Replacement climate button kits for BMW F-series cars are sold in 11-, 12- and 14-button versions, and choosing the wrong one is an easy way to end up with a kit that doesn't suit your car. The difference isn't the model or the year: it's the options your car was built with. This guide explains why panels differ and how to identify yours in a couple of minutes.
Why BMW climate panels differ
On cars such as the 5 Series F10 and F11, the 7 Series F01 and F02 and the 6 Series F06, F12 and F13, the climate control panel (BMW calls it the IHKA panel) carries a button for each climate feature the car has. Options change the set of buttons:
- Seat heating brings buttons for the heated seats.
- Seat ventilation (climate-controlled front seats) brings its own buttons.
- Multi-zone climate control changes the panel again, and cars with four-zone climate control also have a separate rear panel.
The result is that two cars of the same model and year can have different panels. Sellers of these kits warn buyers about exactly this, and BMW's own repair kit comes in more than one version. BMW splits its kit by the options above, such as climate-controlled front seats and four-zone climate control, and by build date, with a change around July 2012.
So the model name alone won't tell you which kit you need. Your panel will.
How to identify your layout
- Look at the main panel. Count the buttons on the climate panel in the centre of the dashboard. If your car has four-zone climate control, ignore the rear panel at the back of the centre console for now; check the product page to see which panels a kit covers.
- Count every separate button cap. Go from left to right along each row and count each cap you can press. Take a photo of the panel while you do it, in daylight and with the car's lights off so the symbols are easy to read.
- Compare the photo with the layout photos on the product page. Check the number of buttons and their positions and symbols, not only the total. Two layouts can look alike at a glance.
- Choose the matching layout option. On our kit, pick the layout option with the same number of buttons as your panel.
If the count matches but a symbol or position looks different from the photo, don't guess. Email the photo to info@bmwmods.com and we will tell you which layout matches.
Check your options with a VIN decoder
If you want to confirm what your car was built with, enter the full VIN into a free online BMW VIN decoder. Besides the chassis code and production date, it lists the factory options, including seat heating, seat ventilation and the type of climate control. That tells you why your panel has the buttons it has. It's also a useful check if the car has been retrofitted with a different panel, because then the options list and the panel won't match, and the panel in the car is what counts.
Not sure where to find the VIN? See how to find your chassis code.
Build date matters too
Because BMW's own kit changed around July 2012, check your car's production date as well as its layout. The label on the driver's door pillar shows the VIN and, on many cars, the month and year of production, and a VIN decoder shows it too. Registration dates can be months later than the build date, so use the production date where you can. If the product page gives a date split, match it to your car.
Which cars this applies to
The button-layout question applies to the F-series climate panels covered by BMW's service information on peeling buttons, SI B64 01 13: the F01, F02, F04, F06, F07, F10, F12 and F13. Our climate control button replacement kit is listed for the F01 to F04, F06 and F07, F10 and F11, F12 and F13, and F18. Check the fitment table on the product page against your car before ordering.
Other models have their own panels and kits, so a layout that is right for an F10 tells you nothing about, for example, an F30. Always start from your chassis code.
Common mistakes
- Ordering by model name. "5 Series, 2014" isn't enough. Two cars that match that description can need different kits.
- Counting from memory. Take a photo and count from it. It takes a minute and avoids a return.
- Mixing up front and rear panels. On four-zone cars, make sure you are counting the panel the kit is made for.
- Replacing only the worn buttons. New caps beside old ones rarely match. BMW's bulletin recommends replacing all the buttons in the kit.
After you've identified your layout
Once you know your layout, fitting is the easy part: the old caps lift off and the new ones press on, without removing the centre console. Our guide Why BMW F10 and F01 climate control buttons peel, and the 5-minute fix covers the cause, the tools and each step.
Our kit is covered by our fit guarantee. If it doesn't fit a car shown in its fitment table, we send a replacement or refund you in full, including return postage. If you are still unsure which layout you have, send us a photo before you order. It is quicker for both of us than a return.
You will find the kit and other replacement parts for tired interiors in worn interior fixes.