Utilizing power from the vehicle’s battery, the independent ventilation enables interior temperature adjustment prior to departure. The cabin is heated or ventilated using any available engine leftover heat, depending on the programmed temperature and outside temperature.
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Ventilate now and scheduled ventilation are useful even if you don’t have remote start and you want to reduce the cabin temperature in the summer or warm weather, especially on hot, muggy days when you’re running the AC, but you park in a dark, enclosed space at your destination or in the garage of your home.
Again, it won’t cool the cabin like running the AC…but it will be many degrees lower than if the car was closed up so that the windows are closed. If you’re sending instructions to ventilate now or a schedule a venting event…if you don’t have remote start…then as mentioned above, the HVAC blower will start to run (for up to 30 minutes or up to what the battery can handle without running the battery down).
Allowing the blower to run by ventilating now will help evaporate moisture and prevent the environment that facilitates the growth of mold & bacteria, which then will give you those wonderful whiffs of AC funk when you first start the car. In regards to hot, muggy, or humid days, if you park in the garage and then close the garage door, this can cause the AC funk that many cars get from the growth of mold & bacteria on the condenser and duct work.
You can keep the blower running even when the vehicle is shut off—while you run into the bank or store, for example—which will once again prevent the cabin from rising to extremely high temperatures while the windows are rolled up. Ventilate Now is also helpful during the summer when you’re running quick errands.
In older BMWs, this was known as the REST feature (residual heat), where the blower may be turned on to blast warmed air into the cabin when temperatures dip below a specific degree. BTW, there is an autumn/winter version of this feature, too…at least there used to be. This can be used if the outside temperature is cool so that the cabin will stay warm (for up to 30 minutes) while you conduct errands or if you are stopped at a railroad crossing and want to put the engine off but want to maintain cabin temperature.
How to use auxiliary ventilation to change the temperature inside your BMW
In this video, BMW How-To demonstrates how auxiliary ventilation is incorporated with the optional equipment “Automatic air conditioning,” depending on the model and country. Utilizing power from the vehicle’s battery, the independent ventilation enables interior temperature adjustment prior to departure. The cabin is heated or ventilated using any available engine leftover heat, depending on the programmed temperature and outside temperature. It is possible to turn the system on and off immediately or at a specific departure time. Navigate to “CAR,” “Settings,” “Climate comfort,” “Auxiliary ventilation,” “Departure schedule,” and then choose the necessary departure time. Set the departure time and, if necessary, the day of the week. The fan and time symbol on the climate display indicates that a departure time has been triggered once the necessary departure time has been set. The departure time should be set/activated at least 10 minutes before the anticipated departure time to give the climate control adequate time to function. The system can also be turned on and off directly via the My BMW App by selecting the fan icon and then tapping “Start.” After some time, the system turns itself off automatically.
BMW Reduces Summer Heat’s Edge
On hot days, you can turn on a feature hidden in the BMW iDrive system to instantly cool down the air within the vehicle. When a car is parked and turned off, a feature called Parked Car Ventilation activates ventilation fans to cool the air within the vehicle.
While test-driving the 2013 3 Series, I came upon this ventilation system function. With Parked Car Ventilation, you may program a time when the interior air of the car will start to cool without rolling down the windows. When you get into the car, you can also turn on the vent fans, which run for roughly 30 minutes.
But does it actually function? It does, according to Thomas Plucinsky, manager of product and technology relations at BMW North America. “Parked Car Ventilation will use the blower fans to reduce the temperature within the car to about the ambient outdoor temperature,” according to the manufacturer. “Due to solar load, the interior of the car can be up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the exterior temperature.”
The industry and BMW are not pioneers in the use of the ventilation system. The Toyota Prius includes an optional solar-paneled roof that may run a fan to cool the interior, reducing the amount of fuel needed to keep the vehicle cool. By using the ventilation fans to cool the automobile, BMW’s Parked Car Ventilation technology aims to keep drivers content.
When the air conditioner is turned on, the car cools down more quickly, according to Plucinsky. Although this auto feature has been around for a while, it’s only available on BMWs with the iDrive multimedia system. “It doesn’t need to overcome the sun-heated interior temperature.” On my test car, IDrive was a standard feature.
