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westlancsboy 
Newbie
Joined: 21-March-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 10
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 Topic: manual to auto air con e46 compact
Posted: 12-April-2004 at 09:28 |
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does anyone know how easy it is to replace the manual air con/heater controls for auto/digital type in a new 316 es compact. do you just change the head?
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topazman
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Joined: 02-April-2004
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 2629
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Posted: 12-April-2004 at 19:37 |
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Forget about the idea unless you have loads of cash to spare as you have to replace internal motors for the air flow etc and its more trouble than its worth
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westlancsboy
Newbie
Joined: 21-March-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 10
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Posted: 13-April-2004 at 10:27 |
topaz
I could be wrong but are the manual knobs on my e46 compact conected to electric switches and then connected to electric motors on the heater box.
i've noticed the knobs will spin 360 degrees with no effort as if there are no cables there.
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topazman
Bavarian-Board Contributor
Joined: 02-April-2004
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 2629
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Posted: 13-April-2004 at 16:41 |
I had a loan of a climate control unit from a mates car as I wanted to do the same as you but when we installed it the air flow did not flow out of the vents that were switched on and this was done by a mate who works in a BMW Dealership and he told me that I would have to get new internal motors. Also on E46 Fanatics.com a member tried the same thing and it worked for a while but he is returning to the manual system as it has since ****ed up , 
Edited by topazman
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westlancsboy
Newbie
Joined: 21-March-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 10
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Posted: 14-April-2004 at 10:21 |
topaz was/is your car a new compact?
I have swapped manual to automatic in my old e46 saloon y2k 318 and i had to do exactly what you said.
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topazman
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Joined: 02-April-2004
Location: Ireland
Status: Offline
Points: 2629
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Posted: 14-April-2004 at 19:35 |
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No its a 01 coupe E46
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andy_t0
Newbie
Joined: 16-April-2004
Status: Offline
Points: 15
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Posted: 16-April-2004 at 14:26 |
 westlancsboy wrote:
does anyone know how easy it is to replace the manual air con/heater controls for auto/digital type in a new 316 es compact. do you just change the head? |
You can just change the head, but you get very limited airflow distribution control.
A proper retrofit kit, comprising a head unit, wiring loom, airflow distribution actuators, solar sensor and outside air sensor is available for inveterate button-pushers, but costs the best part of £400. Fitting is the killer - 6.5 hours of BMW dealer time.
IMHO it's not worth it. The digital climate-control type is rather fiddly, and unlike the rotary dial types is almost impossible to operate without taking your eyes off the road. The one useful thing which the climate control unit does have over the rotary type is the instant demist button.
Interesting that almost all of BMW's newer designs (7, 6, 5, Z4) have rotary controls...
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simnew
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Joined: 21-January-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 24
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Posted: 17-April-2004 at 14:26 |
The digital control system on the E46 and E39 is so easy to use its amazing. 99% percent of the time you leave it on Auto - and air distribution is handled automatically. If you use manual control then its the only system I have ever had in any car where you can have air on your face, chest, legs and screen simultaneously. You can;t do that with the dial interface. So the dials are not actually as good as the push buttons.
For demist, press demist button then repress and it remembers your previous settings. Wonderful system and much simpler to operate than the ones in Audi's and Mercedes. A few journalists seems to think dials are better but I can only conclude they never realised the flexibility in the button arrangements. It really is a fashion thing ! The one thing I do think is done better on a dial is the temparature contral and fan speed. Manual air distribution is much better done by buttons = no question.
Edited by simnew
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westlancsboy
Newbie
Joined: 21-March-2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 10
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Posted: 17-April-2004 at 20:03 |
I have to tell you guys that I was in a catch 22 about the car I now own, my last car e46 318 had auto air con, the fiddling with the buttons really hacked me off, especially first thing in the morning when it was allready set to 16 degrees and you want it to go to 32.
when I ordered my new car the price was only £250 to have auto air con but my heart said get the dials.
like all other bmw owners looks play a major role in life and the auto air con head under the radio looks stunning, and the dials dont.
I've a good contact at one of the local dealerships and I will ask him about all this and report back.
hopefully he will tell me he can fit the digital/dials out of a 6 series.
aint life a bitch!
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andy_t0
Newbie
Joined: 16-April-2004
Status: Offline
Points: 15
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Posted: 28-April-2004 at 16:56 |
simnew wrote:
So the dials are not actually as good as the push buttons.
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It really is a fashion thing !
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That sums it up nicely :).
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manual to auto air con e46 compact