Climate control buttons. Analog retrofit?

[Factory6speed]

I have the digital climate controls. The large rocker button for the fan speed - / + is broken and often falls off. Yesterday it fell down through the ashtray thing below, I tried to get it but failed and it fell further down into the depths of the center transmission tunnel area.

I can barely see it. I think if I put something sticky on a coat hanger I might be able to get it.

But I'm done with this. I don't like the panel anyway as changing from hot to cold is about 65 button presses.

I think this is a common problem, and I looked earlier at repair options and just ended up being confused. It seemed really hard and worse to attempt to repair these buttons.

Is there a good way to fix this short of replacing the entire control unit? If I have to replace the entire unit I believe there is a nice analog one from some rare earlier models with three dials. I would rather just get that and put that in but I imagine this would require some coding and potentially other changes? Does anybody know?

[gjvah]

Have you considered something like this perhaps?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/11284342717...3ABFBMoOWIht9k

[Clavurion]

It's automatic AC. I barely never need to touch the panel. Why would you need constant button pushing?

[wpoll]

Originally Posted by Clavurion

It's automatic AC. I barely never need to touch the panel. Why would you need constant button pushing?

Same here. I set a temp. that is comfortable and let it do it's thing. I occasionally change the center vent air stratify control from Hot to Cold (or vice versa) but that's it.

My wife's Tiguan has similar controls... and when I ride with her, there's approx. forty-seven button presses before we've left the garage...

[Clavurion]

Originally Posted by wpoll

Same here. I set a temp. that is comfortable and let it do it's thing. I occasionally change the center vent air stratify control from Hot to Cold (or vice versa) but that's it.

Exactly! You just set the temp once in a life or maybe slight seasonal adjustment. Mostly keep the center face vent wheel on the red (same temp on face vents like from the other vents) or if you need colder (for example on direct sunlight) go to more blueish setting. That's it. Though I have to say that the automatic AC is not as good as on E39 (on that I made the setting 15 years ago and didn't need to touch it since) mostly because of E53's huge window area affecting things.

[BimmerBreaker]

Retrofitting the analog HVAC panel is not straightforward, it is a lot more involved than replacing the panel and it is absolutely a significant downgrade. You will have to source the manual control mechanisms for the blend doors and then take the dash apart to install them.

I am pretty sure you can just hold the button down to cycle through fan speed or temps faster or at least, without multiple single presses... Better yet, as others mentioned, is just to set it to a temp you like and let the "AUTO" do it's thing. It will adjust fan speed as necessary to get the temp where you placed it.

There are also OE, and aftermarket, replacement buttons and panels available.

[Themoog]

Mines been left set at 22°c for the last 10 years and I've never changed it. Work's as it should.

[EODguy]

Originally Posted by Themoog

Mines been left set at 22°c for the last 10 years and I've never changed it. Work's as it should.

Mine has been at 16c and I still sweat like a whore in church.

Although that could just be me living in a desert...

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[X5chemist]

Originally Posted by EODguy

Mine has been at 16c and I still sweat like a whore in church. Although that could just be me living in a desert...
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What are your vent temps?


Ha, the same thing happened to my heat button. Remove the ash trash. The button is underneath it. It doesn't fall down onto the trans tunnel. I ordered a button set off ebay. As buttons fall off, I replace them.

[EODguy]

Originally Posted by X5chemist

What are your vent temps?





Ha, the same thing happened to my heat button. Remove the ash trash. The button is underneath it. It doesn't fall down onto the trans tunnel. I ordered a button set off ebay. As buttons fall off, I replace them.

Mine stays between 59f-63f depending on outside temperatures and if humidity gets over 13%

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