Allright, I've got to ask, what about the wheel?:dunno:

Yes, what is wrong with the wheel? Works great for me. Trouble is, people think it is a temperature selector and use it as such. But then, I have left the air conditioning on automatic in 5 different BMWs over the last 6 years, and never had a problem.

but it make no sense : if i want it off it must stay off! :D

With this beatuiful temperatures this summer i love to stay with the sunroof open instead of stay closed in my car with the air conditoning on.

I don't understand the prob? Our '01 A/C is never on, at start...
it's set to 60/60F both sides, with fan to one light, when
I get in.

If I want more fan or other vent outlets I poke the buttons.

If I want A/C I poke the snowflake button. I usually turn
off A/C for the mtn road climb home, as the temps drop 10 degs.
and the 10 min climb, minus a/c, keeps the musty smell
down.

A/C on, A/C off...mine does not come on by itself.
GL,mD

as i said mine turn on by itself every time i turn on the car , even if it is off when i turn off the car

mine does as well. dealer wants $68 to turn it off, I'll get to it eventually.

what does that wheel do? been meaning to find out, lol

That little book in your glovebox tells you all about it.

It provides a temperature offset from whatever you have set on the AC, each red or blue dot is one degree warmer or colder. It only applies to the centre top vent. So, you can have 20 C automatically held in the vehicle, and 19 C blowing on your face, to keep you alert (simply as an example). Some people mistakenly assume it is a temperature setting, set it to full hot or cold, and end up with the vent wheel fighting with the main temp sensor for control; the result is that the automatic temperature control doesn't function effectively then. If you don't want to use it, just leave it at the mid position. I always have it set on one blue dot, and it has functioned perfectly in all my BMW vehicles. Others rant about it endlessly, saying that they can't get the auto temp function to work properly. Hmmm. See the first sentence.

i think this kind of behavior is the same with all BMWs not only X5...

Must be the non-Climate Control/non-auto HVAC system,
because my A/C has never come "on" when I start the car, unless
I left it on when I turned it off. I'm still confused by Panda being
confused, but that's my addled age showing.

Well this is going to bring the thread OT, but I would like to understand the function of the wheel and use it as intended. What the hell does it do, if it is not a temp selector? When I turn it to red, it gets warm. When I turn it to blue, it gets cold. Seems like a temp selector to me.