[autoart]

It always bothered me that when you use the vent it blows warm air. I just wanted to see if everyone else has the same problem.
So today its 65 degrees outside and I'm on the freeway I adjust the temp. to 60 degrees for both front dials. It does not mater if i use auto or not, or move that silly wheel on the dash. All i get is warm air.
On my other cars when its 65 outside the vent gets me 65 inside. That way I don't have to roll down the windows. Thank you.

[Efthreeoh]

First off the "silly" wheel is there for a reason, so it's not silly. That wheel independently adjusts the temperature of the air coming from the four (4) dash vents (torso vents) to compensate for daytime when there can be thermal loading in the cabin from the sun. Most BMWs have had this air temperature stratification feature since the late 1970s, and the E30 had it in the 1980s. The physical controls used to stratify the air temperature have varied over time between the different models of BMWs; for example the E30 didn't have a wheel on the dash like the E90 does, the E30 used the center vent slider and adjustment of the HVAC temperature dial.

On the E90 if you are not using the AC function, the air can only get to the temperature of the ambient air outside the car. In your case what you are experiencing is the path the air travels from outside the car into the cabin is not straight to the vents. The vent system gets hot with the car sitting in the sun so the air is passing over the internal, warm (hot) ventilation ducting, which is adding heat into the air coming out of the vents. If you have been trying to use the vent air temperature dial to cool the air down, it takes some time to settle and doesn't have an immediate effect on the air temperature. But again, I don't think you will get 65 deg. air out of the vents without using the AC to condition the air. The vent air temp dial works best if the AC is operating. The best way to use the E90 HVAC system of the US Market cars (which all come with the automatic HVAC system) is to leave it on Auto and adjust the vent air temp dial to the preferred temperature that you are most comfortable with.

[autoart]

Thank you for that detailed explanation, but the bottom line is , its working correctly. and that's the way it is. The whole point of using the vent is to not run the ac.
I guess i will just continue putting down the window like I have been doing. thank you.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by autoart

Thank you for that detailed explanation, but the bottom line is , its working correctly. and that's the way it is. The whole point of using the vent is to not run the ac.

While everything "F30" says is true, you may still have an issue with one of your "Mixed Air Flaps" or Blend Flaps, or with your "Recirculation Flap."

Best way to be sure of what is going on is to use INPA or ISTA and observe ACTUAL Flap Positions. What you WANT is:
1) Recirculation OFF so that outside air is admitted;
2) Mixed Air Flaps at "0" position so that NONE of the air goes through the Heater Core.

If either the Left or Right Mixed Air Flap is open at all, SOME of the outside air will be directed through the Heater Core, and come out of the Vents as heated air. In most US E9x models, there is NO Water Valve or Heater Control Valve, and coolant is ALWAYS flowing through the heater core, so you WILL get some heating of incoming air UNLESS the Mixed air flaps are completely closed to prevent incoming or cooled air from passing through the heater core.

As "F30" states, if the Dashboard & Climate Control Box are warm, such as from the vehicle sitting in the sun, it will take some minutes of air flow to prevent the entire "Box" from transferring heat to the incoming air. BUT, if you have BOTH thermostats set on 60F and are still getting warm air after 10 minutes, then the Mixed Air Flaps are NOT in "0" position, or the Recirculation Flap is closed preventing admission of outside air.

Last thing to remember: If Climate Control is OFF, default flap positions apply, and you will have to turn system ON to have flaps return to positions you had selected BEFORE last shutdown.

INPA (Free Download of BMW Standard Tools) is very good at showing you Flap Positions, and whether operation of various Controls causes the flap motors to operate as they should. I highly recommend that for properly diagnosing ANY issue related to air delivery or temperature.

George