[German1967]

Not a big fan of the screen activated climate controls of iDrive 8 vs physical buttons.
How does the seat heating activate under the automatic climate control program ? I have mine set on low but I don’t know when / how it activate when running the automatic climate control program. Is it depending on exterior temperature? Thanks for any insight (I read the manual, was not helpful).

[nype]

Turn off “automatic program” in the climate control menu

[Invisiblename]

Originally Posted by nype

Turn off “automatic program” in the climate control menu

How is that going to help the OP understand how the seat heating works?

[JoeyJoeJo]

I've been trying it over the past few weeks, not a lot of journeys but the cabin auto is doing a good job, the seat seems to come on if exterior is under about 12deg C (regardless of level in the settings) but not sure if there are other parameters involved, steering wheel remains manual.

[WilcoJunoHotel]

Yeah, I found this out the other day. First cold weather where I wanted the seat heater on and was surprised that I had to turn on the climate control to get it to work.

Fortunately, the seat heater works very well. On low it was very warm unlike my Honda Ridgeline that on high is barely hot enough to even notice.

[German1967]

I have not felt it coming on when set on “ low” at all. Now my car is garage parked. May only come on in that setting when internal temperature is below x degrees. Once I move the heating to medium the symbol appeared on the climate control line and the seat got nicely warm.
As a side note: the steering wheel heats very well.

[darkvader0]

Originally Posted by German1967

I have not felt it coming on when set on “ low” at all. Now my car is garage parked. May only come on in that setting when internal temperature is below x degrees. Once I move the heating to medium the symbol appeared on the climate control line and the seat got nicely warm.
As a side note: the steering wheel heats very well.

This is exactly my scenario, and experience. All I can add is that it seems more inclined to enable seat and steering wheel heating when I start it using the key fob remote start. I'm still figuring it out myself.

[nype]

Originally Posted by Invisiblename

How is that going to help the OP understand how the seat heating works?

Doesn’t having “automatic program” turned off mean that you can set the seat heating manually/ttaditionally as opposed to waiting for the car to decide when to turn them on/off?

[JoeyJoeJo]

Originally Posted by nype

Doesn’t having “automatic program” turned off mean that you can set the seat heating manually/ttaditionally as opposed to waiting for the car to decide when to turn them on/off?

Only manually, no temperature triggers like ID7, that's what the auto program is supposed to replace.

[nype]

Originally Posted by JoeyJoeJo

Only manually, no temperature triggers like ID7, that's what the auto program is supposed to replace.

I thought that’s what OP was looking for. Auto temp control but manual seat heat control. Perhaps I misunderstood.

[JoeyJoeJo]

Few factors including sunlight according to the manual

[AcrimoniousMofo]

So far it seems like the "Low" setting might as well not exist at all, because nothing seems to trigger it. The lack of a physical button for seat heaters was one of the few gripes I had when I received the "what do you think of your car so far" follow up call, and the rep assured my that having them tied into the climate control and coming on automatically is so much better and you'll love it.
It isn't. I don't.
When I try switch climate control to manual and setting the seat heater to low, it will say low on the screen, but the heat output definitely not low.
It ridiculous that the seat heaters are even tied to the climate control.
I am rambling a bit, but this far this has been the most irritating thing about the car.

[BlueLEDz]

The heated seat settings are based on what the overall temperature for the car is set to.

Sorry my example will be in fahrenheit.

If it’s 20f outside and the automatic climate is set to 75f then even at the low setting the heated sets will engage.

However if it’s 55f out and the temperature set to 75f the delta between the two isn’t great enough for the heated seats to turn on. Setting to extreme high will always turn the seats on in my experience.

The car is too smart. This is what I’ve read, however if i want them on I crank up to the extreme high level. Some times I want a hot seat and I don’t need the car to over think it.

[jayritchie]

I don’t think automatic program has anything to do with the outside temp, rather it uses the internal ambient sensor to decide what it needs to do.

Regardless of the temp outside, if the cabin is at the set temperature, AC will slow and maintain this.

Same with the seats for me - when set to high, they’ll only activate if the cabin temp is much lower than the set temp. Once the cabin reaches temp, they turn off.

[mattleegee]

My heated seats and steering wheel both activate when i use FOB or app to start, i always have my temp set at 67 or 70 and if im cold i will pump it up to 75 and make a heat wave inside

Interested to know more, i want heated seats during the summer with AC on because my back enjoys it

[Invisiblename]

Originally Posted by AcrimoniousMofo

So far it seems like the "Low" setting might as well not exist at all, because nothing seems to trigger it. The lack of a physical button for seat heaters was one of the few gripes I had when I received the "what do you think of your car so far" follow up call, and the rep assured my that having them tied into the climate control and coming on automatically is so much better and you'll love it.
It isn't. I don't.
When I try switch climate control to manual and setting the seat heater to low, it will say low on the screen, but the heat output definitely not low.
It ridiculous that the seat heaters are even tied to the climate control.
I am rambling a bit, but this far this has been the most irritating thing about the car.

You can always use voice control to turn the heated seats off or on:

“BMW (or whatever you’ve renamed it to) Turn driver’s / passenger’s heated seat on / off”

[JoeyJoeJo]

Originally Posted by jayritchie

I don’t think automatic program has anything to do with the outside temp, rather it uses the internal ambient sensor to decide what it needs to do.

The manual snip I posted states explicitly it uses outside temperature.

[dy444]

Originally Posted by JoeyJoeJo

The manual snip I posted states explicitly it uses outside temperature.

.. and the interior temperature.

Yesterday I went somewhere mid-morning, the outside temperature was 4C and it was very cold inside the car because it had been parked for a couple of days. The seat heating came on automatically. Around 4pm I went somewhere else and the outside temperature was still 4C but it wasn't too bad inside and the seat heating didn't come on. Around 10pm I came back, the outside temperature was 1C and it still wasn't that cold inside and the seat heating didn't come on.

It seems to me therefore that it's based in part on the relationship between inside and outside temperatures, which is precisely what is implied in that snip.

[Drhoyle]

Works fine for me! Set to medium and always comes on when it needs to.

[JoeyJoeJo]

Originally Posted by dy444

.. and the interior temperature.

It seems to me therefore that it's based in part on the relationship between inside and outside temperatures, which is precisely what is implied in that snip.

Yup, the post I was replying to was suggesting it didn't use exterior but the manual clearly states it does along with other parameters but no decent info.
BMW have always been generalistic in their descriptions as to what modes and such do, would be good if they published what was actually going on rather than things like "dynamic drivetrain".

[cannockwolf]

Related question, can you set the steering wheel heating to come on automatically as well?

[JoeyJoeJo]

Apparently not
https://g87.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=2061381

I know it's only one button and hands are mostly on the wheel anyway but got used to it in the F40 and want it again!!