New2BMW
04-18-2005, 09:52 AM
Greetings all,
I just purchased my first BMW, a 1989 535i 5speed, with about 175K on the clock, running great, but try not to look too closely at the finish....
At any rate, among the car's issues is a non-functioning blower fan (will occasionally wake up but usually does not run at all regardless of fan speed setting or temp setting, even full cold or full warm, on either side). I've replaced blower motors in Saabs and know that often they'll kill the resistors when the motors are drawing massive currents, just before they die. Often the sign of a dead resistor there is fan stuck in high position before dying altogether.
I therefore surmise that the motor itself is done for. However, can one save money over the $225 or so blower motor assembly, with squirrel cages? Can I not obtain just the motor and reuse the existing cages?
As to AC, I'd like to jump the compressor to verify that it works. Any easy and safe way to do that? And can I easily tell whether or not mine will work with an R134a conversion?
On the security note, I was reading my owner's manual and became somewhat panicky when I encountered the section on the computer's "CODE" function. Should I be concerned that I do not know this code? Is there a way to query for it, or better still to reset the thing and create my own? Is it recommended not to use it? Am I worried about nothing?
Lastly, any strong recommendations for what manual(s) to buy and where to get them?
Many thanks!
I just purchased my first BMW, a 1989 535i 5speed, with about 175K on the clock, running great, but try not to look too closely at the finish....
At any rate, among the car's issues is a non-functioning blower fan (will occasionally wake up but usually does not run at all regardless of fan speed setting or temp setting, even full cold or full warm, on either side). I've replaced blower motors in Saabs and know that often they'll kill the resistors when the motors are drawing massive currents, just before they die. Often the sign of a dead resistor there is fan stuck in high position before dying altogether.
I therefore surmise that the motor itself is done for. However, can one save money over the $225 or so blower motor assembly, with squirrel cages? Can I not obtain just the motor and reuse the existing cages?
As to AC, I'd like to jump the compressor to verify that it works. Any easy and safe way to do that? And can I easily tell whether or not mine will work with an R134a conversion?
On the security note, I was reading my owner's manual and became somewhat panicky when I encountered the section on the computer's "CODE" function. Should I be concerned that I do not know this code? Is there a way to query for it, or better still to reset the thing and create my own? Is it recommended not to use it? Am I worried about nothing?
Lastly, any strong recommendations for what manual(s) to buy and where to get them?
Many thanks!