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  #11  
Old 02-17-2019, 04:13 PM
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I’ve never messed around with an earlier X, but the pre facelift 325xi’s you can adjust how much air flow, flows from each vent system as customers complaints about heating & air conditioning varies between owners. My X never feels like the floor vents put out enough hot air & my feet are always cold. Anyway if you have pa soft, access the system & see if your is adjustable.


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Originally Posted by Russianblue View Post
This is all good information and I believe it will require a thorough going over each part of the system. Great place to start!

To answer your questions, I am definitely referring to when I click the AUTO button and AUTO appears on the display. When I click the face vent button AUTO disappears from the display. That's when the issue occurs.

I think the first thing to do is probably to check for any hardware/parts problems issues. In this case, it sounds like I need to verify that the Aux water pump and interior temp sensor are up to snuff like you mentioned, among other things. Is there a simple way to test the heater valve itself or the external temp sensor. those are also part of the input system.

I checked BMW Scanner and I am in fact getting one code for the AUC. I remember trying to open that thing and clean it at some point and simply could NOT get it apart. I suppose I could just break it apart and duct tape it back until I got a new one if that's necessary.

let me try blowing out the interior sensor dust and testing the aux pump and i'll take another crack and the AUC and report back.
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  #12  
Old 02-17-2019, 08:35 PM
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nice to know. I will check that out. In the mean time, I did have the chance to clean the interior temp sensor and sampler fan. I doubt this was helping the situation but I also doubt it was affecting the temp reading THAT much.




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2005 X5 3.0i - 71k mi (9.2018) -> 81k (9.19) -> 100k 9.21
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SOLD : ( 2003 X5 3.0 - 177k mi (9.2018) -> 186k (9.19) -> 205k (9.21)
SOLD : ( 1997 328is Coupe - Hellrot Red
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  #13  
Old 02-24-2019, 12:30 PM
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ok, so here's the update. I replaced the bad thermostat and am now cruising at 90-93 instead of 78-80.

I put in a new heater valve.

I replaced the water pump and serp belt while in there even though the old one only had 50k miles on it.

The heater blows much hotter, which is excellent, but still no heat on AUTO from the vents. My theory is that the little wheel on the center vent that mixes hot air and cold air is broken. There is ZERO reaction when I roll that wheel from hot to cold or cold to hot. Is that a complex system involving multiple servo motors etc?
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2005 X5 3.0i - 71k mi (9.2018) -> 81k (9.19) -> 100k 9.21
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLD : ( 2003 X5 3.0 - 177k mi (9.2018) -> 186k (9.19) -> 205k (9.21)
SOLD : ( 1997 328is Coupe - Hellrot Red
SOLD : ( 1988 528e w/ Bullseye s256 / MS2 Extra / GC Coilovers / Yukon Coils ~ 300+ HP
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  #14  
Old 02-24-2019, 12:55 PM
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Look into bimmerfest E39 5-series forum.
There was a DIY on how to fix the Auto Vent (the center dial).

Another option is to use Manual setup like you said and ignore the Auto setup.
Also, you can live without the center vent...
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  #15  
Old 02-24-2019, 01:39 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Russianblue View Post
My theory is that the little wheel on the center vent that mixes hot air and cold air is broken. There is ZERO reaction when I roll that wheel from hot to cold or cold to hot. Is that a complex system involving multiple servo motors etc?
The stratification dial on the dash's center vent is attached to a simple bowden cable.

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  #16  
Old 02-25-2019, 07:41 AM
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I took out the CD player yesterday to check the bowden cable action. nothing is detached or broken behind the center vent and I can feel the cable moving through it's housing. I could NOT figure out how to get that center vent out despite everyone's attestation that it's simple. I think it probably is but I was unable to find a single youtube vid for the e53. A few were for the e39 but even those were incomplete, and would skip the part where the vent was actually removed.

i'm gonna have to take out the glove box to inspect the other end of the bowden cable because apparently it can malfunction on that end occasionally and get detached or bound up or something. I read a couple of threads about that mixer flap getting stuck in a car that had been bought from smokers. one is here: https://xoutpost.com/1068907-post5.html

I dropped the car off to my kid again yesterday and since I'd rather do a one handed CCV replacement than remove the glove box, I told her she'd have to wait until the weather got better for me to tackle that issue. if there are no electronic servo parts to this and this is purely mechanical, there's got to be a fairly simple fix, glove box removal notwithstanding.

