Climate Control: Analog to digital

[89mk3turbo]

for some reason searching is not working for me today. so im sorry if this is a commonly asked question. can a 94 with the analog climate control be converted to the digital one of 95(?) and up? im interested in this because i want to use the timed ventalation feature of my OBC.

[1996Ken328IS]

What is timed ventilation?

I suppose you could change to digital, but its going to cost you big time. There is a bunch of servos and sensors on top of that digital control panel. Definetly not worth it.

[89mk3turbo]

timed ventalation is a feature that allows you to set a time and the car will ventalate the interior at that time, so on a hot day it will cool off the interior by blowing in fresh air. my owners manual says it can do this, however i have yet to make it work. i was told that you need the digital climate control to use it, but if its that involving to do the swap its not worth it.

[jijacob]

some have converted to digital, but it requires a lot of wiring and other stuff.

It would be cheaper to just vent the sunroof and get dark tint.

[Malcolm]

timed ventalation is a feature that allows you to set a time and the car will ventalate the interior at that time, so on a hot day it will cool off the interior by blowing in fresh air. my owners manual says it can do this, however i have yet to make it work. i was told that you need the digital climate control to use it, but if its that involving to do the swap its not worth it.

I'm pretty sure that is one of those "Euro" features, like the adjustable intermittent wipers, that are in the manual but not in the US-spec cars.

[89mk3turbo]

malcolm you may very well be correct....stupid euros...

[jhstealth]

op did you get those lights like that or tint them if so what did you tint them with

[Ohtwo]

Why didn't the US cars get adjustable intermittent wipers? We get all the other not-as-important features like the premium package, but they forget about the wipers...

[x2nervisx]

that vent feature is only available in the euro market. As far as the conversion, I have done the conversion already. Everyone that's saying it's expensive and a lot of wiring are wrong. I paid $100 for the heater core (which contains the motors and all that stuff) and $50 for the climate controls and then I sold my old heater core and analog controls for $100. So $50 net. As far as wiring goes, it's all plug and play.. no splicing of wires or what not. Unplug the old heater core and plug in the new one.. The hardest part is actaully removing the old heater core and sticking it in. The entire dash has to come out. It was a mess when I did it and it was a lot of work but I'm glad I did it and it all over with. I know it was a pointless conversion but I'm the type of person that likes the newest features and I learned a lot more about my car.

[89mk3turbo]

jhstealth: i bought them off a buddy, but they are clears that have been sprayed with VHT nightshade. best looking light option IMHO. did front corners and the sidemarkers too.

[Daved]

I have the parking ventilation function and I have the ugly analog HVAC :(

[johnf]

You definitely don't need the digital control IHKA system to get park/independent ventilation.

The programmable wipers are part of the headlight washer system which I believe was an option in Canada. Perhaps someone at roughly my latitude and a westerly longitude can chip in.

Nearly all the E36s I see day to day, don't have headlight washers, and thus have the exact, same, non-programmable wipers you guys got in the U.S. I would hesitate to call them a European option. Perhaps Scandinavian or Canadian, if you must, but not European: they are just the wipers then came with the headlight washers.

[RTDM]

The programmable wipers are part of the headlight washer system which I believe was an option in Canada.

I have the headlight washer system, but no programmable wipers :shifty, Im in the UK

[RTDM]

From what I have read in the manual, there are 2 types of 18 button OBC with a 'timer' button, the first is literally a stop-watch, and the second is the timed ventilation feature, I have the stop-watch unfortunately, but I dont have A/C so that might explain it.

[sirius600]

I have the parking ventilation function and I have the ugly analog HVAC :(

O RLY?!?

So its not dependent on the digital CC? This is intersting, perhaps all we are needing is an extra relay or module to get this function?

[prosperi]

From what I have read in the manual, there are 2 types of 18 button OBC with a 'timer' button, the first is literally a stop-watch, and the second is the timed ventilation feature, I have the stop-watch unfortunately, but I dont have A/C so that might explain it.

Are these good news?

I have A/C and the stop watch. So, what will we need to convert it to timed ventilation?

Prosperi

[prosperi]

I have the parking ventilation function and I have the ugly analog HVAC :(
Hi,
can you enlight us a little bit more? What parts do we need?


