2012 528i - Is AC supposed to always be on when I start car?

Owned this about 4 weeks and new to BMW. Seems whenever I start car, the AC is automatically turned on and set to low. Can't tell if its setting I did by accident or what but is this normal?

Originally Posted by mybn

Owned this about 4 weeks and new to BMW. Seems whenever I start car, the AC is automatically turned on and set to low. Can't tell if its setting I did by accident or what but is this normal?

Pretty sure this is normal for all 5 series. Been posted about a lot over the years. Keeps the humidity low, car more comfortable.

imo this is how a luxury car should work, you set a temp and the car at turn on check interior and exterior temps and with fan always on applies A/C or heat as needed to meet setting. So what's the big deal about a car always trying to satisfy your every desire?

Originally Posted by MSgtMel

imo this is how a luxury car should work, you set a temp and the car at turn on check interior and exterior temps and with fan always on applies A/C or heat as needed to meet setting. So what's the big deal about a car always trying to satisfy your every desire?

Because that's not anybody's desire. I believe that is the standard operating mode, at least in the new 5. It even says that in the manual and my dealer said it always comes on. It really makes no sense though. I don't understand the reasoning behind this "feature." I mean if the car can remember the last temperature that I set the climate control to, why can't it remember if I turned off the a/c?? At least make it configurable as an option through the idrive.

It's been explained multiple times. The AC goes on to keep the interior humidity at a low level.

Originally Posted by HWF

It's been explained multiple times. The AC goes on to keep the interior humidity at a low level.

It does no such thing if 95% of the people turn it off as soon as the car starts. Who has it been explained by? I looked through the manual for an explanation, but actually it doesn't talk about it being automatically turned on at every start at all.

I keep mine on 60 all of the time, I can't get enough of the A/C

I tend to agree with these posts. I get the humidity thing, but Its may and in the 50's here in the morning. Do I really need the AC to turn on at 60? Its not a big deal, add me to the list as someone who turns it off 95% of time. Im sure that will change in month, but would much rather have comfort access on the door handle as standard (as the g37 and m37 offer as standard) than AC that turns on.

Originally Posted by MSgtMel

imo this is how a luxury car should work, you set a temp and the car at turn on check interior and exterior temps and with fan always on applies A/C or heat as needed to meet setting. So what's the big deal about a car always trying to satisfy your every desire?

I think MSgtMel says it best. Leave it on and it only works when it needs to, to keep the humidity down and temperature where you set it. My service rep also recommended this to me a few years ago when I had my 2009 E60.

Originally Posted by awesomeo3000

It does no such thing if 95% of the people turn it off as soon as the car starts. Who has it been explained by? I looked through the manual for an explanation, but actually it doesn't talk about it being automatically turned on at every start at all.

So should they stop putting seatbelts in cars if people don't use them as often as they should? And why would 95% of people shut the compressor off? There really is no purpose to shutting it off, especially on a well sealed luxury vehicle. Gas mileage goes down with the windows open and the risk of humidity issues naturally increases. The compressor only comes on when needed, so if it is only on when actually needed, why shut it off?

If I shut off my A/C it stays off even if I turn off the car and turn it back on a few days later.

I am not sure why there would be a difference between VIN's.

When I had my X6 it would stay off as well.

When I had my 6 series, it would turn on automatically.

But I am sure my 2011 F10's A/C stays off until I enable it.

Originally Posted by Emilner

So should they stop putting seatbelts in cars if people don't use them as often as they should? And why would 95% of people shut the compressor off? There really is no purpose to shutting it off, especially on a well sealed luxury vehicle. Gas mileage goes down with the windows open and the risk of humidity issues naturally increases. The compressor only comes on when needed, so if it is only on when actually needed, why shut it off?

What are the "risks of humidity?" And does this risk significantly go down if you have the AC on for maybe one hour out of the entire day, while the rest of the time the car is baking in 100% humidity in the sun?

When the weather is nice out, I love driving with the windows down and the roof open. I see no point in having the AC on at the same time. It's of course a matter of preference, but I think many drivers would agree that on a perfect day, the windows are coming down. And while gas mileage will decrease with either the windows down or with the AC on, it will go down double if you have both going.

I'm sure all any driver wants is to be able to either enable or disable this option!! (I am 100% sure same goes for the auto start/stop) That would be two lines of extra code in the programming. Is that too much to ask on a $50k+ car?

Originally Posted by awesomeo3000

What are the "risks of humidity?" And does this risk significantly go down if you have the AC on for maybe one hour out of the entire day, while the rest of the time the car is baking in 100% humidity in the sun?

When the weather is nice out, I love driving with the windows down and the roof open. I see no point in having the AC on at the same time. It's of course a matter of preference, but I think many drivers would agree that on a perfect day, the windows are coming down. And while gas mileage will decrease with either the windows down or with the AC on, it will go down double if you have both going.

I'm sure all any driver wants is to be able to either enable or disable this option!! (I am 100% sure same goes for the auto start/stop) That would be two lines of extra code in the programming. Is that too much to ask on a $50k+ car?

That's great, and I love driving with the windows open too. But they make this great little button that allows you to shut off the compressor when you open the windows. Luckily, the car is smart enough to know to reset the compressor to turn on next time. After all, in most parts of the world you drive far more often with the windows closed than open. frankly I never shut it down anyway, after all, why?

Cars are enclosed environments, and today's cars (especially f10's) are very tight. As such, humidity from breathing and the environment not too mention if you ever get in the car from the rain will be present. As a smart move BMW resets the system to dehumidify each time the car is started. Otherwise you would be driving your $80 thousand dollar sedan down the road cursing because of a flash fog on your windows when you got in damp from the weather.

Since there are probably 50-100 people nationally who actually always want the climate control off all the time they elected to have it reset back to on to prevent people coming in to complain of mildew and mold smells....

Just because that little light is on does not mean the air conditioning compressor is running. I only turn it off on those days i choose to run with the windows open.