2 new problems i noticed...

[///Sniper535]

My fan blower has screwed up. Only works on 4 (max) and blows very softly on any other setting. weird thing is that it all started working again after i filled up at the gas station, then when i turned my car off and started it again later, it went out again.

Second, my kick down switch isn't kicking down to the best gear for max acceleration.

Also, I can't find the part on realoem when using the partnumber on BMWe34.net's Fan Blower maintenance page for the resistor.

[Herb]

Do you need to know where the resistor is? Mine did this once or twice, I would turn it on high then back it off to 3, 2, 1 slowly giving each position time to engage, it solved the problem.

[///Sniper535]

well it's dark and i have to wait till tomorrow to start searching for it.

[///Sniper535]

i'm not finding this pack, i took off that triangular carpet piece and didnt find much.


... also how do you remove the kickdown switch?

[Morgenster]

I had similar symptoms but it's not necessarily due to the resistor or 'sword'.
If the blower works in position 1 and stays at that intensity up until 4, it might be the centerconsole dial itself not working properly.

In my case I had to find the resistor on the righthand side. It was a VALEO type and was apparently fine. I just cleaned it a little and afterwards just tapped the dial to get it working (old school banging, kicking, knocking on appliances that don't work properly sometimes still works :D).

[///Sniper535]

i don't know if this has anything to do with it but when my car has warmed up, turned off, then started up when warm, all the settings on the blower seem to work fine...

[Morgenster]

i don't know if this has anything to do with it but when my car has warmed up, turned off, then started up when warm, all the settings on the blower seem to work fine...

That sounds more like a bad contact along the blower control lines: dial switch, plugs, wires, plug at the resistor. If you have a resistor instead of a sword I'd bet on the dial because that resistor didn't look like it could just fail. It's a fairly solid thing.

[Ferret]

That sounds more like a bad contact along the blower control lines: dial switch, plugs, wires, plug at the resistor. If you have a resistor instead of a sword I'd bet on the dial because that resistor didn't look like it could just fail. It's a fairly solid thing.

I have a suspicion about these things - and I think a lot of the time it's to do with the microfilter.

I expect that when the microfilter gets /really/ shafted the following happens with the sword type packs:

.) microfilter blocks, airflow drops to near zero at position 1
.) position 1 is where the most energy (heat) gets dumped into the resistor pack
.) with the reduced airflow and excess heat, the resistor pack cannot be cooled efficiently and burns out.

I need to pull apart the heater unit on the 540 because of something similar I think.

[Morgenster]

I have a suspicion about these things - and I think a lot of the time it's to do with the microfilter.

I expect that when the microfilter gets /really/ shafted the following happens with the sword type packs:

.) microfilter blocks, airflow drops to near zero at position 1
.) position 1 is where the most energy (heat) gets dumped into the resistor pack
.) with the reduced airflow and excess heat, the resistor pack cannot be cooled efficiently and burns out.

I need to pull apart the heater unit on the 540 because of something similar I think.

Didn't the filter get introduced from '92?

[Dave M]

Didn't the filter get introduced from '92?

Not sure of the exact date, but your 91 shouldn't have one.

[Morgenster]

Not sure of the exact date, but your 91 shouldn't have one.

I know, but then neither has Sniper535's car and that voids Ferret's explanation of what's going wrong with the blower. Which was my point. Wouldn't want Sniper looking for an inexistant filter.

[Ferret]

I know, but then neither has Sniper535's car and that voids Ferret's explanation of what's going wrong with the blower. Which was my point. Wouldn't want Sniper looking for an inexistant filter.

Yeah sorry, my bad!

[Sam-Son]

Hmm my grannie's '00 chevy malibu has the same problem with the A/C switch. The Kickdown on my car doesn't work either but I think that may have to do with the fact that I no longer have an auto:D

[///Sniper535]

My fan blower problem has become intermittent and is driving me crazy! btw, i've always known that my car didn't come with a microfilter.