Blower Not Working

Cozy · 06-14-2012, 03:40 PM

Most odd, worked yesterday, not today. The control panel lights up, does what it should as does the iDrive, the revs drop on idle when I activate the heater and also the aircon but no air blows out. What do you reckon?

I've read this thread: http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f75 ... ng-t55271/

Poster has 120d and eventually removes lower passenger dash and manually rotates the fan and it works again, I'm guessing some sh*te was lodged in in. Worth a go?

Any other ideas of guides?

I've read other threads which go on about a FSU and hedgehog, no idea what those are.

E82 135i with tiny miles.

Dackelone · 06-14-2012, 03:55 PM

Normally on older BMW's this is the "final stage resistor". In German they just call it a switch though. I know on my e36 and e39 this switch is like $140. When it fails the blow motor wil work sometimes and other times the display will show a the fan working but you won't have any output of the fan/air. And the heater goes all crazy too. It puts out high heat when you don't want any heat. Not sure if they also go bad on 1er's but its a good bet.

Btw... you have Klima automatic right? With teh digital display. You can read the fault memory and see if there is any code. You need a BT scan tool though.

Dack

Cozy · 06-14-2012, 04:28 PM

Thanks for the reply!

No craziness yet, just no air through the vents. I do have climate control, iDrive also but there are no codes either on iDrive or Cobb AP.

Dackelone · 06-14-2012, 04:29 PM

I think I also remember when using the BT tool there is a way to reset or calibrate the climate control system. I remember it taking several minutes for it to reset it.

Cozy · 06-15-2012, 04:53 AM

I've read a few more threads on this and general opinion seems to be to stab at the fan motor/turbine and get it to turn, works for most but if not then could be something called the final stage resistor, I'm not sure what that is or where it's located.

syenisch · 06-16-2012, 02:24 PM

Same thing happened to me after 8 months of ownership. "Blower Regulator" was the problem. Part number S64-11-9-146-765 was replaced according to my receipt. Interestingly, when I search on getbmwparts.org it doesn't find this part though. Could be entering it in the wrong format or something though.

Cozy · 06-18-2012, 05:58 AM

I managed to fix this myself at no cost. I located the blower motor on the passeneger side (UK car, RHD) by removing the lower dash panel in the footwell. I then removed the air ducting (plastic tubing) that diverts the air into the footwell which unveiled the blower unit with blower regulator attached. So I removed the regulator and looked up into the blower unit, I couldn't see anything stuck in it so I just span it a few times and lubed it up with spray grease (water based). Back on with the regulator and I fired up the heater, all works perfectly as does the AC. I don;t doubt that the regulator will blow at some point but at least I know where it is now.

P.S. If you have back problems then don't attempt, you have to get in some funny poisitions for this job and bend backwards over the lower door frame.

jsivadas · 01-29-2013, 09:43 PM

This just happened to me tonight. Strangely enough the front window defrost works perfectly fine. But when i switch it to blow on my feet/face there is absolutely nothing.. I was guessing it might be cause by the cold weather(-30c here) might of froze something up? So i just parked it in the garage to let the car defrost. I'll go check on the car in a few hours..

Cozy · 01-30-2013, 02:39 AM

It sounds like the motor which controls air direction may have got stuck. My whole blower motor/fan stopped and I couldn't get air from anywhere.

Bmwbreed · 01-30-2013, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Normally on older BMW's this is the "final stage resistor". In German they just call it a switch though. I know on my e36 and e39 this switch is like $140. When it fails the blow motor wil work sometimes and other times the display will show a the fan working but you won't have any output of the fan/air. And the heater goes all crazy too. It puts out high heat when you don't want any heat. Not sure if they also go bad on 1er's but its a good bet.

Btw... you have Klima automatic right? With teh digital display. You can read the fault memory and see if there is any code. You need a BT scan tool though.

Dack

You're probobly right dack. This happened to my buddy here recently and I told him the same thing. I had this problem in my e36 also. I figured BMW would have fixed it by now.

