Is the manual climate system a climate system?

[F4Phantom]

I have the bottom of the range climate system as opposed to the fully electronic system. I have also read here that I dont have a microfilter. Does anyone know exactly what this bottom of range system is supposed to do? The actual temp numbers on the dials I know are a guide only, but I cant even seem to find a good temp balance. I can get very hot with full heat and then click off full heat and I get cooler and almost too cold for comfort. My passenger dial does not seem to do anything at all. I have read the manual but its a bit sketchy. Can someone tell me the basics of this operation that should be simple.

[Ausmpower]

It has a cabin temp sensor which reads the cabin temp, so it's semi automatic.

mine works fine.

passangers dial feels light compred to the driver's side one, it controls the temp to the passanger foot well more than anything.

[F4Phantom]

It has a cabin temp sensor which reads the cabin temp, so it's semi automatic.

mine works fine.

passangers dial feels light compred to the driver's side one, it controls the temp to the passanger foot well more than anything.


Wow a sensor thats cool, I can see it but assumed it was only for the full auto version.

Do you get a full range of temperatures when you move the dial or do you have more of a 2 or 3 stage cold warm hot. As mentioned I do get the full range from a good A/C to hot, but not the full range in between.

[Ausmpower]

Don't forget even though you set 20 degrees if it's real cold the heater will fire full heat unit the ambient cabin temp reaches 20....

You do have to manually set the vents though for best results.

[Yiorgos]

I would think that it works very similar to a normal thermostat that you'd find with ducted heaters and personal heaters.

The temperatures printed on the dials are probably very approximate, but the temperature would be maintained somewhat -- makes sure that if you have it cold, then it would keep the car cabin as cold as it can, same with hot, same with warm.

Automatic climate control gets a lot more complicated than that. Exact temperature readings etc, which I highly doubt is in the "normal" climate system.

[DaveVoorhis]

The base climate control system, in my experience, works quite well and is even tolerably accurate. If it's only hot in the full-on position and cold otherwise, it sounds like the temperature regulation is not working at all. Full-on and full-off override the automatic control.

[Airborne001]

I can get very hot with full heat and then click off full heat and I get cooler and almost too cold for comfort.

passangers dial feels light compred to the driver's side one,

I had the same questions on my car, but I learned that you have to be a bit patient with the system when you set a temp. Mine will eventually get the car right at about a setting of 76, though I would love to have the AC on me and the heat on my wife. So far we have not figured that part out yet.

[Paul in NZ]

i can never get the setting right if my wife is in the car.I suspect tho that my heater valves are on the way out.It is muchmore touchy than when i first got it.This is with the full "auto" system which is not as auto as modern cars.
Phantom i think your heater valves are on the way too.
As Airborne 001 says be patient an d adjust both sides together a little at a time,then work from there

[F4Phantom]

I thought it was like a full manual system but with 2 dials, now that I know that it's semi automatic while driving today I let the car do the work and it was better. It just takes time. You know normal dial systems the heat and cold changes exactly the same time you turn the dial.

Another thing, e30 was a normal dial too and the temp changed instantly, but I noticed on a 325e which is sort of top of the range, it had temps on the dial, I just figured that because it was a bit older than mine BMW must have removed the temps in the dial because they were not real temps just a guide, I am now wondering if the e30's also had this sensor manual mode too.

As for the heater valves, yes they seem to swing open and make a clunk, I am sure the whoel elec system will fail all at one time eventually and I will have to throw the car into the yarra.