Blower Motor Replacement DIY?

[pezho405]

Originally Posted by four.8is

Tonight my blower fan started making a noise like an almost dead alternator pulley ...that metallic sound..don't know how to explain it really but I'm sure it comes from the passenger side .Is there where the blower motor is?
Maybe something is stuck in there gotta find out tomorrow hopefully won't have to take the dash out!

Blower is in the center towards the back under the dash.

If inder the hood you take out the cabin filter assembley and turn recirculation off youll be able to stick your hands inside and touch the blower motor

[knucklebuster]

book time is apprx 6 hours on blower motor .Mine has a squeaky bearing at low speeds .

[Clockwork]

I just had mine replaced at indy. I think it was $900 or $1,200. can't remember exact as I had another thing done too, but it escaped me now what that was too.... anyhow, its costly, but I got it back quickly and I didn't have a place to do it myself anyhow and it was December when mine went. Snowing and about as miserable as you could imagine outside.

[Bmwtvboy]

Really? This is German engineering? Wow, what have I been missing? How about we bring back the old E-30 under the engine bonnet in and out in not time flat. What happen to automotive design, it seems the tech we get the more ignorant we design things. All that to change out a blower motor. Sad.

[motordavid]

Originally Posted by knucklebuster

book time is apprx 6 hours on blower motor .Mine has a squeaky bearing at low speeds .

+1, though it is sometimes even more squeaky at higher fan speeds, though noise is primarily when the lower air direction is on...

Do not look forward to even an Indy visit to get this job done, per cost & time.
Fwiw, on our '02 Vette, it was <20 min job, from under the hood.
GL, mD

[TiAgX5]

The blower fan job is time consuming but easy, that makes it an IDEAL DIY job.

If I'm dropping around 1k in labor to have a repair done, it MUST require expensive tools and/or be a difficult job. This is a job that's easy for anyone with hand tools (and in/lb tq wrench) and the ability to follow directions. (Bentley or online).

[FearlessG1]

Thank you pezho405, your guide got me through a successful blower motor replacement job. I had about 8 screws left over but nothing is rattling, or moves around so guess they weren't extremely necessary. This job was long and had a couple aggravating parts but completely worth the cost savings.

[David.X5]

I just did this to get to my condenser. It is not a hard DIY, just lengthy. See the thread I started - someone posted a link there to the whole procedure. The dash removal is covered in the Bentley manual (get one!).

I would definitely disconnect the battery first. If disconnecting the battery seems like too much work, then this DIY is not for you... ;-)

I picked up a healthy fear of airbags from a volunteer firefighter I work with - I've heard lots of stories of them having airbags deploy unexpectedly minutes after power was cut (they cut the battery cables first) on a car they are cutting in to - don't take your chances.

Disconnect the battery and let the car sit for a few minutes before you start unplugging airbags... In addition to your fingers, it will also save you the hassle of having to clear airbag fault codes.

http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...vaporator.html

[David.X5]

condenser ... evaporator ... all the same to me!!! (punch line from an old joke).

Pardon the error. I removed the dash to replace the evaporator. No need to remove the dash to replace the condenser.

[Quicksilver]

WHAT??? 8 screws left over This is why I probably wouldn't do this job.

Originally Posted by FearlessG1

Thank you pezho405, your guide got me through a successful blower motor replacement job. I had about 8 screws left over but nothing is rattling, or moves around so guess they weren't extremely necessary.