Replacing Final Stage Blower Resistor pack

[sb1111]

I have been having similar problems and after I removed the faulty fsu and jumpered the connector as such:
zipwax:

In THEORY, you could hotwire the brown wire to the blower's brown/yellow wire, and the brown/green 12v wire to the blower's green and yellow wire, and turn on the car. The blower SHOULD go full guns! (but don't yell at me if I'm wrong, but I'm rarely wrong)

and the blower when on full blast. Try this before going to all of the trouble of tearing out the blower.

YMMV, please don't sue me if your car blows up.

[TC535i]

Came across this thread... having an issue in my analog 95 M3 where every now and then the fan won't work whatsoever (at any setting), then suddenly it'll work like nothing ever happened (works on all settings). I've found writeups online indicating FSU's on both the driver and passenger side... any idea which relates to my problem?

[bokoBMW318isE36]

Two weeks ago I jump in to my 1997 318is for night ride, I turn the AC, everything was work fine, but the motor doesn't blow at all at any speed, first I decided that the blower motor is blown because all fuses are fine, but I wasn't sure, so I look two days online to findout what could couse that problem, and everybody had that problems few years ago, so I found that FSU in www.improtecwarehouse.com for a 50$ with delivery, so I got it yestrday, instoled, and turn on the AC, the blower motor start blows but only on high speed, and it stop only if turn off the ignition key, that what everybody describe in their posts, but I have it with the new one . Today I don't know why, but I just decided to try the old one, and it was fine, everything start work like before . Anyway today I ordered a new FSU from pelican for 70$ and will see..........

[Alpha ///]

Blower stopped blowing a few months ago.

I just replaced the FSU last week - nothing changed. All lights and controls still work on the climate control unit, but no air blows out.

Two days ago, out of no where, the blower starting working. But it remained on at a fixed speed. I could adjust the temperature and which vents the air blew out of, but despite what I changed the fan speed to, the blower would work only on one fixed speed.

Today I replaced the capacitor inside the climate control unit and I am able to dim the display now, but the problem remains - no matter what fan speed setting I chose, the blower blows at one speed.

Any ideas? Is there another relay? Capacitor? Some kind of electrical connection I could test?

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thank you in advance,

Jeremy

[Alpha ///]

Anything? at all?

[xman11]

Anything? at all?

Is it possible you installed a defective FSU?

[Alpha ///]

Is it possible you installed a defective FSU?

That does seem possible - even though I bought it from the stealership, I guess these kinds of things do happen sometimes.

Is there a way to test the FSU to see if it is faulty?

[stonewis]

Awesome write up! It took me a few minutes to find the FSU. It's a few inches towards the firewall. I was looking in the hole where the footwell air duct went. Piece of cake and now my blower motor has way more than one speed!
Thanks for posting this!
(Do you have any other write ups?)

[miamikk]

I have the exact same problem. I had my blower working perfectly until today afternoon before I replaced the battery. I just took out the car and found the blower is not working anymore. All the lights on the digital control unit are working and all the buttons seem to respond, so I am assuming I have a bad Final Stage Resistor Unit as suggested by OP.

I am in Seattle on a trip and don't have much time to get the part ordered online for cheap. I would like to ask if the part can be found at local parts store (Autozone, O'Riely or NAPA etc) ? If yes, can anyone provide the correct part no# ?. Where is everyone getting the part from online (other than Stealer ofcourse who I believe sells for $125-$150).

Any help is really appreciated.



The part is around $220 before taxes at BMW's in Seattle. Does anyone know if an OEM part can be purchased locally in Seattle area ?

[miamikk]

Finally I was able to get a FSU and replaced it today but the blower still does not work. I checked all the fuses and they are good. I can think of only a defective FSU or a bad blower motor.

Any suggestions on how to proceed from here ??

[deepage]

Hi, Thanks to everyone for the posts. I have an E34 or a 1993 525 station wagon. The blower motor only works in high. Do all these posts apply to the e34?

Thanks

[deepage]

No problem man, glad to be of help. I didn't think there were so many people with this problem. I guess I'll make more DIY's since usually what happens to me happens to everyone else.

Hi,

I have the problem of blower motor only working on high setting. I have a 93 E34 so it is the knob or dial. Would I be replacing the blower motor resistor Pack. If so is there a diagram on where it is. Thanks,

in my 93 e34 I have the knob or dial control for my blower motor. It only works on high. From reading these different posts i am thinking it is the blower motor resistor pack? Does anyone have the part number and the best place to get it? I am a new owner of a 93 525iT and am trying to work out the bugs. Thanks

[Chokingdogs]

Finally......

Replaced the one in my car.

I now have full control over blower speed again, and I cannot believe I waited so long to do this, by long I mean well over a year.

