[MikeElmendorf]

Unless I'm missing something, unlike in iDrive 7 in our X5 and my prior M550, does the setting for automatic engagement of heating and ventilated seats (and the heated steering wheel) no longer have the ability to set a temperature threshold for engagement?

Previously, you could set them to turn on above or below a certain temp, as the case may be.

All I can seem to do on this car is turn them on and off and set the intensity for when they engage. It's creeped into the 60s here this week and the first thing I need to do now when I get in is turn off the heated seat and steering wheel.

If this is just how it works, sure seems like a step backwards.

Am I missing something?

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by MikeElmendorf

Unless I'm missing something, unlike in iDrive 7 in our X5 and my prior M550, does the setting for automatic engagement of heating and ventilated seats (and the heated steering wheel) no longer have the ability to set a temperature threshold for engagement?

Previously, you could set them to turn on above or below a certain temp, as the case may be.

All I can seem to do on this car is turn them on and off and set the intensity for when they engage. It's creeped into the 60s here this week and the first thing I need to do now when I get in is turn off the heated seat and steering wheel.

If this is just how it works, sure seems like a step backwards.

Am I missing something?

No, you cannot set a specific temperature threshold.

[Scrapula]

You can’t, but my car does turn on the seat heater and steering wheel heater when I get in the car. It turns them off when it hits the ambient temperature setting, which I have set to 72F. It will be several months before I can check the seat cooling.

[MikeElmendorf]

Seems like another, curious backwards design choice in iDrive 8.

[scas12]

I don't know how the old system worked but I like being able to set a temp on how I want to feel and then having the car figure out what to turn on and off to get me there.

[LVBMW]

You can always adjust the set cabin temperature to a very low temp, and this would make it less likely that the seat heating would automatically switch on. I generally leave everything in auto, and it keeps me comfortable.

[MikeElmendorf]

I had it set to 66 and heated seats and steering wheel were coming on yesterday when it was in the 60s out. Finally just turned the auto settings for them off.

I fail entirely to see how the logic of this setup is an advancement over the way it was before: "Below X temp, heated seats and steering wheel come on. Above X temperature, ventilated seats come on."

[Nighthawks]

Originally Posted by Scrapula

You can’t, but my car does turn on the seat heater and steering wheel heater when I get in the car. It turns them off when it hits the ambient temperature setting, which I have set to 72F. It will be several months before I can check the seat cooling.

You’re right, Scrapula.

I had the seat heater on until yesterday when the ambient temperature was 84F. I turned the temperature down from 72F to 68F. The ventilated seats turned on and it was comfortable pretty quickly. About a mile down the road.