Dackelone · 01-30-2013, 05:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bmwbreed

You're probobly right dack. This happened to my buddy here recently and I told him the same thing. I had this problem in my e36 also. I figured BMW would have fixed it by now.

Yup. Also on older BMW's when the FSU goes out... it can also drain the car's battery bc on some bmw models (5er and 7er) the interior fan will contine to run EVEN when the car is off!

When replacing the FSU you should always use a OE part too. Some of the aftermarket parts have an even worse track record when it comes to lasting.

Bill B. · 01-30-2013, 12:06 PM

Usually when the older FSU's went, they would show symptoms like erratic motor behavior first. Just for giggles, I would check your fan fuse first.

Also, others have reported that re-seated the FSU also solves some problems sometimes.

BTW, end-stage resistor is a misnomer for these FSUs. It's actually circuit-board potted (sealed with resin) in a heatsink assembly. Many times, thermal expansion over time would cause the heatsink to pull away from the board, causing components to be lifted. This would cause momentary connection issues.

trickcruiser · 03-01-2013, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cozy

I managed to fix this myself at no cost. I located the blower motor on the passeneger side (UK car, RHD) by removing the lower dash panel in the footwell. I then removed the air ducting (plastic tubing) that diverts the air into the footwell which unveiled the blower unit with blower regulator attached. So I removed the regulator and looked up into the blower unit, I couldn't see anything stuck in it so I just span it a few times and lubed it up with spray grease (water based). Back on with the regulator and I fired up the heater, all works perfectly as does the AC. I don;t doubt that the regulator will blow at some point but at least I know where it is now.

P.S. If you have back problems then don't attempt, you have to get in some funny poisitions for this job and bend backwards over the lower door frame.

Bringing this thread back from the dead!
I developed your exact same issue last night and found this thread in search. Do you know if the fan motor is on the right side of both the LHD and RHD models?
Thanks,

Cozy · 03-02-2013, 07:02 AM

Glad this thread has helped you

. I imagine it's under the glove box on both. I may be wrong but it's easy to look, just remove the flat piece of trim under the glove box, it's held in by three of four small screws or pop-in clips if I remember and the plug for your footwell light.You'll have to go all Houdini and look under it when removed to see a black dual nosed snorkel which directs air to the passenger's feet, just behind that is the blower unit, it has a silver metal solenoid attached in a kind of semi circle shape. I can't imagine it's under your drivers side of you are LHD, there's not so much room but I hope someone can say for sure. What's the diagram on real oem like?

bimmer74 · 03-02-2013, 08:11 AM

The blower motor in my car is staring to sqeal so it may be on the way out. I found this useful DYI on the E90 3 series forum. I believe the setup is similar in the 1 series:

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=464807

trickcruiser · 03-02-2013, 10:55 AM

So the blower motor is indeed behind the glove box. Very easy to get to so I went ahead and pulled it out while keeping it attached to the power source. I quickly noticed that the fan was really tight.

Turn the fan on and nothing.
Give it a little nudge it started to spin but then stopped...
Sprayed it with some electric contact cleaner
Turned on the motor again. No spin...
Gave it a nudge and it was spinning really well! Ahhhhh fixed!
Turn it off and back on and nothing.
Give it a nudge and spin.
Turn it off and back on and nothing. etc etc etc...

So it looks like the good news is that it is the blower and should be an easy replacement.

Thank you for the help!

Cozy · 03-02-2013, 12:56 PM

No problem. I had to lubricate mine twice or three times before it started being reliable again. I think it just gets dirt inside and clogs up but some good water based lube free's it up. The down side is that for about 3wks after your car smells like the lube when you turn on the heater or AC but nothing too bad.

