2012 BMW X3: Cold Comfort

Gremlins, or designed that way?

One of the reasons I always override auto climate controls. I'll never spend extra $$ for these things.

If you look to the left of the unlock button in between the vents youll notice a red/blue rotary knob. These have been in BMWs forever. If it is set on the cold dial it will always be cold no matter what and vice versa. You need to move it to the red section if you want hot. It is silly but it is BMW. This would've been a are you serious moment at the dealer..

Take it back and get a vehicle more people will care about.

Takahashi, do you see that little scroll switch between the vents? I think you should have turned that upwards so the white line indicator is towards the red square, not pointing the blue square as it was when the photo was taken

doesn't that thumb wheel on the vent affect the temperature as well? not really sure how the two work together, but you have it all the way on blue

Yep, use the scroll wheel to adjust the vent temperature. Some people hate that feature, others love it. I can take it or leave it, though it is nice to be able to adjust the temperature of the face level vents independently of the automatic climate control.

Ahhhhhh...I see. No wait, that's stupid. What's the deal with that secondary dial, and how is it that this detail has eluded me for so long?

Somebody, please explain the need for this dial.

Its so you don't get blasted with hot (or cold) air in the face if you don't want to but still have the ability to leave it on auto at a higher (or lower) temp.

The wheel dial is to regulate the whether the temperature blows hot or cold. If the dial is moved to the red the auto climate control will blow warmer air to maintain the set temperature and vice versa with the cold. I usually have my dial on the colder setting because I like the air blowing colder. it's kind of a neat feature BMW has. Sometimes I will set it in the middle. It only effects the vents in the middle of the dash.

You will notice a dial for the backseat passengers as well. It does the same thing.

Over-teched and under-thought. I will keep my three dial manual controls. So there!

If you want to experience a really good Auto climate control system, I suggest you try out a 2003 Mazda6s (v6). I owned it for 7.5 years and all I did was set the temp control at 77F (recommended in the owners manual). What it did was blow cold air when it was hot outside, hot when it was cold outside and normal ambient air when it was normal outside. Never had to change that setting in 7.5 years.
I have had Lexus(es) - 2000 ES300, 2001 RX300, 2008 IS250, 2008 Infinity G37s and no one has provided a better ACC or even as good as my 2003 Mazda6s ACC.

Pity these big brand names. Good for nothing :(

It's weird and very un-German of BMW to have an override to the automatic climate control, but it's always been that way. Say the ambient temperature is close to 74*F - that dial would control whether you get slightly hot or slightly cool air, regardless of whether the ambient changed a few degrees warmer or colder.

BMWs have had this forever and it remains one of my most hated features. There is honestly no good reason to have it. Whether set for red or blue it tends to fall to the extreme which makes it completely worthless. It is either colder than you want or warmer than you want.

It is nice in concept, but poorly executed. You should be able to enable when you want it and disable when you don't (which is most of the time).

I guess you can talk yourself into believing this is a good system. Maybe you want it a certain temperature in the car but you want a different temperature coming out of the dash vents. I guess you could even take it a step further and have a different temperature setting for each vent; front, back, left, right, dash, floor, etc. But if ACC has a benefit it's that you can 'set it and forget it.' But BMW lets you set it and then realize you're not getting what you want and then adjusting something else. It shouldn't take more than one step to get the right temperature in a luxury car with ACC.

You guys all like it warm!

I keep my temp at 68 during the winter and usually 72 in the summer. My fiance keeps her side at about 80 though.

Wait. You have to use a manual scroll wheel to get the automatic climate control to work? That makes this whole process more difficult than a simple manual system. Why in the [insert about 6 expletives here] would that stupid wheel be in the car at all? What possible reason could that serve?

"The wheel dial is to regulate the whether the temperature blows hot or cold. If the dial is moved to the red the auto climate control will blow warmer air to maintain the set temperature and vice versa with the cold. I usually have my dial on the colder setting because I like the air blowing colder. it's kind of a neat feature BMW has. Sometimes I will set it in the middle. It only effects the vents in the middle of the dash."

Isn't the WHOLE ENTIRE POINT of automatic climate control that it blows cold when it is hot and blows warm when it is cold? So they built an entire climate control system, with all that expense and complexity, then installed one simple device to NEGATE the entire thing? And they CHARGE you for this?

I started losing interest in BMW when they went from making ultimate driving machines with glorious NA straight sixes to enormous X6s and the like, and with something like this I don't think I would even consider one of their still fun cars.

That knob is dead simple and been in BMWs forever. Most people don't like hot air blowing in their face. Turn the knob to the cool (blue) section and you can still get cold air for your face while the heater is on.

So did turning the temp up to 84 actually override it or did it just seem like it since the auto climate was blowing hot air from the other vents?

I love all the BMW Hater posts. Pick a car that someone cares about. Pick a real utility vehicle. Honestly, if you don't like the car, don't read the blog! The fact is that this is a very hot segment of the automotive marketplace and therefore garners coverage by a large number of readers, most of whom probably don't post here.

