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Originally Posted by boonkgang13k
I'm confused if I should turn on A/C during winter. I changed the setting, so that only warm air is coming out. What are the benefits or disadvantages using A/C during winter?
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If you need to either cool the air in your car or dry the air in your car you'll want the air conditioner on.
If you want to heat the air in your car, you'll want the heater on.
It is entirely possible to have both the heater and air conditioner on at the same time, giving you warm, dry air in the car.
It's often preferable to run the aircon & heater in winter so your breath doesn't fog up the windows, and so your wet boots can be dried while you're in the car - also drying your carpets and preventing them from going moldy.
If you leave the BMW heater system on full auto and just dial up the temperature you want; you'll find it does all of this for you automatically.
The air conditioner is powered by a pump attached to the engine, so it uses a little bit more fuel and takes a little bit of engine power away from the back wheels compared with when it's turned off. This was/is noticeable in cars with about 40kw of engine power, but you'll never notice the effect of it running all the time in your car. This also means you will have no air conditioning unless the engine is running (idling at least). Air is blown via an electric fan, which uses stuff-all power to operate; and will work even if your engine is turned off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by boonkgang13k
Also, when the engine is off, the air is not as warm as the engine is on, what should I do?
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It is extremely rare for cars to run an electric heating element in their heater. Most cars (It's been very difficult to try to find a schematic of the e82 heating system online) and I'm assuming ours, simply run a second radiator under the dash that's filled with the engine coolant (water). Thus, your heater will only work when your engine coolant is hotter than the cabin. (ie. when the engine is running).
Use your heated seats when you first get in the car. They're heated by an electric element, and thus will provide instant warmth.