I have manual a/c buttons..... can i get the automatic ones???

I don't like my automatic a/c controls either. I don't like the auto setting, as I don't really NEED the temp in my car to always be X degrees... If I'm hot, I'll turn on some cooling myself... if I'm cold, I'll turn on some heat myself...thank you very much. And I hate that the climate control ALWAYS turns on after I start the car up, regardless of whether it was on or off during the last drive. I heard that a dealer can reprogram can this part, but it'd probably be like $200 for 10 minutes of work...

The only thing I like better with the climate control faceplate is the look of it.

Originally Posted by The Jiveman

I don't like my automatic a/c controls either. I don't like the auto setting, as I don't really NEED the temp in my car to always be X degrees... If I'm hot, I'll turn on some cooling myself... if I'm cold, I'll turn on some heat myself...thank you very much. And I hate that the climate control ALWAYS turns on after I start the car up, regardless of whether it was on or off during the last drive. I heard that a dealer can reprogram can this part, but it'd probably be like $200 for 10 minutes of work...

The only thing I like better with the climate control faceplate is the look of it.

What the member told you was 100% incorrect. My install was successful. I'm still waiting on the car to be coded, but as of right now, its working w/o the coding. FWIW, it was 12 HOURS of labor:

Here's a picture of my car with the dash out so they could install the kit:

Originally Posted by K2Elmore

You dont know what you are doing. I promise you that you will soon HATE your new auto climate control. I hope you love pushing buttons for ever, b/c thats what you have to do to get the dang fan and temp to change. Plus the auto function just doesnt cut it for me. in the summer it blows hat air at full blast into your face until the ac can cool it down. then in the winter it is the same only with cold air. good luck and i hope you enjoy yours more than i i have.

Not sure why yours does that mine doesnt blow any air hot or cold till its the right temp. In the winter it waits for heat before it sends air through the vents and in the summer waits for the cold before it sends air.

I honestly think except for changing the a degree up or down one or two I never touch the thing.

Oh wait I put on the rear defrost sometimes lol thats about it.

Originally Posted by sna77

What the member told you was 100% incorrect...

Errrr... Was that intended as a response to somebody else's post? 'Cause, what I said cannot be "incorrect" (NOR "correct" for that matter)... It was a statement that I don't LIKE the automatic climate control system, especially the fact that it turns ON every time I start the engine. I'd be much happier with the functionality of manual knobs, EXCEPT for their looks.

Originally Posted by sna77

What the member told you was 100% incorrect. My install was successful. I'm still waiting on the car to be coded, but as of right now, its working w/o the coding. FWIW, it was 12 HOURS of labor:

Here's a picture of my car with the dash out so they could install the kit:

WTF!!!

I guess I'm not going to do it myself. What's the damage?

Bozz

Originally Posted by Staszek

Not sure why yours does that mine doesnt blow any air hot or cold till its the right temp. In the winter it waits for heat before it sends air through the vents and in the summer waits for the cold before it sends air.

I honestly think except for changing the a degree up or down one or two I never touch the thing.

Oh wait I put on the rear defrost sometimes lol thats about it.

Mine operates the same way as yours. No air moving through the vents until the air is the right temp (hot or cold). It also stays off when I start the car if I had it turned off when I get out of hte car. It's always worked that way for me. I can't imagine why someone would have the auto a/c controls. If you don't have it on auto it works as a manual...

Originally Posted by The Jiveman

Errrr... Was that intended as a response to somebody else's post? 'Cause, what I said cannot be "incorrect" (NOR "correct" for that matter)... It was a statement that I don't LIKE the automatic climate control system, especially the fact that it turns ON every time I start the engine. I'd be much happier with the functionality of manual knobs, EXCEPT for their looks.

Yeah sorry, was meant for this post:

Believe what you want, you are reading stuff someone posted on the net and I have the car I actually did the swap on. My AC works, the zones work, the auto temp works, the defrost buttons work. Do you know how I know? I didn't read it somewhere, I actually did it. Is every e46 built exactly the same????

Originally Posted by Bozz

WTF!!!

I guess I'm not going to do it myself. What's the damage?

Bozz

12 hours labor x shop rate = OUCH

Originally Posted by sna77

12 hours labor x shop rate = OUCH

Damn, all that $ and work for auto climate controls

I sure hope you like 'em. I think they're annoying...

Originally Posted by SoCalBuff

Mine operates the same way as yours. No air moving through the vents until the air is the right temp (hot or cold). It also stays off when I start the car if I had it turned off when I get out of hte car. It's always worked that way for me. I can't imagine why someone would have the auto a/c controls. If you don't have it on auto it works as a manual...