CACTUS1549 · 12-18-2013, 07:33 PM

Just thought I'd chime in that I had this happen to me today, I drove to work and HVAC worked fine, returned home and the thermostat display functioned perfectly, and I could hear the vent actuators opening/closing, but nothing produced airflow. I checked the fuses, (and unplugged one which ended up scaring the pants off me when I heard all the bells go off, and the rear ride actuator engaging continuously LOL) and nothing displayed a problem. I supposed it to be the FSU. An hour later, I decided to play around down there since it's easy to get to, and I removed the floor paneling to find the FSU and a fully enclosed blower fan. I thought "well damn the fan is completely sealed. HOWEVER!... There is a "trap door" (my terminology) that is about 1.5inch x 1.5 where the two wires from the FSU lead to the blower motor. At first I didn't want to remove it, so I tried reseating both FSU plugs and restarting the vehicle. No dice. So I decided to open the trap door. Inside you can see the blower motor in all her naked beauty, and you have access to the core, where the magnetos sit (which will spin when alternating currents are applied). I said "this is potentially dangerous, and costly; so let's do it!"... I unplugged the motor from the FSU and removed the key from the ignition. I REPEAT YOU NEED TO DO THIS UNPLUGGED, THE LARGEST AMPERAGE FUSE IN SERIES WITH THE MOTOR IS 40AMPS WHICH IS MORE THAN 80x ENOUGH TO KILL YOU! Safety first! I then took my pocket knife (probably should have used something non-conductive since magnetos can capacitate energy), and gave the magneto a 1/2 total turn. Low and behold, when I placed the key back in, it began turning as good as new, if not better! I cycled it a few times, and at variable loads, and it is perfect! I thought I heard some debris get blown out, unsure, but if it did it was very small particulates.

Since it is winter, and I haven't ran the AC in a while, I continue testing it while in MAX AC mode for about 15 minutes to cycle the AC as well (which you should all do if the AC will go a prolonged period of inactivity).

So long story short, if the fuses are good, unplug and give the motor magnetos one half turn and try it out; if you encounter the same problem. If it still fails to attempt to engage, then it is most likely the FSU 90% chance. OEM price is about 110 for this, so try the free easy way first.

That had to have been the smoothest tinkering attempt I have done with this car.

Only time will tell if something permanently fails, and I will repost if it does.

Rock on!

zuchini · 03-22-2018, 06:35 PM

Hello, my blower was a little noisy since a year at least, nothing very annoying, but suddently my fan stopped working. (BMW 128i 2009 - 124000km)

I had to choose between blower or resistor, after reading these posts it seems motor blow a little more often. I only changed the motor (67$US) and everything is now working fine.

Took 15 mins to do...

Just sharing my experience

Here are picture of my old blower.

honestzergtea · 05-03-2018, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cozy

I managed to fix this myself at no cost. I located the blower motor on the passeneger side (UK car, RHD) by removing the lower dash panel in the footwell. I then removed the air ducting (plastic tubing) that diverts the air into the footwell which unveiled the blower unit with blower regulator attached. So I removed the regulator and looked up into the blower unit, I couldn't see anything stuck in it so I just span it a few times and lubed it up with spray grease (water based). Back on with the regulator and I fired up the heater, all works perfectly as does the AC. I don;t doubt that the regulator will blow at some point but at least I know where it is now.

P.S. If you have back problems then don't attempt, you have to get in some funny poisitions for this job and bend backwards over the lower door frame.

Bringing this back from the dead but wanted to let everyone know that spinning the fan with a screwdriver worked like a charm! Only other thing I did was spray down the 2 connectors plugged into the FSU with some electrical cleaner.

The HVAC display was showing fan speeds but the blower motor had stopped working one day.
I have a 3 hour drive in 80+ degree weather tomorrow it would have been very unpleasant to make that drive with no A/C.

chris_flies · 05-04-2018, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honestzergtea

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cozy

I managed to fix this myself at no cost. I located the blower motor on the passeneger side (UK car, RHD) by removing the lower dash panel in the footwell. I then removed the air ducting (plastic tubing) that diverts the air into the footwell which unveiled the blower unit with blower regulator attached. So I removed the regulator and looked up into the blower unit, I couldn't see anything stuck in it so I just span it a few times and lubed it up with spray grease (water based). Back on with the regulator and I fired up the heater, all works perfectly as does the AC. I don;t doubt that the regulator will blow at some point but at least I know where it is now.

