Can't vent in cold air from outside. ???

rev29k · 01-09-2012, 02:33 PM

I apologize if this is in the wrong forum. Ever since we have owned our E90 '06 (bought new) I have always been perplexed by the inability to just blow/vent cold air from the outside (A/C is off). In other words, it's warm inside the car but it's 50 deg outside, so why use the A/C when you can just vent in the cold air from outside. I've always been able to do this in every car I've ever been in (Japanese, domestics, etc.). This is my first German car, so is this just a German thing? I turn both temps fully down and turn of recirculate, but it always seems to blow warm, even if only slightly warm. I even made sure to turn that little fine temp adjustment by the front vents to cold, but still no go. What have I been doing wrong?

TIA guys.

AndreyT · 01-09-2012, 02:58 PM

Well, the best you can do is (as you said already): turn off A/C, disable recirculation and turn the temperature setting as low it will let you.

The lowest temp setting in my car is 16 deg Celsius. 50 deg Fahrenheit is 10 deg Celsius, which means that the car will still warm up the air from 10 deg to 16 deg. There's no way to disable it, AFAIK.

If you want raw air from outside - open the windows. Apparently, there's no other way.

ctuna · 01-09-2012, 03:39 PM

Its much hotter than the outside temperature with the controls set to minimum and the vents open. If you close the rear seat vents and passenger vents (rear vents and right front vents) you can increase the air flow to the drivers seat though.
This is the first basically black interior(seats are brown) I have had but the e46 seemed to do a little better.

RupertPupkin · 01-09-2012, 06:38 PM

OP check the center dial on the dash. It goes left to right between blue and red. It adjusts the air regardless of your dial settings. (up by the hazard button)

Say dial was on 60 on both sides, dial on red will let out air at say 75. Not sure the exact amount but turn it to blue!!!

See if that helps

rev29k · 01-09-2012, 08:10 PM

The dial next to the hazards is the fine tuning dial I mentioned earlier. I have definitely checked to make sure that it is set to blue as well.

RupertPupkin · 01-10-2012, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rev29k

The dial next to the hazards is the fine tuning dial I mentioned earlier. I have definitely checked to make sure that it is set to blue as well.

Not sure if youve ever looked and seen where the cabin filter is but where is sucks from and goes into the blower may suck in some hot air from engine bay, but I doubt its enough to change the outside air by much.

Out of ideas. Maybe they just dont allow fresh air to come straight in?

01-09-2012, 02:33 PM	#1
rev29k Private 14 Rep 58 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Silverstone over Black Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tampa, FL iTrader: (0)	Can't vent in cold air from outside. ??? I apologize if this is in the wrong forum. Ever since we have owned our E90 '06 (bought new) I have always been perplexed by the inability to just blow/vent cold air from the outside (A/C is off). In other words, it's warm inside the car but it's 50 deg outside, so why use the A/C when you can just vent in the cold air from outside. I've always been able to do this in every car I've ever been in (Japanese, domestics, etc.). This is my first German car, so is this just a German thing? I turn both temps fully down and turn of recirculate, but it always seems to blow warm, even if only slightly warm. I even made sure to turn that little fine temp adjustment by the front vents to cold, but still no go. What have I been doing wrong? TIA guys.
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01-09-2012, 02:58 PM	#2
AndreyT Major 59 Rep 1,038 Posts Drives: 2011 335i Sedan, Sport Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Northern California iTrader: (0)	Well, the best you can do is (as you said already): turn off A/C, disable recirculation and turn the temperature setting as low it will let you. The lowest temp setting in my car is 16 deg Celsius. 50 deg Fahrenheit is 10 deg Celsius, which means that the car will still warm up the air from 10 deg to 16 deg. There's no way to disable it, AFAIK. If you want raw air from outside - open the windows. Apparently, there's no other way.
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01-09-2012, 03:39 PM	#3
ctuna Lieutenant General 2046 Rep 13,372 Posts Drives: 325xi 06 wagon MT Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Santa Cruz, Ca iTrader: (0)	Yeah I have noticed this to . Its much hotter than the outside temperature with the controls set to minimum and the vents open. If you close the rear seat vents and passenger vents (rear vents and right front vents) you can increase the air flow to the drivers seat though. This is the first basically black interior(seats are brown) I have had but the e46 seemed to do a little better.
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01-09-2012, 06:38 PM	#4
RupertPupkin Major 101 Rep 1,456 Posts Drives: Freak Beast Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East iTrader: (5)	OP check the center dial on the dash. It goes left to right between blue and red. It adjusts the air regardless of your dial settings. (up by the hazard button) Say dial was on 60 on both sides, dial on red will let out air at say 75. Not sure the exact amount but turn it to blue!!! See if that helps
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01-09-2012, 08:10 PM	#5
rev29k Private 14 Rep 58 Posts Drives: F80 M3 Silverstone over Black Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tampa, FL iTrader: (0)	The dial next to the hazards is the fine tuning dial I mentioned earlier. I have definitely checked to make sure that it is set to blue as well.
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