is warm or cold?

I just want a way to set the temp at 72 and have the auto climate control warm/cool the air and control the fan speed for me.

Newbie question

[SteveinArizona]

you can do all of that. Within the automatic setting you can adjust the fan speed, where the cool air comes from, and which outlets it comes out from. If, for example, you set the fan speed at a low setting, it would likely take your car longer to reach your set temperature; I often raise the fan speed when I start to cool the car quicker and then drop it back to my preferred setting once the car is comfortable. Then the automatic kicks in to keep the car at that temperature.

[rphz]

The separate vent temp adjusts the middle/dash vents only, so if you want it independently warmer or cooler than the floor and dash/defrost temps, you can do that.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Trxn

What's the point of auto climate control set to 72 degrees, when the little red/blue knob right below the vents is what controls whether the air is warm or cold?

I just want a way to set the temp at 72 and have the auto climate control warm/cool the air and control the fan speed for me.

Newbie question

The thumbwheel only controls the face level (upper body) air stratification.

Set it to the mid position and leave it alone, you should get what you want. The adjustment is to fine tune, 'in addition' to the base settings, according to your preferred face vent temperature.

Many of us like the additional function, like cooler air to the face than the cabin temperature.

Run the auto programme, with the intensity setting to your preferred level, the auto function will do the rest.

[anotheran]

Originally Posted by HighlandPete

The thumbwheel only controls the face level (upper body) air stratification.

Many of us like the additional function, like cooler air to the face than the cabin temperature.

^ THIS.

To the op, yes, it's really odd to have this additional control when you're new to BMW but I've found it useful for the above reason.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Trxn

What's the point of auto climate control set to 72 degrees, when the little red/blue knob right below the vents is what controls whether the air is warm or cold?

I just want a way to set the temp at 72 and have the auto climate control warm/cool the air and control the fan speed for me.

Newbie question

Then put the thumbwheel in the middle position. Some day, you will change your mind, and at that point, you can adjust the thumbwheel.

[Kevin_Trxn]

Yesssss thanks to everyone on this thread <3

Was very confused for a week haha

[Wires]

I've found that setting it to "auto" with the fan intensity in the middle works best. The red/blue dial seems to control the "draft". In the winter I leave it on red, summer on blue.

[spuntyb]

"The thumbwheel only controls the face level (upper body) air stratification.

Set it to the mid position and leave it alone, you should get what you want."

+1

For super warm days when I first get in, I might turn it all the way cold, and vice-versa for very cold days, but the other 95% of the time, this is the best setting.

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

"The thumbwheel only controls the face level (upper body) air stratification.

Set it to the mid position and leave it alone, you should get what you want."

+1

For super warm days when I first get in, I might turn it all the way cold, and vice-versa for very cold days, but the other 95% of the time, this is the best setting.

On hot days I just push the max button which turns the internal thermostat down to 60 degrees F. Once the car cools down I hit the button again and the car defaults back to my personal automatic settings.

[LMK5]

My system is funky. I'm wondering if you guys have ever seen this behavior: On a hot sunny day, I'll have it set to 70, full auto intensity, and the red/blue wheel at center or all blue. The system will blow cold air for about 7 minutes, then I can feel the air flow reduce as air is starting to come from the vents in the footwell. The ambient temperature in the car starts to rise, and I need to turn the temp control down to 65 or so for the air flow to rise again from the middle vents. During this whole time, the air will cycle from recirculate to fresh and back again from time to time, evidenced by the rise in air flow and that slightly muffled sound.

All in all the system does not work well in auto on hot sunny days. Just wondering if any of you without tinted windows experience some of this same behavior (behaviour for our Euro and Canadian friends).

[SteveinArizona]

Originally Posted by LMK5

My system is funky. I'm wondering if you guys have ever seen this behavior: On a hot sunny day, I'll have it set to 70, full auto intensity, and the red/blue wheel at center or all blue. The system will blow cold air for about 7 minutes, then I can feel the air flow reduce as air is starting to come from the vents in the footwell. The ambient temperature in the car starts to rise, and I need to turn the temp control down to 65 or so for the air flow to rise again from the middle vents. During this whole time, the air will cycle from recirculate to fresh and back again from time to time, evidenced by the rise in air flow and that slightly muffled sound.