When I picked up my other Xer from her yesterday, it was immediately obvious to me how the mixing flap is malfunctioning. the flap is extremely useful in my car. I find myself messing with it all the time. For the 8 years I drove her car, I think that flap has been broken the entire time. I have always wondered why it apparently did nothing. Moreover, I think however it's stuck, it reduces the volume of air coming from the vents as well. my newer Xer blows air at a velocity probably 30% greater.

Interestingly, this kinda goes against my parenting nature to make SURE every single thing on that car is working properly. I thoroughly believe that every teenager's first car should provide them opportunities to deal with mechanical problems as well as something to use as leverage with their own kids, lol! "Well, MY first car barely had HEAT and we had to keep blankets in the car!" That said, the selective BMW OCD in me has a hard time leaving it.
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2005 X5 3.0i - 71k mi (9.2018) -> 81k (9.19) -> 100k 9.21
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLD : ( 2003 X5 3.0 - 177k mi (9.2018) -> 186k (9.19) -> 205k (9.21)
SOLD : ( 1997 328is Coupe - Hellrot Red
SOLD : ( 1988 528e w/ Bullseye s256 / MS2 Extra / GC Coilovers / Yukon Coils ~ 300+ HP

Last edited by Russianblue; 02-25-2019 at 08:01 AM.
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  #17  
Old 02-25-2019, 09:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Russianblue View Post
...I could NOT figure out how to get that center vent out despite everyone's attestation that it's simple. I think it probably is but I was unable to find a single youtube vid for the e53. A few were for the e39 but even those were incomplete, and would skip the part where the vent was actually removed.
Did you try searching on the www.newTIS.info website? If not, many times you can find step by step instructions.

I entered my 2006 X5 4.4 info and went the manual selection route (you can type a key word or phrase into the search box if you don't know where to start). I selected:
  1. Repair Manual & Technical Data
  2. 64 Heating & Air Conditioning
  3. 64 22 Air Vents & Other Outlets
  4. 64 22 161 Removing & Installing fresh air grille center (click follwing link for instructions): https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/e...utlets/4KSFnnP
Looks like there's a special tool that you use to unlock the grill...click the link above and you'll see pics and links to additional info etc. Good luck.


64 1 020

Note: (release hook) For releasing and removing fresh air grille. For removing various covers.





Note: the location of tool 64 1 020 in the pic below used to UNLOCK the center fresh air grille
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Last edited by Qsilver7; 02-25-2019 at 08:41 PM.
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  #18  
Old 02-25-2019, 10:29 AM
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I actually did NOT think of TIS and that's a great idea. Typically i find the explanations there difficult to locate and lacking necessary detail. But certainly helpful in this case.

Found the Air Grill hooks at Baum - $72. So that's a no go. Time to figure it out then. I'm thinking a couple of chopsticks could do the trick. just need to grind that little lip and ramp shape i guess. or i could grind an old screwdriver.

anybody ever done this with JUST a regular flat head? This guy says it's easy with a flat-head.

Ok, so i just found this picture of the bottom of the grille for reference.

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2005 X5 3.0i - 71k mi (9.2018) -> 81k (9.19) -> 100k 9.21
---------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLD : ( 2003 X5 3.0 - 177k mi (9.2018) -> 186k (9.19) -> 205k (9.21)
SOLD : ( 1997 328is Coupe - Hellrot Red
SOLD : ( 1988 528e w/ Bullseye s256 / MS2 Extra / GC Coilovers / Yukon Coils ~ 300+ HP
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  #19  
Old 02-25-2019, 01:33 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Russianblue View Post
ok, so here's the update. I replaced the bad thermostat and am now cruising at 90-93 instead of 78-80.

I put in a new heater valve.

I replaced the water pump and serp belt while in there even though the old one only had 50k miles on it.

The heater blows much hotter, which is excellent, but still no heat on AUTO from the vents. My theory is that the little wheel on the center vent that mixes hot air and cold air is broken. There is ZERO reaction when I roll that wheel from hot to cold or cold to hot. Is that a complex system involving multiple servo motors etc?
You're in luck, no servo motors. The wheel just moves a Bowden cable. It's likely either disconnected or broken.
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  #20  
Old 02-25-2019, 01:57 PM
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RussianBlue,

I used to be OCD too.

But NOT every battle is worth fighting.
Do you fight every paint scratch or wheel curb rash? I don't any longer as I get older.

This does not mean I am sloppy, all it means is I am now "wiser" as I choose which battle to fight...
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