This feature appeals to me for obvious reasons. With two children, returning to the car after a hot day at the zoo or park may be excruciating when you step inside a stiflingly hot vehicle. Yes, I open the windows to let the hot air out of the car. I do have water, yes. However, it would be much better if the interior of the car cooled down more quickly from the heat.
It was a wonderful, unanticipated surprise given that Parked Car Ventilation wasn’t even mentioned on the Monroney of my test vehicle. It’s something that everyone in the car can enjoy, unlike many possibilities.
How to Quickly Cool Your BMW in a Video
Our cars will undoubtedly heat up exponentially more quickly and to higher degrees as summer approaches and the hot sun shines on them. Therefore, precautions must be taken so that a person doesn’t pass out as soon as they get inside their car. In order to swiftly cool your car throughout the heat, BMW created a brief guide. Although the title may exclusively pertain to BMWs, some of these pointers also apply to other types of vehicles.
This can be accomplished in a number of ways. Of course, choose a parking area with shade will assist if you are careful about where you park in the first place. If that isn’t possible, BMW offers the option to install sunshades on several models, including the 5 Series, 7 Series, and X5, X6 models’ back doors and rear window. It will be used to filter the sunshine and lessen the intense heat inside.
Some vehicles additionally have pre-departure climate controls, which allow you to lower the temperature inside even more. When you choose a departure time, the vehicle will use its ventilation system to exhaust all of the interior heat for up to 30 minutes. To do this, navigate to Vehicle Settings in the My Vehicle menu on your iDrive screen, then scroll down to Climate Settings. Then, pick your departure time and day after selecting Comfort Ventilation. At the time and date of your choosing, your automobile will automatically ventilate.
The BMW ConnectedDrive app can also be used to configure the ventilation. On your phone, you can turn on the ventilation one time by holding down the “Activate Now” button for two seconds, or you can set the vehicle to turn on before you leave at a specified time and date. Pressing the MAX AC button on the HVAC controls inside the car is the quickest method to stay cool. It also circulates the air while turning on the climate control system at its greatest speed and coldest temperature. When the temperature is just right, hit the same button once more, and the system will go back to its default settings.
For me, it doesn’t matter because it just circulates warm air in a warm cabin.
When starting the walk to the car, you might want to push and hold the button on the key fob that opens the windows and the sunroof hatch (if safe).
The system will only operate in the comfort ventilation for up to 30 minutes. The system may be set to turn on at a specific time to begin cooling the car, but it will only do so for 30 minutes. The airflow in the automobile is improved, though not noticeably. I did have an i3, and it was fantastic because you could put on the air conditioning or heat from a distance.
Does anybody who has the display key know how to set the time or even turn on the system? When I last tried to use mine, it was disabled and greyed out.
To get the most out of the ventilate function on our phone app, how long should we wait to activate it before using the car when it is parked in the sun?
My BMWs’ ventilation system is weak. Your car doesn’t get any cooling at all. For as long you set it, it softly circulates air in the cabin at ambient temperature. The air inside the car wasn’t intended to become stale when you got in after it had been sitting outside, in my opinion.
I tried it today in temperatures of 90 degrees Fahrenheit, remotely activating it approximately 20 minutes early, but it continued to run inside until I pressed the start button. Compared to what I’m used to, I’m actually quite impressed.
When starting the walk to the car, you might press and hold the button on the key fob that opens the windows and the sunroof hatch (if safe).
Do M40i fobs have this feature since I’m not aware of any such button on mine?
In every other BMW I’ve owned, all the windows would roll down and the sunroof would open just by holding the unlock button. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think it works the same with this car.
Guys, this really can’t work. Twice, the air conditioning in my autos broke. The air is first going through extremely hot parts at the front of the car if it is merely blown in with the fans. As a result, it functions more as a warmer than a ventilation.
Standing-car ventilation only works with the latest electric AC compressors, like the ones in the 330e! Or, using the remote engine start, anywhere it is permitted (sadly, not in the EU).