X5 has worst air conditioning system of any car I've ever owned

[Chadmatic]

Originally Posted by LowerEast

Where are the posts suggesting people who have an issue with their AC are idiots?

I think people sharing that their systems are working fine and keeping their cars cool is helpful as an indication that it's perhaps not (entirely) the design of the system, but rather that there may be an issue with how it is operating in some cars. Maybe there's a problem in how some units have been assembled that is fixable. Maybe BMW sources components from multiple suppliers and it's the luck of the draw if your car gets the good ones or bad ones. Maybe it's something else.

If the fact that someone else's AC is working well while yours is not makes you feel like an idiot, that feeling probably says more about you than it does about them.

+1 LowerEast

Edit: Fixed the original quote by expidia

[expidia]

Originally Posted by Chadmatic

+1 LowerEast

Edit: Fixed the original quote by expidia

Here is a better one for you. I’m tired of reading your curt and inciteful responses to others in the forum.

No point in responding back to me as I’ve just banished you to my “ignore list”.

Forums always seem to unearth posters that for some reason try and ruin the experience for everyone else.

ignore list = drain the swamp

Buh Bye

[Chadmatic]

Originally Posted by expidia

Here is a better one for you. I’m tired of reading your curt and inciteful responses to others in the forum.

No point in responding back to me as I’ve just banished you to my “ignore list”.

Forums always seem to unearth posters that for some reason try and ruin the experience for everyone else.

ignore list = drain the swamp

Buh Bye

Dude, where are you coming from??? Can you please explain how I have offended you? I am totally lost... Are you pissed that I am satisfied with my AC performance?

Edit: I just read through all of my posts on this thread and I am just not seeing how I could have offended you or anybody else on any level, especially enough for you to react in such an extreme fashion.

Maybe you’re upset with my quote in post #175 above referring to people as idiots, but those are literally your words and not mine because you didn’t end my original quote properly in post #171 which is why I fixed it in post #177. It starts getting very confusing when other member’s words suddenly become your words.

[Scott2.0]

Originally Posted by Chadmatic

Dude, where are you coming from??? Can you please explain how I have offended you? I am totally lost... Are you pissed that I am satisfied with my AC performance?

Edit: I just read through all of my posts on this thread and I am just not seeing how I could have offended you or anybody else on any level, especially enough for you to react in such an extreme fashion.

Don't take it personally. I see nothing inflammatory either. Dude is WAY too sensitive to be left alone on the internet.

[doormouse]

I got my front windows tinted with huper optic ceramic. Waited on the windshield. Had a couple hot days in SoCal and it has helped.

But I think the issue is not the AC unit. At least for me it gets cold and works OK. But the cabin heat is definitely due to the large moonroof. I always keep it closed, but on very hot days you can just feel the heat come through. Pass your hand along the roof and it’s basically all hot air flowing down so that the AC just has to keep up with the “heater”. And being taller it just feels like the cabin doesn’t cool down. So I think the design remediation is a stronger layer between the glass to insulate from heat/cold

[expidia]

Originally Posted by doormouse

I got my front windows tinted with huper optic ceramic. Waited on the windshield. Had a couple hot days in SoCal and it has helped.

But I think the issue is not the AC unit. At least for me it gets cold and works OK. But the cabin heat is definitely due to the large moonroof. I always keep it closed, but on very hot days you can just feel the heat come through. Pass your hand along the roof and it’s basically all hot air flowing down so that the AC just has to keep up with the “heater”. And being taller it just feels like the cabin doesn’t cool down. So I think the design remediation is a stronger layer between the glass to insulate from heat/cold

You might try and tint the sunroof too with huper optic ceramic!

[Ex_Stig]

Temps were in the upper 60s this morning on my drive to the office. I finally got to experience what some of you are posting about. I finally had to turn my AC down because I was getting too cold. Of course, I had the windows open too.

[Chadmatic]

Originally Posted by GNALUZU

Temps were in the upper 60s this morning on my drive to the office. I finally got to experience what some of you are posting about. I finally had to turn my AC down because I was getting too cold. Of course, I had the windows open too.

Something seems a little fishy here. If your AC is that bad then why on earth did you accept the money, why didn’t you refuse the money and insist that they replace the AC system?

