Climate Control issue on 2012 X5 35d

[macgom]

Hi everyone,
I just started learning more about my recently acquired new E70 by reading threads on this site, which is very helpful.
Now, I noticed something was not right on my E70's climate control.
It was about 53 degree yesterday and I wanted to turn the heater on.
Just like how I always did on my previous vehicles, I set the 'AUTO' temp at 72. It was blowing cold air. Well, I raised the temp to 75, 78, 80 and it was still blowing cold air. BTW, the X5 was fully warmed up. Well, I raised the temp all the way up to 84 and it finally blew warm air.
It was getting too warm that I lowered the temp to 83. Then, it started blowing cold air.
Obviously something is definitely not right but I wanted to ask other forum members just to confirm that this is not something not normal before I take it to the dealer.

[Thunder22]

Go into climate controls under menu and use the slider to change the vent from cold (blue) to warm(red).

[kungpao]

in your Vent Settings menu under driver, there's settings to control how much air goes to the top, the middle and to the feet. Next to those settings is a rectangle with a + on the top and a - on the bottom. See if those are set to cold (blue lines). If they are, change them to red.

[JCL]

Sounds like a user issue.

As Thunder points out, the vent controls can be set regardless of what temperature you select. The vents are what people usually sense as the output of the HVAC system. If you are asking for 84 degrees as a hold temperature, while simultaneously instructing the vents to blow cold, (because you can) you will understandably create a situation whereby you are not getting a steady internal temperature, because the system can't figure out the competing instructions. This comes under the category of the system having two many knobs and adjustments for just about any user. Complexity rules.

[macgom]

Thanks, guys.
I feel very embarrassed now.
I will check the settings.
Thanks again

[SkipSauls]

At first I thought that the iDrive-based settings for the temps were cool, but soon after I longed for the simple red/blue dial that I've had on previous BMWs. I've programmed one of the shortcut keys to get the the temp settings screen, but it is still a more involved process than it should be.

[jeremym]

Originally Posted by SkipSauls

but it is still a more involved process than it should be.

I agree. But I typically set it to full red for winter, full blue for summer and midway (1 red or 1 blue bar) for fall/spring.

In other words, it's just something that gets changed a few times per year, not a huge issue--for me anyway.

[AzNMpower32]

Originally Posted by SkipSauls

At first I thought that the iDrive-based settings for the temps were cool, but soon after I longed for the simple red/blue dial that I've had on previous BMWs. I've programmed one of the shortcut keys to get the the temp settings screen, but it is still a more involved process than it should be.

I think BMW has mostly gone back to the actual vent-mounted dial on the newer BMWs (even if it electronic). I agree that this should be a physical switch

BMW goofed up similarly with the dash lighting intensity switch that got buried into the Board Computer (accessed only via the indicator stalk) for the E90-series.

[JCL]

Originally Posted by macgom

Thanks, guys.
I feel very embarrassed now.
I will check the settings.
Thanks again

No worries. I found the system to be overly complex. I am pretty proud of our group here, as you got three helpful responses without any flames or RTFMs.

[teknostar]

I am onto my second E70, and i had no fu*king idea what those red / blue things did...

thanks for the tip