Having said that, the red / blue wheel is one of the best inventions I've ever used on automatic climate control. I honestly don't mind manual controls, but at a certain level of car, that's just not standard equipment any longer. I've had about half a dozen cars with auto climate control and can honestly say for set it and forget it, my BMW is the best. One of the biggest reasons why is the wheel and the adjustments you can make. In most auto climate cars, a little sun will produce a blast of cold air...not wanted on a cold day. Or, in the summer, the darkness can produce a little less A/C than desired at times. And let's face it, your hands and face are the most sensitive places as far as A/C go.

And guys, it's an override. If you want it on FULL manual, leave the wheel in the middle and the vents will be on full automatic.

It's honestly a great system.

@sodiezl350 - Turning the heat to max overrides everything and gives max heat, regardless of the wheel.

@stangmatt66 - the wheel does not override the whole system. Only the two vents on the dash. So if you're comfy, but want a bit of cooler or warmer air on your face and hands, you don't have to lower or raise the entire compartment temperature to make it happen.

Most Auto Climate Controls I have owned (Acura, Nissan, BMW, Volvo, others) have some temperature range or climate situation where they don't work that well. This wheel allows you to overcome it.

I have a 328i, and that little center scroll is the most useless feature i have experienced on any car. I love my 3 series, but WTF?!?!?

Every Automatic climate-controlled car I've been in simply doesn't use the center vents when the heat is on, it just uses the floor vents since the heat will rise anyways. Once they moved to a fully automated system, this override/"feature" became silly to include.

Volvo used to have these too, except one end of the dial was for climate-controlled air, and the other end of the dial was for direct fresh air, which made Volvo's design far more intelligent than BMW's, if in fact this dial completely overrides the climate control. If you only wanted the climate-controlled air, you just closed off the fresh air.

The premise was the same though, for you to be able to blow cold air in your face to help keep you awake in a warm car at night.

"That knob is dead simple and been in BMWs forever. Most people don't like hot air blowing in their face. Turn the knob to the cool (blue) section and you can still get cold air for your face while the heater is on."

Exactly! End of story.

That is the most rediculous thing I have heard of in a modern car. but coming in a close second is the door lock/unlock button right next to it.

I loved that feature on my BMW. In the middle of winter, after the car is warmed up, I would prefer to set the dial to blow colder air in my face yet keep warm air flowing to my feet.

I definitely miss that feature.

"So they built an entire climate control system, with all that expense and complexity, then installed one simple device to NEGATE the entire thing?"

Actually no. I'll try to clear up some misconceptions on the dial:

1) It does not negate/counteract ANY functions of the ATC system.
2) It affects *relative* panel vent temp ONLY. Not floor or defrost vent temps.
3) Leaving the dial in the middle leaves the air temp at "default", meaning whatever the ATC is producing to the panel vents it leaves as-is.

This feature is incredibly simple and has been on almost every BMW made in last 20+ years. It lets you have cooler air on your face with warmer air at your feet, I find it to be pretty nice although I could do without it. The majority of newly redesigned BMWs (2011+) do not have this anymore anyway.

My auto ac in mt gs400
never moves off of 72. Works perfect

Why can't it just default to floor vents when heating, and dash vents for cooling?

Probably for the same reason all the adjustable dynamic stuff defaults to suck mode.

This feature allows for heat at your feet and fresh air at face level. It is something Eurpeans like and Americans do not, apparently. I remember the horror with which Autocar magazine in the UK would greet a Japanese vehicle without this function back in the 1970s and 80s.

@bimmerjay:

WHAT?! You mean I've been putting up with this stupid thing never being the temperature I want for a decade (either my wife or I have always seemed to own a Bimmer) and there is a neutral position? I feel like an absolute moron. Perhaps I should have RTFM. :)

@stovt001,

"Why can't it just default to floor vents when heating, and dash vents for cooling?"

That is something that has always puzzled me about BMW ACC. In my Benzes there is rarely much airflow out of the center two vents. The floor and side vents are primarily used to maintain cabin temperature. The center vents only come into play when a dramatic change in temperature is needed. It's an elegant solution.

My first experience with this feature was long ago in a '95 540i. I grinned from ear to ear thinking BMW had read my mind. Allowing more fresh, "untreated" air if you will, in through the center while keeping the car and especially my feet toasty warm has been an appreciated feature ever since. Many BMW's of yore also possessed a great coolant cycle feature to allow you to effectively run the heater with the engine off until the coolant was too cool or until it timed out. If you were running in somewhere for 5-10 minutes you could push that button, lock the car, leave, and when you returned the interior and all its surfaces were still perfectly warm. Overkill? Sure, but it made me love those great machines just a little bit more. I doubt I'll ever feel that way about my current car's seat belt arm that won't be happy until it removes half my left ear.

