jrsamps

It is a pain. AC is usually vented chest high and heat is vented to the floor, I guess it's personal preference.

550isport

- Adjusting the temp of the air in the center vents is done independently of the temp you set on the climate control system as a whole. Example: on a hot July day you have determined that the ideal temp inside your car results from setting the climate control (knobs on the dash) to 69 and hitting auto. Five minutes into your ride and your face is starting to get a little cold. You could move the vent, but then you won't get any A/C on you. Solution: You riase the temp of the air coming out of only the center vent - this is the blend feature which is done manually on the vast majority of BMWs at the vent [blue to red slider], the E90 included, but must be done in i-drive on the E60 apparently. See by raising the temp of the center vent's air, the other vents must work a little harder...by blowing cooler to keep your auto 69 degree setting intact. If you just turn the 69 to 72 the whole interior of the car will be warmer. Its a small thing, but one of the most practical features I love about BMWs.

I'll have to become proficient with the i-drive when I get my car.

kchan

I think I need to read the manual, but guys help me clarify our AC system...
I always don't know why there's this manual adjustment on top of the temperature control of the AC, to me it seems redundant, but I guess there's an actual use of it...


1. The manual adjustment in idrive (not the knob on the dash that dials in the temperature) only affects the center two vents? The side vents should not be affected regardless of the manual settings?

2. My wife always complain our cars (E60 and x5) hardly gets warm air unless we put the temp settings to like 80F, and that doesn't even get that warm. Is that normal?

3. Is there independent manual adjustment for both the driver and the passenger? I thought there's only 1 manual dial on my x5... If that's the case, we can't have separate center vent air? My wife always want a warmer settings than I do.

4. Is the rear vents independent on the manual idrive settings up front?

Yes, i should check the manual...

dlevi67

1. It affects all vents at chest/face height. This means centre + adjustable door/side vents. Not the windscreen/fixed side window vents.

2. I think the "problem" is that, once the car inside has warmed up, the air from the climate system will be roughly at the target temperature (say 70). Human skin perceives as "warm" temperatures from ~80 up. If you have ever dived into a pool at 68 or 70, you will know it feels uncomfortably cold, however it's the most comfortable air temperature for a clothed person. So, unsurprisingly, if you don't set the temperature to 80+ the air coming out will be felt as "not warm". (This of course is only valid once the car inside has warmed up. While warming, the air will be coming out "hot")

3. There is independent setting of the overall temperature (within reason - you can't really have one person at 60 and the other at 80), but not of the face vents.

4. Yes - again within reason. And it only controls the face vents; the footwell vents are controlled by the temp setting at the front.

Hope this helps.