Auto climate control question

hinckley · 06-28-2013, 06:24 PM

After years of driving many cars and many BMWs with auto climate control, I noticed something odd today.

I always leave my climate control on Auto and simply adjust the temperature up and down as necessary. I never adjust the fan speed manually assuming that the system adjusted the fan automatically as necessary.

Today I realized that changing the temperature level never changes the fan speed even if the temp is moved to max hi or lo. I always thought that if I adjusted the fan speed manually, the Auto light would go out and the climate control would switch to manual mode. It didn't. Moving the fan speed up or down kept the climate control in Auto mode. Unless I switch to Max A/C or defrost, the fan speed never changes automatically. Is that the way the control is supposed to now work?

dr.skp.ortho · 06-28-2013, 06:30 PM

Excellent question and an issue I noticed on mine that sent me to the owners' manual.

The M5's A/C is unlike almost every other system on the market.

When in auto mode both the temperature and fan Speed need to be set.

Set your temperature. The the "fan speed" can be altered to determine the "intensity" of the air flow. It is still automatic as it will heat or cool as required to maintain your set temp but how intensively it does so is set the by fan speed setting. Hope this helps.

hinckley · 06-28-2013, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dr.skp.ortho

Excellent question and an issue I noticed on mine that sent me to the owners' manual.

Yup. RTFM, I know. After posting, I read the manual and sure enough, BMW distinguishes between "fan speed" in Manual mode, and "intensity" in Auto mode. A little German over-engineering you think?

I was going to delete the post, but now I think other luddites may not understand just how the "improved" and "intuitive" fan speed, er. . . intensity, controls function.

SilberGrauE60 · 06-28-2013, 06:59 PM

OP: You should now change the title to "Auto Climate Control Discovery!"

Interesting, the E60 auto climate controls have a separate "intensity" setting in iDrive. You have Soft, Medium and Intense; and, it affects how strong the fan blows to achieve the desired temp setting. I guess the F10 took this "intensity" idea a little further.

h4nh · 06-28-2013, 07:28 PM

awesome.

RPiM5 · 06-28-2013, 08:19 PM

Wow, you guys are funny!

Netwon · 06-28-2013, 09:09 PM

Just like the centre vents that can be set to difuse the air or blow it directly on you!

jphughan · 06-29-2013, 10:11 AM

The fan speed adjustment becomes a relative fan speed adjustment in Auto. For example if I get into my car when it's been sitting out on a hot day, the fans will run very fast at first and eventually slow down a bit without me touching the control. I guess as others said it's an intensity preference whereby you can specify within the range of fan speeds the computer has deemed appropriate for the ambient conditions.

FLOMACKS · 06-29-2013, 05:16 PM

Mind. Blown.

06-28-2013, 06:24 PM	#1
hinckley Brigadier General 3493 Rep 3,213 Posts Drives: '24 M4C Conv Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: South Florida iTrader: (1)	Auto climate control question After years of driving many cars and many BMWs with auto climate control, I noticed something odd today. I always leave my climate control on Auto and simply adjust the temperature up and down as necessary. I never adjust the fan speed manually assuming that the system adjusted the fan automatically as necessary. Today I realized that changing the temperature level never changes the fan speed even if the temp is moved to max hi or lo. I always thought that if I adjusted the fan speed manually, the Auto light would go out and the climate control would switch to manual mode. It didn't. Moving the fan speed up or down kept the climate control in Auto mode. Unless I switch to Max A/C or defrost, the fan speed never changes automatically. Is that the way the control is supposed to now work? __________________ CURRENT: '24 M4C Conv RETIRED : '23 M8C Conv \| '20 X4 M40i \| '18 M4 6MT \| '13 M5 6MT \| '08 550i 6MT \| '04 545i 6MT \| '98 540i 6MT \| '94 530i 5MT \| '84 528e 5MT Other retirees from Chevrolet, Buick, Subaru, Honda, Acura, Merkur(!), Volvo, Saab, Audi and Porsche
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06-28-2013, 06:30 PM	#2
dr.skp.ortho Private First Class 15 Rep 107 Posts Drives: 991 911 Carrera S, F06 M6 GC Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NSW, Australia iTrader: (0)	Excellent question and an issue I noticed on mine that sent me to the owners' manual. The M5's A/C is unlike almost every other system on the market. When in auto mode both the temperature and fan Speed need to be set. Set your temperature. The the "fan speed" can be altered to determine the "intensity" of the air flow. It is still automatic as it will heat or cool as required to maintain your set temp but how intensively it does so is set the by fan speed setting. Hope this helps. __________________ Porsche 991 911 Carrera S BMW F06 M6 Gran Coupe BMW F15 X5 5.0 Xdrive M Sport. Mercedes C250
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06-28-2013, 06:59 PM	#4
SilberGrauE60 New Member 0 Rep 20 Posts Drives: 2009 M6 SMG Coupe Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Colorado iTrader: (0)	OP: You should now change the title to "Auto Climate Control Discovery!" Interesting, the E60 auto climate controls have a separate "intensity" setting in iDrive. You have Soft, Medium and Intense; and, it affects how strong the fan blows to achieve the desired temp setting. I guess the F10 took this "intensity" idea a little further. __________________ 2009 BMW E63 M6 SMG Coupe 2004 BMW E60 545i 6MT Sport (SOLD)
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06-28-2013, 07:28 PM	#5
h4nh Major 237 Rep 1,095 Posts Drives: 09 SC E90 M3 / 13 F10 M5 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Dallas, TX iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 E90 M3 (superc ... [10.00] 2013 M5 [0.00]	awesome. __________________
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06-28-2013, 08:19 PM	#6
RPiM5 Major General 2873 Rep 7,885 Posts Drives: Black M5 Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Earth 616 iTrader: (0)	Wow, you guys are funny! __________________
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06-28-2013, 09:09 PM	#7
Netwon Second Lieutenant 8 Rep 222 Posts Drives: '12 BMW M5 Alpine White Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Northern Alberta iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 BMW M5 [0.00]	Just like the centre vents that can be set to difuse the air or blow it directly on you!
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06-29-2013, 10:11 AM	#8
jphughan Brigadier General 594 Rep 4,488 Posts Drives: '16 Cayman GT4 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Austin, TX iTrader: (0)	The fan speed adjustment becomes a relative fan speed adjustment in Auto. For example if I get into my car when it's been sitting out on a hot day, the fans will run very fast at first and eventually slow down a bit without me touching the control. I guess as others said it's an intensity preference whereby you can specify within the range of fan speeds the computer has deemed appropriate for the ambient conditions. __________________ '16 Cayman GT4 (delivery pics, comparison to E92 M3 write-up) Gone but not forgotten: '11.75 M3 E92 Le Mans \| Black Nov w/ Alum \| 6MT (owned 5/2011 - 11/2015)
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06-29-2013, 05:16 PM	#9
FLOMACKS Lieutenant 40 Rep 444 Posts Drives: 2024 X7 M60 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Atlanta, GA iTrader: (0)	Mind. Blown. __________________ 2007 550i 2012 BMW - M5 European Delivery 2014 911 C2S- Agate, MT, PDCC, SC, SE 2015 S63AMG Sedan
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