Auxilliary ventillation

[UKenGB]

Originally Posted by adrian.b

the remote is ONLY for the heater, you have to set the timers on the computer for the ventilation option.

Adrian, are you sure about this?

When setting the Timers, they seem to automatically heat or vent depending on the outside temp. Is it possible that if you use the remote on a hot day it will in fact vent and not heat?

[Scaramouche]

UKenGB,

It is rumored that the remote can be programmed by the user to vent or heat, although looking at the wiring diagram for this system, I have my doubts. The timers can be programmed to heat or vent but it needs to be done by the dealer. I would think that as you have now had your car programmed for the parking heater, your timers will only heat regardless of outside temperature (same as mine). If this is the case, the only way you can activate the ventilation from inside the car is by selecting 'Direct Mode' on the Bordmonitor.

[UKenGB]

Things are not as they first appear

Having sat in the car and played with the options for a while, my conclusion is that...

When a Timer is set, it will Heat or Ventilate depending on whether the temperature is below or above 16 deg. respectively.

Once key is in position 2 Direct control of Heating is disabled. When the engine starts, Ventilation is also disabled.

But now the fun starts.

My Heating doesn't work AT ALL. If I use Direct to start Heating, the red indicator beside the RH control knob flashes, but nothing else happens. If I set a timer, the red light starts to flash at the set time, IOW the timer is working and activates the Heating, but that's not actually working.

AFAICT I have the water pump fitted, I can see it in front of and below the actual heater, so why does it not start? Sigh.

As regards Telestart remotes, I am still looking into the HTM100. I can't really see why it wouldn't work. Any timings can be calculated within the remote or its receiver/control box. The only thing I'm not sure about is the interior temp of the car. Does it need to get that from the car? If that's the case and it cannot be interfaced into the X5, then forget the HTM100. But maybe it has its own sensor?

There are various other remotes, just 2 button, such as the T80,90 and 91 and they all claim to have feedback from the car to indicate the heater is on, but they only have a simple LED, same as the T70 on which it flashes when you use it to tell you the car has heard the request. So is this any different in the T80 and above? Or are the T70 and T80 actually the same, but they call it the 70 when it an OEM product?

[Scaramouche]

I'm interested to hear that the timers will heat below 16 deg and vent above 16 deg. I had originally thought that was the way they were supposed to work but was told differently by my dealer. (See my post above)

[Scaramouche]

As to why nothing happens when when you activate the heater....Assuming your battery is charged and your fuel reserve light is not on.

The heater might have a fault lock out. Try activating the heater and then removing the heater fuse (Its in the glove compartment but I can't remember the number - I think it's marked 'Standheizung'), waiting for about 20 seconds and then replacing it.

BTW, have you confirmed that the heater comes on when you start the car and outside temp is below +6 and coolant is below +60 deg?

[UKenGB]

Originally Posted by Scaramouche

I'm interested to hear that the timers will heat below 16 deg and vent above 16 deg. I had originally thought that was the way they were supposed to work but was told differently by my dealer. (See my post above)

Ah, don't get too excited. There was some assumption in that diagnosis. When setting a Timer, there is no way to specify whether it Heats or Vents, but the manual is quite specific that heating only works below 16 and ventilation only works above 16. It is INCONCEIVABLE that BMW would have designed this so that you had to have the dealer re-program the system twice a year (surely?) and there is NO mention in the manual of this being fixed by the dealer. It would therefore seem logical to assume that the system does what is required based on the temperature.

I guess I will find out when it warms up.

[UKenGB]

Originally Posted by Scaramouche

However....they still cannot get it to work as a parking heater. When the heater is activated from the Bordmonitor or from the remote it starts and runs for about a minute and then shuts down. I have had a long conversation with Paul at Webasto and exchanged a few emails and he is convinced the problem is not with the heater as he feels the heater is doing what it is supposed to, and the problem is with the heater/AC contoller in the car. The start procedure for the heater when activated as a parking heater is as follows:
1. The heater receives a start signal from bordmonitor or remote.
2. It starts up and does an internal check, a check to see if its fuel pump is working and if the water circulation pump (for the coolant) is working.
3. If all is good it requests a run 'permission' from the cars heater/AC controller.
4. Cars heater/AC controller then checks battery voltage and fuel level and if both are OK it turns on the fans inside the car, and sends a run 'confirmation' to the heater and the heater runs for the next 30 minutes.
5. The heater will try this 'permission' request up to three times.

I think my problem is that the heater is not receiving the run 'confirmation' from the car and after 3 tries goes into shutdown.

The actual heater should receive a 12v signal (on pin 1 I think) and it is this that tells it to start. Since yours does start, it must be getting that 12v signal initially. But have you ascertained what occurs once it is running. If that pin drops to 0v, the heater will shut down. So you need to test that and see what happens. If the 12v is cut off, then you know that it is the control systems that are wrong, but if the 12v remains and it still shuts down, then it looks like it is the heater.

Have you done this test?

[Scaramouche]

I don't think the 12v signal is supposed to be constant while the heater is running. It is only present to initiate the start-up sequence for the heater when using the remote.

When the heater is activated by the timers or the 'Direct mode' on the bordmonitor there is no 12v signal transmitted to the heater through the white/green wire which you correctly noted does go to pin 1 on the X764 connector. In this case the heater receives it's start signal through the I-bus connection on pin 2.

I'm fairly sure my problem is with the run 'confirmation' the heater should be receiving though the I-bus from the heater/AC controller. The heater/AC controller should also activate the bypass solenoid in the coolant circuit that I fitted and it doesn't do that either.

I have finally found what I think is the correct heater/AC controller for the X5 with parking heater function on Ebay and hope to have it this week. I have high hopes...

[UKenGB]

Originally Posted by Scaramouche

I don't think the 12v signal is supposed to be constant while the heater is running. It is only present to initiate the start-up sequence for the heater when using the remote.

When the heater is activated by the timers or the 'Direct mode' on the bordmonitor there is no 12v signal transmitted to the heater through the white/green wire which you correctly noted does go to pin 1 on the X764 connector. In this case the heater receives it's start signal through the I-bus connection on pin 2.

I'm surprised that the heater can talk iBus as these are generic units that can be installed into any vehicle. I would think that any signal it receives from the car must be simple hi-lo voltage signalling.

Have you looked at the MG-Rover sites? They have done a lot of work on these systems. Also I think bimmerworld.co.uk have done a lot of research. Google telestart finds a lot of these references.

Let us know if the heater controller change helps. I still have no idea why mine does absolutely nothing.

[Scaramouche]

That's the catch...these are not generic units. They are specifically designed by Webasto for BMW (or at least the heater CPU is) enabling them to understand and be able to transmit signal on the I-bus.