P.S. If you have back problems then don't attempt, you have to get in some funny poisitions for this job and bend backwards over the lower door frame.

Bringing this back from the dead but wanted to let everyone know that spinning the fan with a screwdriver worked like a charm! Only other thing I did was spray down the 2 connectors plugged into the FSU with some electrical cleaner.

The HVAC display was showing fan speeds but the blower motor had stopped working one day.
I have a 3 hour drive in 80+ degree weather tomorrow it would have been very unpleasant to make that drive with no A/C.

Yes. Yes it would.

Liquidsunshine · 07-22-2019, 05:22 PM

I looked at mine today. The hot terminal in the resistor pack had somehow got so much resistance that it burned up the incoming wires. I'm really glad I checked when I did because this hot (30A) wire was right next to a grounded wire and may have melted the whole thing down if I hadn't stopped to look! The insulation was all burned off both 10 ga wires and they were yikes! so close to melting the shooting match down.

06-14-2012, 03:40 PM	#1
Cozy Major 111 Rep 1,487 Posts Drives: E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Surrey, England iTrader: (0)	Blower Not Working Most odd, worked yesterday, not today. The control panel lights up, does what it should as does the iDrive, the revs drop on idle when I activate the heater and also the aircon but no air blows out. What do you reckon? I've read this thread: http://www.bimmerforums.co.uk/forum/f75 ... ng-t55271/ Poster has 120d and eventually removes lower passenger dash and manually rotates the fan and it works again, I'm guessing some shte was lodged in in. Worth a go? Any other ideas of guides? I've read other threads which go on about a FSU and hedgehog, no idea what those are. E82 135i with tiny miles. Last edited by Cozy; 06-15-2012 at 04:42 AM..*
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06-14-2012, 03:55 PM	#2
Dackelone European Editor 10532 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	Normally on older BMW's this is the "final stage resistor". In German they just call it a switch though. I know on my e36 and e39 this switch is like $140. When it fails the blow motor wil work sometimes and other times the display will show a the fan working but you won't have any output of the fan/air. And the heater goes all crazy too. It puts out high heat when you don't want any heat. Not sure if they also go bad on 1er's but its a good bet. Btw... you have Klima automatic right? With teh digital display. You can read the fault memory and see if there is any code. You need a BT scan tool though. Dack __________________ Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide
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06-14-2012, 04:28 PM	#3
Cozy Major 111 Rep 1,487 Posts Drives: E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Surrey, England iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the reply! No craziness yet, just no air through the vents. I do have climate control, iDrive also but there are no codes either on iDrive or Cobb AP.
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06-14-2012, 04:29 PM	#4
Dackelone European Editor 10532 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	I think I also remember when using the BT tool there is a way to reset or calibrate the climate control system. I remember it taking several minutes for it to reset it. __________________ Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide
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06-15-2012, 04:53 AM	#5
Cozy Major 111 Rep 1,487 Posts Drives: E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Surrey, England iTrader: (0)	I've read a few more threads on this and general opinion seems to be to stab at the fan motor/turbine and get it to turn, works for most but if not then could be something called the final stage resistor, I'm not sure what that is or where it's located.
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06-16-2012, 02:24 PM	#6
syenisch Captain 111 Rep 810 Posts Drives: 2015 435i Gran Coupe Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Winter Garden, FL iTrader: (1)	Same thing happened to me after 8 months of ownership. "Blower Regulator" was the problem. Part number S64-11-9-146-765 was replaced according to my receipt. Interestingly, when I search on getbmwparts.org it doesn't find this part though. Could be entering it in the wrong format or something though.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-18-2012, 05:58 AM	#7
