Thanks a ton! And good to hear that the FSU is cheaper than the motor.
Sounds like the FSU goes out due to the climate control fan being on low most of the time--lots of FSU resistance with little air flow to cool it down. Still very strange to me that it was sucking in...
Based on what I'm (not) finding online, the
rear FSU is a much rarer issue. No video tutorials or even blog posts, while the main/front FSU is comparatively common, even
on Xoutpost. There is a compatible
rear FSU part on eBay, however, so between that and the fact that the front blower works with fuse #98 out, there's gotta be a way to get in the center console and replace it....I just haven't found it online. I'll have to give it a few more weeks until I have a free Saturday.
If there's anything I've learned this week, it's that BMW has more acronyms than the US Army.
I've read more about the IBS (intelligent battery sensor), and it sounds like that should be kicking in to turn off the FSU before it drains the battery too much to start the car. Am I understanding wrong? If so, does that mean my IBS is bad? I checked the battery and there aren't any unattached cables, so I doubt it's been removed without my knowledge.