Oops. I meant to say 'hate' instead of 'have'.

Originally Posted by sna77

FWIW, it was 12 HOURS of labor:

Wow, I guess that ruined my dream of switching to the auto controls.

Anyone want to buy my controls off of me? It is from a Canadian car, so celcius.

And I did ask my local dealership today and they told me $486CDN for the kit and $110 per hour.

Unfortunately it isn't worth over a grand to me when I don't plan on keeping the car that much longer.

Originally Posted by EDMBMW

Wow, I guess that ruined my dream of switching to the auto controls.

Anyone want to buy my controls off of me? It is from a Canadian car, so celcius.

And I did ask my local dealership today and they told me $486CDN for the kit and $110 per hour.

Unfortunately it isn't worth over a grand to me when I don't plan on keeping the car that much longer.

They have sepearte controls for F and C ? Weird, I'd figure you'd be able to toggle between them somehow...

BTW, they were unable to code my car for the controls, BUT its working w/o the coding... weird...

^ I'm not really sure, but that is what I was told.

Either way, it isn't worth the work for me, but I'm glad yours is working.

Wow! I was thinking of trying the switch too, but after seeing that pic there's no damn way! Thanks for slapping my back into reality!

Originally Posted by sna77

Ugh. I have one, I tried it, it doesn't work. Many others have tried it with the same results. BMW's documentation states the same.

The only way I can think that this is working for you, is if the original owner had the auto climate controls and then swapped the manual ones... (btw, that works)

If you really have it working, then please take a video with the digital camera showing it. I would love to see it working, it would save me $300 when I do this mod.

I have resurrected an old thread that was addressing the conversion from Manual to Automatic Climate Control. I however am interested in doing the opposite. I prefer the manual controls.

The comment above caught my eye - member implied that converting from Auto to Manual works? "The only way I can think that this is working for you, is if the original owner had the auto climate controls and then swapped the manual ones... (btw, that works)"

Does anyone have any experience with this?

I have a manual control module that I acquired to use as a test. All wiring harnesses / plugs from my car are the same as the manual controller so the manual unit plugs right in. These are my observation of how the system operated after I installed it.

1. The fan switch operated the fan correctly.
2. The recirculate switch seemed to work - what I mean is I heard flaps moving when I depressed the switch.
3. The directional controls did not work.
4. The rear defroster switch worked correctly.

So - the big question - does anyone know how to do this conversion?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Originally Posted by mikerob97

I have resurrected an old thread that was addressing the conversion from Manual to Automatic Climate Control. I however am interested in doing the opposite. I prefer the manual controls.

The comment above caught my eye - member implied that converting from Auto to Manual works? "The only way I can think that this is working for you, is if the original owner had the auto climate controls and then swapped the manual ones... (btw, that works)"

Does anyone have any experience with this?

I have a manual control module that I acquired to use as a test. All wiring harnesses / plugs from my car are the same as the manual controller so the manual unit plugs right in. These are my observation of how the system operated after I installed it.

1. The fan switch operated the fan correctly.
2. The recirculate switch seemed to work - what I mean is I heard flaps moving when I depressed the switch.
3. The directional controls did not work.
4. The rear defroster switch worked correctly.

So - the big question - does anyone know how to do this conversion?

Thanks in advance for any insight.

The IHKR (manual control module) will need coded to work correctly.

Originally Posted by iansanderson

The IHKR (manual control module) will need coded to work correctly.

So no wiring harness, linkage or stepper motor changes? Only coding changes to the IHKR module? Is this something that can be performed with the module out of the car - or does it have to be installed? Is this similair in concept to coding an LCM?

entire thing is a waste of time. esp if going from auto to manual. put it in your 401k because you prob wont even have the car for over 5 years from now

Originally Posted by g6

entire thing is a waste of time. esp if going from auto to manual. put it in your 401k because you prob wont even have the car for over 5 years from now

Indeed - but I am a car enthusist - this is what I like to do.

I'll be intrigued to see if you're able to get this recoded successfully. I find the auto climate control an annoying feature of both of my cars, and would much prefer the manual version.

Where did you find the manual unit you're using? The only one I found that looked like it would work was from ebay UK, and they wanted 50 quid to ship it overseas. Do you have a part number from it so if I go down this path I can make sure I'm buying the correct one?

I wonder if the dealership is even able to do a recode on these cars anymore. Last time I talked to my service advisor about adding an OBC function to my 325XiT he said the software version they are using now doesn't support the older vehicles for something like a recode.

Let us know what you find out.

Thanks!

Michael