Blower Motor replacment
 

So My blower motor is on it's last leg, Can someone advise of what additional parts I should change while I'm in the dash. I'm going to order every and attempt a DIY.
Just want to make sure I order and replace what I need.
I've read the Evap should also be replaced, but it's $500?
I don't have a vac machine so I'll have to go to my local guy, or maybe I'll have him do the work? How many billable hours should I expect?

Many, many billable hours. I'd do the evap core, expansion valve, and heater core at the same time.

So are we looking at over 10 hours? and replace everything? this is going to become a 3k job fast!

Yes it does. I think its a 10-15hr job plus parts, coolant, and refridgant.

If you are able to outsource the technical jobs (like evacuating the refrigerant) and have the skills needed to remove and reinstall the dash components yourself, you will save a LOT of money. Take lots of reference pictures as you go, keep an ipad or laptop handy for reference to the Internet, and just plod away at it. That is, if you have the time and inclination...

I think I can handle removing the dash, just worried about pulling the steering wheel off.

Here we go again with trader4.

One bolt and it will just pull off.

What's the 'last leg' indications? I rebuilt a blower motor w/o replacing not too long ago; it was even crimped closed body (not welded, but not bolted) I was able to bend open the crimps, pull apart and replace bearing parts and in my case had to solder some winding wires to the commutator.

Do you have a step-by-step to get to the blower motor (youtube video etc). If you can get the motor out/in I would be willing to help you determine if it's an easy fix.

Removing the steering wheel is a piece of piss mate. Follow the plentiful instructions on the web about removing the airbag, and rest is simply electrical and mechanical.

One the blower motor R & R threads:

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

GL, mD

It's just a matter of time before the eval goes. Just replace it and move on.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

My evaporator went out. My SA at my local Indy has had his evaporator go out on his x3. They do fail. Just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean that it doesn't happen. There are many threads about it for e39s. You don't see as many for the X5 because we have a rather small group.

Someone told me that if you remove the center vents x2 (the vents above the radio), then use a "colonosope" (OK, it is the inspection snake that one can buy for $65) to look.

If you look carefully through the colonoscope, you will see where the shaft joins the blower body. This bushing needs just a drop of oil on each side and this should be good for 2 years or so.

This should avoid removal the dash. Very often the squeaky blower motor is from dry bushings. It is not bearing, but bushings.

In the E39, some people remove the Cabin Filter Intake Boot and spray some WD-40 down the blower motor. The cabin will smell for a while but again, this saves time from dash removal.

BTW,

flybye, you need to rule out the FSR first.
When the FSR fails, it usually fails in the "ON" mode, in which case the blower motor runs all the time, draining the battery.
However, it can be "OFF" too, in that case blower motor does not run.

So, get a used FSR (BMW used) from ebay for $15, swap it and see what happens.

This is very promising as far as preventative maintenance goes.

I have not tried the inspection camera method, but wanted to show that McMaster-Carr sells extensions for aerosol spray cans that would help get in there.

McMaster-Carr

This is exactly the kind of input i was hoping for! I have exactly the tool you describe, milwaukee calls it the "M-Spector 360 Rotating Digital Inspection Camera" but i call it the 'rectal probe'. Best part of this one over my dad's cheapie $65 model; the head is 1/2 the diameter (1/4 the cross-sectional area)!

In any event with 131131 miles hit yesterday and my dash completely open under my footwell (chasing an open wire gremlin; neither my puddle light or my left side signal work)... maybe i can get up from below, if not i'll try the center vent or pop the radio method (i need to remove to fix the 'klingon' display issue on the MID).

oh and i pretty much meant bushing vs bearing; not sure if this motor is vertical or horizonal axis but usually they are vertical; my brothers was very smart design; vertical axis held up by the magnetic forces so no axial load on the bushing at all (except when hitting bumps in the road)

-awr