I just can’t imagine that BMW would go to such extreme measures as to spend so much of their time and resources by bringing in a special team to diagnose your AC system and then stop there and write you (two?) checks rather than simply replace it if there was something wrong with it. In the grand scheme of things, it would be so easy for them to replace it if it were faulty.

Btw... I’m not trying to encite you, I’m genuinely having a hard time understanding this.

[Ex_Stig]

Originally Posted by Chadmatic

Something seems a little fishy here. If your AC is that bad then why on earth did you accept the money, why didn’t you refuse the money and insist that they replace the AC system?

I just can’t imagine that BMW would go to such extreme measures as to spend so much of their time and resources by bringing in a special team to diagnose your AC system and then stop there and write you (two?) checks rather than simply replace it if there was something wrong with it. In the grand scheme of things, it would be so easy for them to replace it if it were faulty.

Btw... I’m not trying to encite you, I’m genuinely having a hard time understanding this.

Valid question, and I totally understand why you are asking.

Basically, the only next step that I could take was a class action lawsuit. BMW NA continued to fall back on their language that the system was "working as designed" and that there was nothing to replace. Since this version of the X5 has been in production for many years there is no way that they could admit that there is a wide spread issue.

At the end of the day, I just ran out of time, energy and resources to continue to fight them. I took the money because it had no strings attached. I didn't have to sign any type of NDA or indemnification. It doesn't stop me from pursuing things in the future and, if a class action suit were to start, I would be one of the first to sign up.

BTW, we got 2 checks because we have 2 X5s (got them both on the same day).

[Chadmatic]

We just had a record-breaking heat wave come through southern California, the temperatures reached 105+ degrees during the day and cooled down to the low 90s - upper 80s at night which is incredibly hot for the end of October around here.

I had to park my car in a baking-hot parking lot in direct sun for the better part of the day so I used my windshield sunshade and closed my sunroof cover, when I returned the interior was like an oven! I vented the sunroof, opened all four windows and cranked the AC. It had absolutely no problem cooling the cabin down quickly and within 5 minutes I had to dial it back because it was getting too cold, which leads me to believe that you must have a defect in your AC system.

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by Chadmatic

We just had a record-breaking heat wave come through southern California, the temperatures reached 105+ degrees during the day and cooled down to the low 90s - upper 80s at night which is incredibly hot for the end of October around here.

I had to park my car in a baking-hot parking lot in direct sun for the better part of the day so I used my windshield sunshade and closed my sunroof cover, when I returned the interior was like an oven! I vented the sunroof, opened all four windows and cranked the AC. It had absolutely no problem cooling the cabin down quickly and within 5 minutes I had to dial it back because it was getting too cold, which leads me to believe that you must have a defect in your AC system.

Last week, here in Calabasas, CA we had several days of 100-105F. Awful anytime, but horrible in late October! I had my car parked for about an hour in full, afternoon sun!
When I opened the door, it literally felt like an oven inside. I started my '17 35d. The HAVC was set to AUTO 70F and the blower intensity to Level III. In our M6 and G63 (and every other car I have had with auto HVAC since the early 1990's)...with the outside temp over 100F and the inside of the car at least 120-130F, the HVAC set to AUTO, the A/C would just blast full power to cool the car down.

NOT my X5...the air was VERY cold coming out but just a gentle, light fan blower. WTF? With the outside and inside temp so hot...my A/C on AUTO 70 should have been blasting. Annoying!!!

[Gilly1964]

Originally Posted by deutsch100

NOT my X5...the air was VERY cold coming out but just a gentle, light fan blower. WTF? With the outside and inside temp so hot...my A/C on AUTO 70 should have been blasting. Annoying!!!

You need to set the fan speed indicator to Max. When set to auto the system will use whatever fan speed it needs up to the setting you have specified. If you have it set in 3 then 3 will be the most you ever see!

[expidia]

Originally Posted by Gilly1964

You need to set the fan speed indicator to Max. When set to auto the system will use whatever fan speed it needs up to the setting you have specified. If you have it set in 3 then 3 will be the most you ever see!

The problem many of us are complaining about is the design of the X5's system.

