Climate Control Problems Please Help
 

Greetings X5'er,

My 2002 X5 with 86k miles has decided to give me problems with A/C. I took it to a shop because only the driver side window vent was blowing cold air and the rest warm. Upon inspection the guy tells me is my Auxiliary fan, and $400 dollars later the problem still persist. Took it to a different shop and the mechanic was more honest. He tested and measured the temperatures coming from the vents and said I have a "Climate Control Problem". The control unit seems to be working properly. At one point he put the temperature on the passenger side to 90 degrees and no heat was coming out from that side, but when he did it to the driver side it was heating up. He honestly told me his shop didn't have the proper tools to work on the car and told me I need to bring to dealership. He said it had to do with the "Air Blower Resistor" under the glove box. I took his answer and respected his honesty on not having the proper tools to work on the vehicle being that there are lots of aftermarket shops that would just stick it to you.

My concern at this is point is cost. Has anyone experienced these problems with the vehicle and if so what was the outcome/fix?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

This is a very common problem and is a very easy fix if you can use a screwdriver. Do a search on "Final Stage Resistor" and you will find the DIY that you need to fix it. The cost of the part is about $100 and can be replaced in about 1 hour or less.

Thank you. Just bought the FSU for $70 bucks, free shipping and found a step by step DIY with pictures. Let's hope this fixes my possessed AC/Heater unit.

Anyone else with more information or feedback, I will greatly appreciate it!

When the FSR fails, the symptoms are usually that the blower motor doesn't function correctly. It only controls the interior fan motor, and it sounds like your fan was working fine.

Problems with not getting cold air out the vents can include low refrigerant, the auxiliary fan, or the control valve.

Go ahead with the FSR, and if it helps, great. If not, it is time for a proper diagnosis before you continue to replace components.

I had the same problem. I changed the "Final Stage Resistor" and everything is running perfect now. The installation of the resistor was a bitch to get to, however, I got it done. It requires a lot of patience. Good luck!!