Prosperi

[dmurray14]

Hi,
can you enlight us a little bit more? What parts do we need?


Prosperi

do tell...

[1996Ken328IS]

that vent feature is only available in the euro market. As far as the conversion, I have done the conversion already. Everyone that's saying it's expensive and a lot of wiring are wrong. I paid $100 for the heater core (which contains the motors and all that stuff) and $50 for the climate controls and then I sold my old heater core and analog controls for $100. So $50 net. As far as wiring goes, it's all plug and play.. no splicing of wires or what not. Unplug the old heater core and plug in the new one.. The hardest part is actaully removing the old heater core and sticking it in. The entire dash has to come out. It was a mess when I did it and it was a lot of work but I'm glad I did it and it all over with. I know it was a pointless conversion but I'm the type of person that likes the newest features and I learned a lot more about my car.


What about the motors for the recycled air or the vent directors?

[328 Power 04]

wow.. you guys may be onto something.. i would really like the timed vent feature, that would be more than amazing!

maybe its something programmed in the OBC?

BUMP

lets keep this up!

johnf you are full of good info, please tell us all you know!

and other users as well!

[MParallel]

I have it, as I'm "Euro".

The feature is utterly USELESS. I was laughing my ass off reading the replies here.

Blow cool air on a hot day? No way!

All it does is turn on the vents. It's not one of these heater units that can pre-warm the engine/interior in winter you see in many luxury cars today.

All it does is turn on the fans. So if it's 90 degrees outside, it'll blow in 90 degrees air into the interior.
It's crap. I have never used it. Only a big drain on the battery.

Btw...we don't have adjustable wipers over here. Well not mine anwyays. I have read about the trick do adjust the interval. Might be so on older cars.
What it does have is speed-sensitive interval. If it's on speed setting 1 and you slow down or come to a complete stop, the wipers will automatically go into intermediant mode.

[///STACK]

I have it, as I'm "Euro".
All it does is turn on the fans. So if it's 90 degrees outside, it'll blow in 90 degrees air into the interior.

MParallel you've been a tremendous resource of knowledge, but I need to differ with you on this one. I was pretty damn let down when I discovered the stopwatch feature after reading the manual...90 outside translates to 110 in the sun, especially with black leather (fuckin ouch!).

+1 on finding an American workaround to this one!

[dmurray14]

I have it, as I'm "Euro".

The feature is utterly USELESS. I was laughing my ass off reading the replies here.

Blow cool air on a hot day? No way!

All it does is turn on the vents. It's not one of these heater units that can pre-warm the engine/interior in winter you see in many luxury cars today.

All it does is turn on the fans. So if it's 90 degrees outside, it'll blow in 90 degrees air into the interior.
It's crap. I have never used it. Only a big drain on the battery.

Btw...we don't have adjustable wipers over here. Well not mine anwyays. I have read about the trick do adjust the interval. Might be so on older cars.
What it does have is speed-sensitive interval. If it's on speed setting 1 and you slow down or come to a complete stop, the wipers will automatically go into intermediant mode.

I use it on the 745 daily. It makes a difference, hence why people are asking for it. If they want it, let them try to get it. I for one would like the feature on the 3 as well

[328 Power 04]

I have it, as I'm "Euro".

The feature is utterly USELESS. I was laughing my ass off reading the replies here.

Blow cool air on a hot day? No way!

All it does is turn on the vents. It's not one of these heater units that can pre-warm the engine/interior in winter you see in many luxury cars today.

All it does is turn on the fans. So if it's 90 degrees outside, it'll blow in 90 degrees air into the interior.
It's crap. I have never used it. Only a big drain on the battery.

Btw...we don't have adjustable wipers over here. Well not mine anwyays. I have read about the trick do adjust the interval. Might be so on older cars.
What it does have is speed-sensitive interval. If it's on speed setting 1 and you slow down or come to a complete stop, the wipers will automatically go into intermediant mode.