Cozy Major 111 Rep 1,487 Posts Drives: E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Surrey, England iTrader: (0)	I managed to fix this myself at no cost. I located the blower motor on the passeneger side (UK car, RHD) by removing the lower dash panel in the footwell. I then removed the air ducting (plastic tubing) that diverts the air into the footwell which unveiled the blower unit with blower regulator attached. So I removed the regulator and looked up into the blower unit, I couldn't see anything stuck in it so I just span it a few times and lubed it up with spray grease (water based). Back on with the regulator and I fired up the heater, all works perfectly as does the AC. I don;t doubt that the regulator will blow at some point but at least I know where it is now. P.S. If you have back problems then don't attempt, you have to get in some funny poisitions for this job and bend backwards over the lower door frame.
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01-29-2013, 09:43 PM	#8
jsivadas Private First Class 64 Rep 126 Posts Drives: 2011 E90 M3 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: YYC iTrader: (3)	This just happened to me tonight. Strangely enough the front window defrost works perfectly fine. But when i switch it to blow on my feet/face there is absolutely nothing.. I was guessing it might be cause by the cold weather(-30c here) might of froze something up? So i just parked it in the garage to let the car defrost. I'll go check on the car in a few hours..
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01-30-2013, 02:39 AM	#9
Cozy Major 111 Rep 1,487 Posts Drives: E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Surrey, England iTrader: (0)	It sounds like the motor which controls air direction may have got stuck. My whole blower motor/fan stopped and I couldn't get air from anywhere.
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01-30-2013, 12:06 PM	#12
Bill B. Lieutenant 19 Rep 439 Posts Drives: '18 M2, '13 X135i '15 S1000R Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Cary, NC iTrader: (0)	Usually when the older FSU's went, they would show symptoms like erratic motor behavior first. Just for giggles, I would check your fan fuse first. Also, others have reported that re-seated the FSU also solves some problems sometimes. BTW, end-stage resistor is a misnomer for these FSUs. It's actually circuit-board potted (sealed with resin) in a heatsink assembly. Many times, thermal expansion over time would cause the heatsink to pull away from the board, causing components to be lifted. This would cause momentary connection issues. Last edited by Bill B.; 01-30-2013 at 12:17 PM..
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03-02-2013, 07:02 AM	#14
Cozy Major 111 Rep 1,487 Posts Drives: E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Surrey, England iTrader: (0)	Glad this thread has helped you . I imagine it's under the glove box on both. I may be wrong but it's easy to look, just remove the flat piece of trim under the glove box, it's held in by three of four small screws or pop-in clips if I remember and the plug for your footwell light.You'll have to go all Houdini and look under it when removed to see a black dual nosed snorkel which directs air to the passenger's feet, just behind that is the blower unit, it has a silver metal solenoid attached in a kind of semi circle shape. I can't imagine it's under your drivers side of you are LHD, there's not so much room but I hope someone can say for sure. What's the diagram on real oem like?
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03-02-2013, 08:11 AM	#15
bimmer74 Second Lieutenant 7 Rep 212 Posts Drives: 2011 335i xDrive Sedan Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Massachusetts iTrader: (3)	The blower motor in my car is staring to sqeal so it may be on the way out. I found this useful DYI on the E90 3 series forum. I believe the setup is similar in the 1 series: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=464807 __________________ 2011 335i xDrive Sedan / 6MT / M-Sport / PPK1
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03-02-2013, 10:55 AM	#16
trickcruiser Lieutenant 99 Rep 508 Posts Drives: F80 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Cincinnati, OH iTrader: (1)	So the blower motor is indeed behind the glove box. Very easy to get to so I went ahead and pulled it out while keeping it attached to the power source. I quickly noticed that the fan was really tight. Turn the fan on and nothing. Give it a little nudge it started to spin but then stopped... Sprayed it with some electric contact cleaner Turned on the motor again. No spin... Gave it a nudge and it was spinning really well! Ahhhhh fixed! Turn it off and back on and nothing. Give it a nudge and spin. Turn it off and back on and nothing. etc etc etc... So it looks like the good news is that it is the blower and should be an easy replacement. Thank you for the help! __________________
