E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

[IS250C]

Hi All,

New owner of pre-owned 2005 523. Read the manual and search the forum but cannot find answer. My question:

1) Before shut down the car, I always manually turn off the aircon. However when I start the car again, the aircon will turn on by itself together with the car. Is this normal? However the recirculating feature is cancel and set back to fresh air intake.

2) After driving for a while, I noticed that the driver side external door handle is warm / hot. Is this normal?

3) There are only 2 pcs of filter located in the engine bay to filter fresh air into car. There is no filter (usually located in glove compartment or below passenger side dash board to filter re-circulating air. Am I correct?

4) There is a tick sound coming from the center part of dash board or arm rest area. Sound like it is the aircon thermostat. Do your car have this sound too?

Please give me your input.

Thanks.

 

[Viper Warrior]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

Point 1: its normal, thats how my E60 aircon works too.
Point 2: don't think its normal, never happen to mine.
Point 3: I also not sure.
Point 4: Nope, never have any tick sound.

Cheers

 

[Divespyder]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

Point 3: There are only 2 aircon microfilters in engine bay.
The answers to your other points apply for me as well.

Cheers!

 

[Divespyder]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

To add, you can unselect "AUTO" on aircon and use the manual fan speed button to adjust or even turn off the aircon so that it doesn't come on when you start the car. Hope this helps!

 

[IS250C]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

To add, you can unselect "AUTO" on aircon and use the manual fan speed button to adjust or even turn off the aircon so that it doesn't come on when you start the car. Hope this helps!

Thank you reply.
1) Actually I am on manual mode but the Aircon still turn on by itself when I start the car and of course I did turn off the Aircon before tuning off the car. Seems funny. Are yours the same?

2) I suspect the click sound is the Aircon thermostat. Did you send to check? If yes do you know the cost to fix it. A little irritated by the noise.

3) Hot door handle. You know why it is hot? Purpose?

 

[Divespyder]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

Hmm dunno why ... anyways is there a problem having your aircon coming on?

Maybe your car is Special edition... has door handle defroster.

Best take your car to aircon workshop to check and service. Good to have clean aircon system.

 

[IS250C]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

No problem with Aircon always on. Just find it not normal kind of design.
Ha ha. Hot handle is euro special edition to give user comfort when opening door during cold weather just like toilet seat warmer. I think the previous owner specs his car with this feature. Lol.
I was also thinking of sending to clean the Aircon system because it is definitely dirty. We spend just as much time in the car as our room and we clean our room Aircon but not the car one.
Any workshop to recommend?

Cheerrs.

Hmm dunno why ... anyways is there a problem having your aircon coming on?

Maybe your car is Special edition... has door handle defroster.

Best take your car to aircon workshop to check and service. Good to have clean aircon system.

 

[Viper Warrior]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

To add, you can unselect "AUTO" on aircon and use the manual fan speed button to adjust or even turn off the aircon so that it doesn't come on when you start the car. Hope this helps!

Don't think the unselect "AUTO" works. I have tried before, aircon will still turn on after start car in manual mode. So in conclusion, its normal.

 

[IS250C]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

Don't think the unselect "AUTO" works. I have tried before, aircon will still turn on after start car in manual mode. So in conclusion, its normal.

Ok. Thank you to both of you for clarifying.
Conclusion is Aircon will turn on once you start engine so no use to turn off aircon before turn off engine.
Similarly I notice audio system also cannot be shut off. You can only mute it.

I still need to figure out the hot handle and get workshop to check on the tick sound.
Any aircon workshop to recommend?

 

[Algino]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

You can actually send to pml to set aircon not to on while starting the engine through computer . I did this last time while I was still under warranty .. Not feeling comfortable as aircon turn on at the same time when starting engine in the morning ... May not be a good practise as I think aircon need time to warm up too rite ? Just my 2 cents

 

[IS250C]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

You can actually send to pml to set aircon not to on while starting the engine through computer . I did this last time while I was still under warranty .. Not feeling comfortable as aircon turn on at the same time when starting engine in the morning ... May not be a good practise as I think aircon need time to warm up too rite ? Just my 2 cents

I share the same feeling as you that starting the aircon together with engine is bad for both engine and aircon compressor that is why I alway have the habit to turn off aircon and been doing that since I started owning a car. (Side note: This maybe one of the contributing factor to less reliability of BMW engine / compressor vs Jap car).

Nice to know it can be done but I think it is not possible for PML to do for me without charging high price although I have not deal with PML before but that is my impression.

So so it will be wonderful if someone know someone somewhere can do please let me know. Xie Xie Nie.

 

[Divespyder]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

If there is nothing broken, best don't fix it.

 

[IS250C]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

If there is nothing broken, best don't fix it.

Great advise. Save the $$$ for 4pm happy hour. Cheers.

 

[dankoo]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

I did a automated aircon maintenance before on my previous ride (Stream) and it really makes a difference....cooler and fresher air...

 

[fatassdudeass]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

hmm just put in key and press ignition without brakes then off aircon. then fully on ur engine with brakes.

 

[bonsoir]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

2) I suspect the click sound is the Aircon thermostat. Did you send to check? If yes do you know the cost to fix it. A little irritated by the noise.

Answers:
1) you can turn off (no switches) of your aircon by turning it anti clockwise when you are about to stat/stop (stop) the car. slowly....sometimes too fast it will just remain. ANd you always have to press back the recirculating button for it everytime you start your car.
2) never had a warm handle before as mine is 2009 e60. So not sure, and never had tick sound too. But best to get it to certified aircon tech and do a flush?
Usually no issues one....

3) Hot door handle. You know why it is hot? Purpose?[/QUOTE]

 

[bonsoir]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

I share the same feeling as you that starting the aircon together with engine is bad for both engine and aircon compressor that is why I alway have the habit to turn off aircon and been doing that since I started owning a car. (Side note: This maybe one of the contributing factor to less reliability of BMW engine / compressor vs Jap car).

Nice to know it can be done but I think it is not possible for PML to do for me without charging high price although I have not deal with PML before but that is my impression.

So so it will be wonderful if someone know someone somewhere can do please let me know. Xie Xie Nie.

Ive not serviced my aircon since i got the car from PML back in 2009. Only once a few years ago i remembered the aircon didn't work and i just drove for 10 mins and it came on. Ever since then ok liao. But always good to do a servicing, anyone knows where good place to go for aircon servicing?

 

[kRaZy]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

Used to have this issue where I have to press the air con recirculate button to my desired mode everytime I switch on my E60. However, after I did my software update (to address other issue), this "bug" no longer seems to appear.

 

[dankoo]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

SW update is via PML? Need to pay for it?

 

[kRaZy]

Re: E60: Aircon always on / Driver side external door handle hot

SW update is via PML? Need to pay for it?

Nope. I did mine at Riverview Auto. $200+. Was trying to resolve my steering angle sensor problem at the same time.

IMHO, unless you have other issue to resolve and requires a software update, it's not very worth it to just to get it updated in order to resolve the air con circulation issue.