90 degree air would greatly help cool the 140+ degree heat inside my black car on a hot houston summer day... that's why i want it

[///STACK]

that vent feature is only available in the euro market. As far as the conversion, I have done the conversion already. Everyone that's saying it's expensive and a lot of wiring are wrong. I paid $100 for the heater core (which contains the motors and all that stuff) and $50 for the climate controls and then I sold my old heater core and analog controls for $100. So $50 net. As far as wiring goes, it's all plug and play.. no splicing of wires or what not. Unplug the old heater core and plug in the new one.. The hardest part is actaully removing the old heater core and sticking it in. The entire dash has to come out. It was a mess when I did it and it was a lot of work but I'm glad I did it and it all over with. I know it was a pointless conversion but I'm the type of person that likes the newest features and I learned a lot more about my car.

wait, so it's been done?! DIY PLEASE!

[x2nervisx]

Writing a DIY would take me forever since I did it 3 years ago. I basically followed the directions on how to remove the entire dash and from that point on you just have to find the bolts that bolt the heater core assembly down to the car. I basically winged it with help from the 2 other members on this board who have done it. The biggest pain in the ass is going through the engine bay and getting to those bolts.

[sirius600]

Writing a DIY would take me forever since I did it 3 years ago. I basically followed the directions on how to remove the entire dash and from that point on you just have to find the bolts that bolt the heater core assembly down to the car. I basically winged it with help from the 2 other members on this board who have done it. The biggest pain in the ass is going through the engine bay and getting to those bolts.

Were looking for a DIY for the timed vent feature. :embarrasm

[johnf]

I will see what I can do in a few weeks. At the moment, I am busy spinning up on some new assignments.

Park ventilation may not seem very useful in the Netherlands, but then again, I thought the same of an ice axe and crampons when I scaled the Dutch Alps. :) I know some who really like it, where the sun stands high and you would die without air conditioning.

[MParallel]

90 degree air would greatly help cool the 140+ degree heat inside my black car on a hot houston summer day... that's why i want it

Ok I understand. I just wonder if it's really that much cooler inside the car, but who knows.

Of course I can imagine people wanting it. It might be useless to me, but a treasure for someone else.

Stopwatch function sounds cool though. Might switch my digital aircon for analog control ;)

[MParallel]

Were looking for a DIY for the timed vent feature. :embarrasm

So even with Digital Climate control...you US guys still don't have that feature?

Ok then there can be 2 things:

1- Euro and US-specific OBC models

2- Or you just need to change the country setting to a Euro country (test 12). I'll put mine on US and see what happens.

If nothing, then it'll prolly be a matter of the dealer (re)programming the OBC.

[MParallel]

I will see what I can do in a few weeks. At the moment, I am busy spinning up on some new assignments.

Park ventilation may not seem very useful in the Netherlands, but then again, I thought the same of an ice axe and crampons when I scaled the Dutch Alps. :) I know some who really like it, where the sun stands high and you would die without air conditioning.

Dutch Alps!?!

[PScalfano]

Here's a DIY for an E34. I read this thread and it reminded me of this site. I'm not sure how much of this will apply to an E36, but it may point someone in the right direction.

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/upgrade/ventilation.htm

[328 Power 04]

So even with Digital Climate control...you US guys still don't have that feature?

Ok then there can be 2 things:

1- Euro and US-specific OBC models

2- Or you just need to change the country setting to a Euro country (test 12). I'll put mine on US and see what happens.

If nothing, then it'll prolly be a matter of the dealer (re)programming the OBC.

hmm, and i'll try switching mine to euro.. i really want that feature, as i dont use the timer too much ...

as for this thread.. ttt

[x2nervisx]

Were looking for a DIY for the timed vent feature. :embarrasm

If you look at the post before mine, you'll see someone asked me for the DIY for the climate control conversion :embarrasm

[///STACK]

ttt

does switching USA <--> EURO do anything?

[JUST PEDRO]

ttt

does switching USA <--> EURO do anything?

no

[328 Power 04]

bump, were counting on you johnf...

i really want this feature uncovered...

if not, MParallel, i'll trade you obc's and see if that does anything...

actually can you get part numbers off of yours? i'd like to see if a search brings up an euro specific obc

[MParallel]

bump, were counting on you johnf...

i really want this feature uncovered...

if not, MParallel, i'll trade you obc's and see if that does anything...

actually can you get part numbers off of yours? i'd like to see if a search brings up an euro specific obc

Trade OBC's? I'm from Holland ;)

Also my OBC text is in German ;) (the buttons) for that genuine "Euro" look :D