Throwing in my two cents. I don't see the reason for this function in an automatic climate controlled vehicle. I think it would be very useful in a manual system where it is sometimes difficult to get the perfect temperature on a mild day. Maybe I'm spoiled but my ACCS in my Acura is perfect. Set at 68 in summer and 72 in the winter and that's it, never had any reason (other than defrost on cold mornings) to manually override it. On cold sunny days it will automatically (as it should) blow cool air out the panel vents and warm air out of the floor vents. In the summer if the sun is beaming down on one side of the car (in late afternoon for instance) it will blow colder air out of the appropriate vents to compensate. It figures out the sun's location using the GPS and to determine the sun's position in relation to the car and the solar sensor tells it how intense the sunlight is. It is fully automatic and it doesn't require the driver to do anything or need to be set on dual mode. It is usually only apparent in operation when I change directions using an interstate cloverleaf. As you go around the cloverleaf and the sun moves from the passenger side to the driver side it slowly increases fan speed to compensate for the sun shining through the driver's window. Sounds gimmicky but it works really well.

BMW spinner wheel on the dash = useless "feature" for a car with a so-called automatic HVAC unit. 3 BMWs and I never found it to my liking. If it's auto AC then it should either blow hot or cold to get to the correct temp.

Additionally, it takes forever for a BMW AC to ever make a car comfortable (below 68 degrees) on a hot day (anything over 75).

Junk AC units on BMWs, IMHO. In fact my 2006 had its HVAC replaced as even driving through the alps with snow that blast car was still like a damned furnace.

I don't know, I like this feature. First car I had that allowed cool air to the face and warm air to the feet was my 1986 SAAB. Ever since than I have always looked for this ability in my cars. It makes me more comfortable on long drives in cold weather when you want to stay warm but don't want to fall asleep.

Automatic climate control has been flawless in the three BMWs I have owned so far. I don't understand how it is able to keep me so comfortable but it really does.

theres a snow flake button to the right if its lit up cold air... if it's not lit up ac is off.

Im pretty sure the Ac LED being lit just means the compressor is on. MOst modern cars are like that and the compressor is often running when the heat is being used. As for this control, unecessary. Im not aware of any modern climate control system that blows hurricane force blasts out of the center vents. In my car the heat automatically flows primarily to lower ducts to heat the car faster. Ive never experienced a rush of air (of any temp) blasting out of the center vents. In addition, you can set the max allowable fan speed during auto operation (3 settings) to keep noise or airflow down when a car is trying to rapidly temper the cabin.

I had a similar feature on my gen3 maxima. I loved it, and wish every car had it. Even on the coldest winter days, there are times when you want a blast of cool fresh air in the face. Use this function and then shut it off. It's simple, genious, and I miss it to this day.

It's funny how so many people are ready to grab their pitchforks and rain fire and brimstone over how 'stupid' this is, but drive a car that has this feature. It's great!

Hot air in the winter, even aimed only at the feet, can eventually make the cabin overly stuffy and dry. This is a simple solution that works.

You can also crack your windows open for a few moments, but that's less desireable at highway speeds.

@low - and yet I've had 3 BMWs and never found it a worthwhile feature. I'm guessing those of us who live in areas where it never gets cold really (So Cal 99% of the time) never see the benefit of this system. We only know the AC never gets the job done - dial on 3 blue dots. FWIW, my mini had this silly BMW-descended thing too. It's like the Germans do not believe in letting cars get comfortable...

Whether you like the feature or not, all you have to do is set it to the middle and it no longer does anything. Does it hurt to give a choice?

I personally don't find it useful most of the time so it is set to the middle.

All four of my BMWs have it. From the day I picked them up at the dealership to the day I traded them in, the vent dial had been set to neutral and was never touched.

Some people swear by this feature though. The Germans have their own school of thought. Take the 3-blink signal. I think it's the best thing EVER but it drives some others nuts.

it gets cold here, never noticed a blast of hot air from auto CC. I think modern systems route air to lower area to heat car faster anyway. And then of course there are always the manual controls on the registers that can direct air anyway you please.

Great! First you need the income of a PhD to afford this thing, then one needs the same PhD to figure out how to operate the HVAC. Of course there is always RTFM, if it even comes with one since many are on a CD these days.

What a stunning display of opinions informed by ignorance. Imagine you're driving this car, and too much warm/cold air is coming from the dash center vents. Looking over, you see a thumb wheel with a red dot at one end of the range and a blue one at the other, and a marker on the thumb wheel pointing at the corresponding dot. WTF? And how can anyone rationally complain about having the choice of having (or not) a flow of cooler or warmer air, compared to the ambient air, at face level?

"Imagine you're driving this car, and too much warm/cold air is coming from the dash center vents"

Then you should have picked a car with a better-engineered climate control system. I never have to think about mine, just as it should be while driving.

@can - no software is on a CD in 2012. Makes more sense to have an app for maintenance/manual/etc as the majority of buyers definitely own a smartphone/tablet. The idea of a printed manual is archaic. An app can be updated frequently and it can then gather more demo data on owners. Makes it easier to target them correctly.

esoterica says:

"Then you should have picked a car with a better-engineered climate control system. I never have to think about mine, just as it should be while driving."

Really? The choice to allow you to adjust something to your personal liking, rather than engineering for the masses, is poor engineering? I'm now on my second BMW with this control. I personally use it very, very rarely. Still, given the choice to have it or not, I'll take it. It is excellent engineering - a simple solution that adds negligible weight or complication while working effectively, and it is defeat-able if you don't like it.