Is "auto" climate full auto?

[rh71]

So does the number dial for temp override the red/blue bars you can set in idrive? Meaning does it ignore that and I don't have to switch it from red to blue when summer hits?

Now let's say the dial is set to lowest - 60F. Would it be more intense cooling with full blue as opposed to neutral?

[JCL]

Originally Posted by rh71

So does the number dial for temp override the red/blue bars you can set in idrive? Meaning does it ignore that and I don't have to switch it from red to blue when summer hits?

Now let's say the dial is set to lowest - 60F. Would it be more intense cooling with full blue as opposed to neutral?

The dial number that you set is the baseline temperature, that the automatic system will work to maintain.

The blue and red bars are adjustments to the temperature of certain vents (airflow), not to the temperature setting in the vehicle. If you have slightly blue bars on the upper vents (similar to one blue dot on the old thumbwheel) the upper vents will blow one degree colder than the other vents, to give you fresher air on your face, for example. The reverse is true for red bars, if you want your face to be hit with warmer air than the rest of your body (although that doesn't make much sense in terms of keeping a driver alert).

I keep the upper vents one degree colder all year, there is no need to change them by the season.

When owners sometimes get into trouble is by asking for an automatic temperature, with an incongruent offset on some of the vents. For example, if I wanted the automatic system to cool the vehicle down, but I asked for hot air to come out of the upper vents, the system will fight itself, to the point of sometimes not being able to achieve the desired automatic temperature. The easiest thing to do is to leave them all neutral, and let the auto system work as it was designed. A degree or two warmer or colder is fine as well, for certain vents. Using the offset control as an absolute temperature control is not how it was designed, though, and will stop the system from functioning in fully automatic mode.

Is it more intense when both are set to cold? Well, you can't get more cooling than the air conditioning compressor can deliver. If it is working full blast on automatic, turning it to blue on the upper vents won't do anything, it is like pushing the crosswalk button 10 times to speed it up, it just doesn't work that way. On the other hand, if you want maximum cooling and you have one or more vents set to slightly warmer, you won't get full cooling out of the system.

[rh71]

Originally Posted by JCL

If you have slightly blue bars on the upper vents (similar to one blue dot on the old thumbwheel) the upper vents will blow one degree colder than the other vents, to give you fresher air on your face, for example.

The problem is the bars go red/blue but not for each vent (top or middle or bottom). It's one setting for all 3 it seems. I can't set for individual vents. I can set for driver vs. passenger, soft vs. medium vs. intensive, but not top/middle/bottom vents.