01-29-2020, 01:38 PM | #1 |
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Installed Touch Screen HVAC Controller Without Issues So Far
I love the look of the touch screen HVAC controller. To my surprise, there were a decent number of touch controllers listed on eBay under $400. Thinking that the controller was a shared component with the G11/G12 7-Series, I hoped that I could retrofit the controller without coding. Then I found this thread by a member named Roxxer https://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1683132. He retrofitted the part to an X3 without coding. So, I bought a touch screen controller from eBay that also had ceramic controls as a bonus.
I've had it installed for over a week, and haven't had any Check Control errors or issues with the functions. The controller recognized my ventilated and heated seats without an issue. Really love the way it looks. I especially love that when you turn the temperature knob, the font size temporarily increases. I actually prefer the physical buttons, but love the look. It reminds me of the display screens of single din head units from back in the day before screens were so common in cars.
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01-29-2020, 03:36 PM | #2 |
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Great mod man. Nicely done!
Got any photos/steps of how you installed it? Also, what exactly did you search for to find these on eBay? Last edited by DBO; 01-29-2020 at 03:41 PM.. |
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01-29-2020, 05:45 PM | #3 |
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Looks great. How long did it take?
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01-29-2020, 07:35 PM | #4 |
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Glad it worked for you! You can find them by searching for BMW G30 Climate, or if you go to the German eBay, then substitute Klima for Climate. It is literally plug and play, just pop the old one out starting at the bottom. Shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes at most.
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01-29-2020, 07:51 PM | #5 | |
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Quote:
The above instructions were perfect. The only thing I’d add is that clips holding the plastic trim piece where the door meets the dash (in step 1 from the link) is very tightly fitted. I replaced the interior trim in all my past cars, and I was surprised how much tighter the panels are fitted. Also, I found pressing the new controller back into place on the steering wheel side first. There was a panel gap when I pushed in from the passenger side first. I searched “BMW g30 climate” on eBay. Here’s one link
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01-29-2020, 07:54 PM | #6 |
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Maybe 30-40 minutes. Would take me probably less than 20 minutes to do again now that I’m comfortable with how much force is needed to remove the plastic trim panel where the dash meets the door.
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01-30-2020, 07:03 PM | #7 |
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This is a very cool mod. since the panel was for an X3 it would be great for my . . X3. But I can't find it. Could the OP possibly post a link to the German site. TIA.
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01-30-2020, 07:40 PM | #8 |
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Ebay.de, but the panel was not for the X3, so if you are searching for it using G01 or X3, you won’t find it that way. I happened to buy one in anticipation of my G30 I am picking up next week, and noticed it was visually identical to regular one in my G01 X3, and thought “I wonder if it would work”. Sure enough, it did, with a few exceptions as the X3 doesn’t have separate blower fan speeds for driver and passenger.
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01-30-2020, 08:47 PM | #10 |
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The one I bought came from an eBay seller that looked like a auto salvage yard. There’s a lot of parts on eBay from totaled cars.
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01-30-2020, 08:52 PM | #11 |
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01-31-2020, 10:03 AM | #12 |
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I wonder if it's possible to retrofit the 4zone climate into a G30? I tried to order it in the US for a 2020 M550 but was told by the dealer that BMWNA won't order those anymore
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01-31-2020, 01:12 PM | #13 |
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Great work fitment looks real good! Were you able to remove the necessary panels by hand or did you need to use the panel install/removal clip tools?
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01-31-2020, 01:40 PM | #14 | |
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Quote:
You need the right torx bit for a single screw connected to the center trim piece. You need some type of wedge to get the first clip loose from the plastic trim on the side of dash. I ended up using my hands to pull the the original controller out. That took a decent amount of force, but I managed not to break anything.
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01-31-2020, 02:23 PM | #15 |
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If money is no object, then yes, you can. I made a parts list when I was looking into the feasibility of doing it, and even with finding some of the parts used at a decent price, it was still around $2,500 if not more. The biggest cost savers would be finding a used rear carpet, as you have to replace that with the version that has room for the rear vents, and then finding a used Distributor Housing from a car with the 4-Zone system. If you manage to get all the parts, then comes the fun challenge of disassembling the entire dash area to replace the housing.
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02-13-2020, 01:36 PM | #16 |
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Thanks OP!
Just ordered a panel from overseas and did the swap. Had to reboot idrive (holding down volume for over 30 seconds) as it was acting wonky until I did it. Make sure you get a plastic trim remover. I was able to do it without completely removing the trim piece that goes from passenger out to the Start switch. Definitely insert the driver side first. Came from a totaled car from Europe.
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02-13-2020, 05:16 PM | #19 |
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02-13-2020, 05:17 PM | #20 |
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The one I bought came with both pieces, but you can separate it to swap out, which I had to do as the panel I bought had the CD slot, but my 2020 does not have a CD player. No issues with swapping it over.
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02-14-2020, 12:47 AM | #21 |
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This is cool, no coding what needed? Did you test the seat heater functions? I see you have ventilated seats on the screen, so would a car without that function not show on the screen?
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02-14-2020, 11:53 AM | #22 | |
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Quote:
I didn't bother to pop out the top panel, but I'm thinking now I should have as I just noticed BAND button is labeled differently. Works anyway as before....
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