All in all the system does not work well in auto on hot sunny days. Just wondering if any of you without tinted windows experience some of this same behavior (behaviour for our Euro and Canadian friends).

A question: there is a button to control which vents the air comes out of. Have you set that to the upper vents to keep the cool air coming up high (after all, cold air falls)?

[LMK5]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

A question: there is a button to control which vents the air comes out of. Have you set that to the upper vents to keep the cool air coming up high (after all, cold air falls)?

The problem is that if you monkey with that setting, the system comes out of Auto mode and no longer controls the air flow level. You go into manual mode. The system only controls air temperature at that point.

[tex2670]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

A question: there is a button to control which vents the air comes out of. Have you set that to the upper vents to keep the cool air coming up high (after all, cold air falls)?

The knobs next to each vent with the dots that get progressively larger controls the air flow from that vent.

[SpenceRx]

Originally Posted by Wires

... In the winter I leave it on red, summer on blue.

I do the same.

I find the auto function to be perfect for my climate and hardly ever touch the HVAC at all.

[scostu]

Originally Posted by Kevin_Trxn

What's the point of auto climate control set to 72 degrees, when the little red/blue knob right below the vents is what controls whether the air is warm or cold?

I just want a way to set the temp at 72 and have the auto climate control warm/cool the air and control the fan speed for me.

Newbie question

72*....WTF???

I wish I could set mine to 32*....Central florida today...87*....heat index 98*!!!

....and....oh....Hurricane season starts tomorrow....

[Wires]

Originally Posted by LMK5

My system is funky. I'm wondering if you guys have ever seen this behavior: On a hot sunny day, I'll have it set to 70, full auto intensity, and the red/blue wheel at center or all blue. The system will blow cold air for about 7 minutes, then I can feel the air flow reduce as air is starting to come from the vents in the footwell. The ambient temperature in the car starts to rise, and I need to turn the temp control down to 65 or so for the air flow to rise again from the middle vents. During this whole time, the air will cycle from recirculate to fresh and back again from time to time, evidenced by the rise in air flow and that slightly muffled sound.

All in all the system does not work well in auto on hot sunny days. Just wondering if any of you without tinted windows experience some of this same behavior (behaviour for our Euro and Canadian friends).

I had something similar when I set the intensity to the lowest setting. The evaporator would freeze up, and the car would route all air through it to try to thaw it out.

Are all you vents on full? It sounds like it's freezing.

[AudiA4]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

you can do all of that. Within the automatic setting you can adjust the fan speed, where the cool air comes from, and which outlets it comes out from. If, for example, you set the fan speed at a low setting, it would likely take your car longer to reach your set temperature; I often raise the fan speed when I start to cool the car quicker and then drop it back to my preferred setting once the car is comfortable. Then the automatic kicks in to keep the car at that temperature.

You've just described something that's not very automatic.

[paul e]

Originally Posted by SteveinArizona

On hot days I just push the max button which turns the internal thermostat down to 60 degrees F. Once the car cools down I hit the button again and the car defaults back to my personal automatic settings.

MAX button?

[RPM90]

New world, luxury car problems.

It's so easy to just control the HVAC yourself, just like we used to do in the olden days, you know when we walked to school, uphill, both ways!

You kids have it rough these days with your "auto" HVAC confusing you.
And don't get me started, again, on the STUPID "driver modes" idiocy!

Breathe....breathe...in..........out........ahhhhh hh

[LMK5]

Originally Posted by Wires

I had something similar when I set the intensity to the lowest setting. The evaporator would freeze up, and the car would route all air through it to try to thaw it out.

Are all you vents on full? It sounds like it's freezing.

Yes, all my vents (including rear) are fully open. I have the intensity usually set to the highest level.

[elistan]

Originally Posted by paul e

MAX button?

Yeah, the button in the right temperature control dial is 'MAX A/C'. It cranks the fans all the way up, goes to recirc (I assume) and sets the temp control to the lowest setting.