As a recap - My car is a 97, so the CC is digital, and the symptom I was getting was no "real" control of the fan speed. Up or down would do very little, maybe a notch/speed above the lowest one and that was it. Every now and again it would speed up, blow faster, then go back to slow. Eventually that stopped and the speed was basically two - slowest and nothing.

As an aside, even if your fan speed and FSU are functioning normally, some may want to yank it out and clean up.....

If your car is kept outside - like mine. You park it in an area surrounded by trees - like I do. The trees give off lots of junk, helicopters, pollen tails, etc. - like mine do.

You will be surprised at the amount of junk in the duct work, junk that gets through the cowl screen only accumulate at the bottom ducting. I have no idea how many Poplar helicopters I vacuumed out, but it was a ton.

Got my mini shop vac, set the CC unit to blow out the bottom, then cranked up the fan speed with the hose jammed into where the FSU goes. Took a good 5 minutes of doing that, then reaching in and moving things closer with my fingers - rinse and repeat until cleared.

[mozilla8246]

not very hard job, but was very effictive on my bimmer. Replaced evrything what has to do with the heater already, including hvac. Fix one, another fails. This was last step, but got my heter back to life, and to say more it has been improved a lot compare to my other final stage! thanx for the writeup.

Littel tips that I found doing it. I had to remove 3 not 2 screws to remove my knee pannel. There was one under the pannel as well, by the gas pedal. To remove it I found it easier to pull it towards the back of the car, and then out. The air duct does not just pulls out. There two littel plastic clips that are holding it. Just use a flatbed screwdriver and pry those out first, then it easly pulls out.

[ihaveaE36m3]

Instead of having a screw here, I have a round plastic cap looking thing. How do I remove it? I don't want to break it.

[ErikO]

Instead of having a screw here, I have a round plastic cap looking thing. How do I remove it? I don't want to break it.

It's probably just a cover over the screw. Pry it off with a small screwdriver.

[ihaveaE36m3]

I broke a round cap that goes over the screw that attaches my panel. Does anyone know where I can buy another one?

[ErikO]

I broke a round cap that goes over the screw that attaches my panel. Does anyone know where I can buy another one?

The dealer should have them.

[RyanMurphy1]

Thanks for the write-up, OP. I've ordered the FSU from Pelican, which was much cheaper than BavAuto ($65 v. $85). My symptoms are as follows, and I will post when I've installed the new unit, about whether it was in fact the FSU:

All buttons, lights, and functions work except when it's warm out, the fan won't blow (although it all lights up).

In cold weather, the fan blows.

My other thought is that there may be a loose/bad connection, which cold temperatures cause to shrink and tighten up, and warm temps cause to expand and break contact.

We'll see!

[ihaveaE36m3]

I was able to fix my blower problem for only $35. Probably would have cost $5-600 if I brought it to a carpenter. Thanks for the help everyone.

[RyanMurphy1]

Thanks for the write-up, OP. I've ordered the FSU from Pelican, which was much cheaper than BavAuto ($65 v. $85). My symptoms are as follows, and I will post when I've installed the new unit, about whether it was in fact the FSU:

All buttons, lights, and functions work except when it's warm out, the fan won't blow (although it all lights up).

In cold weather, the fan blows.

My other thought is that there may be a loose/bad connection, which cold temperatures cause to shrink and tighten up, and warm temps cause to expand and break contact.

We'll see!

Update: Replaced the FSU, and that did the trick! BFC FTW! $60 and 15 minutes later, my blower is working great. Thanks for the DIY, OP.

[Moeman10]

Here's a bump

'92 325is

None of the lights behind the climate control buttons light up, and I'm thinking it's the FSU. The fan doesn't blow any air, but when I turn the fan all the way up, I can hear it working, but no air is coming out, and I can't control the temperature of the air. It's always hot.


Just to clarify before I order, this is the FSU right? or is it something else?

[Marknhl]

I have a 94 325IS and my blower only work on high. I have replaced the blower motor resistor about four times now only to have it fail within a week or so. The last time however, I replaced the blower motor relay with one from my parts car and it lasted a couple months. However, again the resistor has died. Thoughts? Help? Thanks

[Marknhl]

I have a 94 325IS and my blower only work on high. I have replaced the blower motor resistor about four times now only to have it fail within a week or so. The last time however, I replaced the blower motor relay with one from my parts car and it lasted a couple months. However, again the resistor has died. Thoughts? Help? Thanks

Anyone?

[ADHD]

Update: Replaced the FSU, and that did the trick! BFC FTW! $60 and 15 minutes later, my blower is working great. Thanks for the DIY, OP.

Thanks for the DIY!! My Blower had a mind of its own and would not work on the hottest days it was horrible... Ordered from Pelican and had the part the next day. Installed in 15min and everything works Perfect.. Great write up OP..