The AUTO setting (especially on a high priced luxury vehicle) should do just that . . . You select your temperature setting and the HVAC system should then take over and do whatever it takes and as fast as it can to get that inside temp to as example 70 degrees.

We shouldn't have to futz around with speeds of the fan (thats just plain ridiculous).

I could see the occasional use of MAX on a super hot day and the car was in the sun to help blow out the super heated air but that should take like 3 minutes. Then the AUTO should take over.

This is the way "ALL" of my other former vehicle's automatic climate control operated and any rental I've ever driven.

X5's have really missed the boat here with their HVAC system and it's going to be a deal breaker for me in 2 years when I sell this one and buy my next SUV.
Damn shame that my Wife's Audi Q5 has an MSRP for $15000 leass than my X5 and her AUTO AC works flawlessly. You don't even know its there. You set the temp and never even think about it after that.

And I don't even live in a hot climate. The Northeast doesn't have long periods of sweltering days.

[deutsch100]

Originally Posted by Gilly1964

You need to set the fan speed indicator to Max. When set to auto the system will use whatever fan speed it needs up to the setting you have specified. If you have it set in 3 then 3 will be the most you ever see!

We should NOT have to do this. AUTO should be AUTO.

My past few cars: 2014 Range Rover Supercharged, 2016 G550, 2016 911S, Bentley Mulsanne and 2 Phantoms and 2 Ghosts...HVAC set to Auto, was just that.. AUTO. If any of these cars were exposed to hot temps, the A/C on AUTO would just pump full power, and then gradually lower the fan speed as the interior cabin cooled down.

The X5 should do the same. Btw, IMO, the best A/C I have ever, ever experienced is Range Rover and Ford!!

[Gilly1964]

That's as may be guys, but push one button twice more in the lifetime of your ownership and it will do what you want.

You choose whether the depreciation of an early change of ownership to [insert make and model of you choice] is worth that.

I chose two more button presses and lost the stress.

[Chadmatic]

OP has updated his first post, BMW was able to fix his AC and all is well. If you feel that the AC in your car is not working properly then I would encourage you to schedule it for service.

[Ex_Stig]

They were unable to fix my X5 because they say it is "operating as designed".

Next summer it will be just as miserable as this summer. The only suggestion I got from my dealership (after admitting that the X5 has significant ac issues) was to put it up on lease trader.

[Chadmatic]

Originally Posted by GNALUZU

They were unable to fix my X5 because they say it is "operating as designed".

Next summer it will be just as miserable as this summer. The only suggestion I got from my dealership (after admitting that the X5 has significant ac issues) was to put it up on lease trader.

Ouch! I would try a different dealer for sure. Had to switch dealerships for service of my wife's MB, it made all the difference in the world.

[Ex_Stig]

It was the regional technical engineer who said it was working as designed. Not the dealership.

[Chadmatic]

Is he the one who said "the X5 has significant AC issues"?

[Ex_Stig]

No. My dealership is the one who said that the X5 has issues.

[deutsch100]

Bringing this old thread back to life, yet once again (sorry!).

Yesterday, I did an "experiment". It was not hot outside, maybe 70F (beautiful blue skies, puffy white clouds, breezy and bright sun).

I parked my new '17 35d in full sun, while I went out to lunch. I left a new, high quality thermometer in the car while I ate. When I locked the car, the car said 70/71F (thermometer was not placed in sun, but on the driver footwell, in full darkness).

When I returned over an hour later, the interior of the car was 95F. Considering outside was about 70F (or even less)...95F felt very uncomfortable.

I had my HVAC set to AUTO 70F and I even had the intensity set to max/5 bars!! 5 bars!

Now with a cabin temp of 95F, our M6 or G63 would have kicked the A/C to near max to pull the temp down to 70F as quickly as it could. If this would have been Range Rover or any Ford...it would have froze you out doing this!!!

Oh...not the F15. 70F AUTO with 5 bars of blower intensity.....cold air output, but a mere dribble of air coming out of all vents. Without any exaggeration, I could not even feel cooled air hit my face or body!

I really, really do not understand how and why a lot of our F15s behave like this. It cannot be right. I hate it actually. I had 3 E70s and 2 E53s, and A/C never behaved this poorly (oddly '06 E90 330i was as bad or worse than F15).

Ughhhhh! But, Happy Sunday!!