Manual Center Vent AC Heater Ccontrol issues

[skeeattle]

It seems my center Blue Dot/Red Dot control has a mind of its own and I am at a loss. When I turn the dial the center to the neutral one red dot one blue dot position it seems to work fine for a while then it starts to either get too hot or too cold. I then have to readjust it to up or down (sometimes a lot) to get it back in balance. It almost like the door inside is shifting on its own or I can I be way off and this be the climate control system? Also, when I turn the dial it is not smooth when moving it. At the end of the dial you almost hear a click noise/feel.
Maybe related: I was also blowing fuses so I replaced the final stage resistor but it didnt help the center vent issue but did stop the fuse from blowing.
Additionally, when I am at idle the cabin gets warmer, then when I start driving I hear the vent doors changing postion and it starts to get colder.
BTW, this is with the climate control on the auto setting (03, X5, 4.4).
Bottom line, the climate control is not staying consistant and it seems to be because of the center contol manual dial changing temps on its own. I have tried to find other posts on this subject and cant find anything.
Any help would be appreciated.

[JCL]

First question is whether you understand what the centre thumb wheel is supposed to do. Don't laugh, because innumberable posts have shown that many people don't.

It isn't a temperature setting. That is why you have automatic climate control, with automatic temperature settings.

It is a temperature OFFSET control, meaning that whatever you set the auto control to, you can adjust the centre vent one, two, or three degrees either warmer or cooler. You can get either warm or cool air on your face, or leave it neutral and have the centre vents blow the same as the rest of the vents. The thumbwheel only affects that centre vent. People tend to try and use it as a temperature control, and set up situations whereby the thumbwheel is constantly fighting with the automatic temperature control. The end result then is that the auto system doesn't function automatically. It would be like setting the speed control, then regularly hitting the gas pedal or brake pedal (ignoring that the brake cancels the speed setting) and finding that you then didn't maintain a regular speed.

Set the thumb wheel to neutral, with no red or blue dots. Then see how your automatic system is working. If you still have a problem with the mixing flap, fine, you can then address it. In that case, I would start by closing the centre vents (just turn them off manually) and seeing how the auto system works then.

[skeeattle]

Maybe I dont understand, thanks for the clarification.
So then I have a few questions: Are the vents in the middle supposed to change temprature to offest the "Automatic" temp?
My previous car 2006 Ford Explorer with climate control was perfect, I never had to adjust a thing.
This thing I feel I have to always adjust because the cabin gets hot then cold and I can never find consistancy or a balance.
Where on the dial is the netural area? All I see are 3 red dots and 3 blue dots. I thought the netural area is in between the 1 red dot and 1 blue dot (in the center of the dial)---that is where I have it now.

[amacman]

I drive an X3 , an X5 and a 7 series with climate control .
with the centre vents operational I get the same thing , they get very warm whenever I reduce speed quickly , braking for corners and such .
I just think the system does not react quickly to speed changes .
it will be set for the airflow at whatever constant speed you are doing but wont adjust quick when you slow down .

[JCL]

Originally Posted by skeeattle

Maybe I dont understand, thanks for the clarification.
So then I have a few questions: Are the vents in the middle supposed to change temprature to offest the "Automatic" temp?
My previous car 2006 Ford Explorer with climate control was perfect, I never had to adjust a thing.
This thing I feel I have to always adjust because the cabin gets hot then cold and I can never find consistancy or a balance.
Where on the dial is the netural area? All I see are 3 red dots and 3 blue dots. I thought the netural area is in between the 1 red dot and 1 blue dot (in the center of the dial)---that is where I have it now.

The root of the problem is that BMW loves complexity. It is an engineering thing. I say that with respect, as an engineer myself, but they obviously have too many of them and sometimes need to invent things that don't need inventing. Quick example: Other manufacturers vary intermittent wiper speed with a timer. That assumes that raindrops are falling at a constant speed. BMW says, "No, let's count the raindrops, because there might be more or less before the next sweep..." Complexity for complexity's sake. On long drives, some of us amuse ourselves by figuring out examples of other needlessly complex systems on our BMWs. That is even easier if you have iDrive.

So they design in separate left and right temperature control. Fine. Some vehicles have separate rear controls as well. They're getting complicated now, but that's OK. Put in an auto button on the HVAC panel (just one button) and use the same auto button to control everything (air distribution and fan speed) or just one of those, depending on how many times you push it. Now turn the AC on every time the vehicle is started, because the designers assumed that nobody would ever want it off. Some guy in the design office says "but I like cool air on my face, no matter what temperature the vehicle is, it keeps me awake on the autobahn". OK, put in a manual thumbwheel that isn't connected to the auto system, to provide the ability to get cool air on your face, even when hot air is blowing on your feet. This whole system has become pretty complicated, but that is OK, because German engineers can't imagine that their customers won't study the owner's manual (yeah, right...). How else would the owners figure out all these features?

Now we have an auto system, a manual put away in the glove box, and a little thumbwheel right in front of the new owner that has red and blue dots on it. I am in no way picking on you here, it is just that this happens. A lot. The good news is that that is why forums like this exist.

The usual comment is that "this system is crap, my (Ford/GMC/Toyota/Lexus/Cadillac/insert any make here) worked fine." And they are right. My two Explorers had auto systems that worked perfectly as well. But the system in the BMW works very well once it is understood. I am happy with mine. On the other hand, some owners are on their third or fourth BMW, and can't figure out the HVAC system.

The offset is only to the air flow coming out the centre vents. It doesn't change the auto setting. Think of sitting in a 72 degree car, quite comfortable, but with a nice refreshing flow of air on your face, maybe a 70 F airflow. It is still 72F, but there is a temperature gradient top to bottom, and from the centre to the sides (the thumbwheel doesn't mix the side vents). Trouble is, you may notice the air temperature on your face before the car gets to the auto setting. Then the see-saw of switching controls begins. Resist.

Neutral is in between the single red and single blue dots. Off requires closing the two side wheels on the centre vents, then the thumbwheel has no impact. I would just leave it in neutral. It is really only a problem if you have the car set hot, and the vents set really cold, or vice versa.

Let us know how it works out.

PS: Welcome to the forum!

[skeeattle]

Thanks for taking the time to clarify and berade my ingnorance. JK (yes I have read other posters comments on this archaic control)-IMO
I believe in KSS (keep it simple stupid) but if thats the way germany wants it then so be it, I guess I cant have everything but I still love my X. It just seems a bit quirky --again, IMHO.
Even keeping it in the "Neutral" position the center vents get hot or cold, eventually it appears it will get neutral again without me adjusting anything but slow to respond. I verifed this again today, with the compressor (snow flake) in the on and off position.

[JCL]

Leaving it in the neutral position, with automatic climate control set, it is supposed to get hot or cold, the same as the other vents do, to adjust the temperature to the setting you have selected.

Glad it helped. And no, I am not berating you, your post was very similar to other poster's who have wished the control wasn't even there.

[skeeattle]

So it has been 2.5 mos and I still cannot seem to find the problem. The latest thing that happens now is when I adjust the climate control temp up (hotter) the air actually gets COLDER. When I turn the Temp down the air gets HOTTER. It does the exact opposite. My guess at this point is the Climate Control head/module. I removed it blew canned air into the small fan, (no help). Also the temperature is very erratic. Once the car warms up the only way to really control the temperature is threw the Manual center control dial.
Any thoughts or suggestions?