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03-02-2013, 12:56 PM	#17
Cozy Major 111 Rep 1,487 Posts Drives: E82 135i Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Surrey, England iTrader: (0)	No problem. I had to lubricate mine twice or three times before it started being reliable again. I think it just gets dirt inside and clogs up but some good water based lube free's it up. The down side is that for about 3wks after your car smells like the lube when you turn on the heater or AC but nothing too bad.
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12-18-2013, 07:33 PM	#18
CACTUS1549 That Sedona Red blur that just passed you... 15 Rep 62 Posts Drives: '08 128i Coupe - Sedona & MODS Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Wherever the plane landed... iTrader: (0)	Just thought I'd chime in that I had this happen to me today, I drove to work and HVAC worked fine, returned home and the thermostat display functioned perfectly, and I could hear the vent actuators opening/closing, but nothing produced airflow. I checked the fuses, (and unplugged one which ended up scaring the pants off me when I heard all the bells go off, and the rear ride actuator engaging continuously LOL) and nothing displayed a problem. I supposed it to be the FSU. An hour later, I decided to play around down there since it's easy to get to, and I removed the floor paneling to find the FSU and a fully enclosed blower fan. I thought "well damn the fan is completely sealed. HOWEVER!... There is a "trap door" (my terminology) that is about 1.5inch x 1.5 where the two wires from the FSU lead to the blower motor. At first I didn't want to remove it, so I tried reseating both FSU plugs and restarting the vehicle. No dice. So I decided to open the trap door. Inside you can see the blower motor in all her naked beauty, and you have access to the core, where the magnetos sit (which will spin when alternating currents are applied). I said "this is potentially dangerous, and costly; so let's do it!"... I unplugged the motor from the FSU and removed the key from the ignition. I REPEAT YOU NEED TO DO THIS UNPLUGGED, THE LARGEST AMPERAGE FUSE IN SERIES WITH THE MOTOR IS 40AMPS WHICH IS MORE THAN 80x ENOUGH TO KILL YOU! Safety first! I then took my pocket knife (probably should have used something non-conductive since magnetos can capacitate energy), and gave the magneto a 1/2 total turn. Low and behold, when I placed the key back in, it began turning as good as new, if not better! I cycled it a few times, and at variable loads, and it is perfect! I thought I heard some debris get blown out, unsure, but if it did it was very small particulates. Since it is winter, and I haven't ran the AC in a while, I continue testing it while in MAX AC mode for about 15 minutes to cycle the AC as well (which you should all do if the AC will go a prolonged period of inactivity). So long story short, if the fuses are good, unplug and give the motor magnetos one half turn and try it out; if you encounter the same problem. If it still fails to attempt to engage, then it is most likely the FSU 90% chance. OEM price is about 110 for this, so try the free easy way first. That had to have been the smoothest tinkering attempt I have done with this car. Only time will tell if something permanently fails, and I will repost if it does. Rock on!
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03-22-2018, 06:35 PM	#19
zuchini Registered 0 Rep 1 Posts Drives: BMW 128i Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Quebec iTrader: (0)	Had to change my blower too Pictures Hello, my blower was a little noisy since a year at least, nothing very annoying, but suddently my fan stopped working. (BMW 128i 2009 - 124000km) I had to choose between blower or resistor, after reading these posts it seems motor blow a little more often. I only changed the motor (67$US) and everything is now working fine. Took 15 mins to do... Just sharing my experience Here are picture of my old blower. Attached Images
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07-22-2019, 05:22 PM	#22
Liquidsunshine New Member 2 Rep 8 Posts Drives: 2011 - 128 convert Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Bellingham WA iTrader: (0)	Heater blower working off and on Melted Wires! I looked at mine today. The hot terminal in the resistor pack had somehow got so much resistance that it burned up the incoming wires. I'm really glad I checked when I did because this hot (30A) wire was right next to a grounded wire and may have melted the whole thing down if I hadn't stopped to look! The insulation was all burned off both 10 ga wires and they were yikes! so close to melting the shooting match down.
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