My video shows how to remove the IHKA heater and AC control panel on a BMW using a 3 Series E46. This same procedure can be used for E39 5 Series and E38 7 S…
BMW Heater Control Panel Removal And Intallation Including Diagnosis Tips E46 3 Series DIY
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Excellent video, and explanation. I have a 1998 E39. Do you have a video of
how to take apart the faceplate, and replacing the spring clips? I seem to
keep having a few become dislodged when I put it back together, and then
two or three buttons won’t adjust, I was just wondering if there is a trick
to it? I also lubed the spinning plastic fan in the unit, and that really
quieted it down.
Hi there, i have a heating issue, i changed the hedgehog unit under the
dash board about a year ago, since then, i have no heating, i have flushed
the cooling system out, both hoses ether side of the thermostat are hot and
the blower unit is working correctly……………….any suggestions
would be greatly appreciated.
It would help if what car i have….316i SE Touring (2000)
Hi I have an E46 that has the same heater control unit but the lights on
the back of it (so I can see buttons etc. at night) don’t work. Any ideas?
I’ve checked fuses etc. but nothing…Do I need a new part?
ok switch the final stage unit it didn’t shut off the buzzing running noise
coming from the unit the replacement from the dealer plugged in fine but
wouldn’t slide into the triangle shaped bay that the old one came from but
plugged it in turned it over and everything was just like it was before
noise still there with car off and key out I am thinking about to replacing
the unit itself but waiting to hear your comments first and ty for taking
the time to get back me I know time is precious
where can I find the online manual you have in the beginning of the video?
Thanks for your reply. I have a 1998 328 convertible and my buddy’s bmw
heater works fine. Do you think there is a way to program it or something
broken?
Hi There. Thanks for the video. I have an E46 1999 320d. Got home tonight
and the heater just won’t turn off. Its blowing a gale even when you turn
the engine off. Any thoughts on this? Many thanks.
This is not a typical failure. This may be an issue with a low refrigerant
charge. Or it could be a failing heater control panel or there is a problem
with the air distribution inside the heater box with a failing or failed
stepper motor.
Thank you for posting this video, I just recently purchased a 2004 330ci
convertible, had a new radio installed and within a week I have no forced
air coming from any vents at all. Before I waste any more money on
diagnostics I was hoping if you could advise? AC and heat were working
perfectly, AC is fully charged and holding refrigerant, but the blower
motor seems to not be working…Please help me!! Thank You
Hello. I have a 2002 bmw 318ci and my A/C is not working properly. I had
the refrigerant checked and it’s all in order. From the garage they said
it’s something else. Any ideas? Thanks.
Hi i have a problem with the heater on my 2001 320d se, the light on the
front windsreen demister has changed from green to orange and even when i
have everything set to the coolest setting i only get hot air! can you
please help?
I have a problem with my unit not turning off after I remove the key I can
hear the buzz or running what is either the fan or what you called the
“self test” but it stays on and drains my battery currently I am
disconnecting my battery at not so it doesn’t drain bought new battery and
had alternator tested driving me nuts I shut the car off take out key and
hear that running and only thing I have ever heard that matches is when ya
had the unit remove turned the key off and the same buzzin sound
Hi thanks for the video , it’s really helpful Now my problem is air
conditioner works fine also air is pretty cold as well but the footwell
and. Top vent near the windshield blows warm air. So the cabin do not get
cold enough .I would be so glad if you can help me out in this situition.
Last week I was thinking to sell this car because of this issue , really
disappointed as I am not able to rectifyregards swetal
Hello awylon, Thanks for watching and the comment. You would be surprised
how much you could do yourself 🙂 But having the knowledge of a failure so
you cannot be taken advantage of from a shop is also a good thing to have 😉
Hello Davi, Does the fan run by itself even with the heater control panel
turned off?
hi thanks for the prompt reply , when every thing is turned cold the
defrost vent and the footwell vent blows hot air and the main blowers blow
cold air as well .
Hi!, I have 99 BMW 328i not in the best of condition but I’m working on it.
Anyway, I’m having issues with my climate control unit; after removing in
it to relocate it the thing just won’t turn on. I checked the fuses
especially #28 and they all checked out. I checked the connections and they
all checked out. I also got a replacement from junkyard and still no power
to the unit. Do you have any ideas what else might be causing the problem?
Usually no heat can be low coolant, or a failing water valve. The heater
control panel does control the water valve which controls coolant flow in
the heater core but it is very rare to have the IHKA panel be the failure
for this.
I have come across your videos just today while trying to look for
potential problems with E46 I am going to buy. I must say you’re doing a
great job filming all these fixes and diagnostics and even though I
personally do not fiddle with cars, it’s very educating and pretty
interesting to watch. Keep it up!
Hello, As long as the key is off you can just unplug. The unit is not
powered with the key off. Also if it is a new unit it may need to be coded
by the dealer and will show NC (not coded) in the display. If it is used it
should work right away.
🙂 Sounds good.
Check to see if your electrical fan is coming on. Most often this type of
failure is due to a failing electrical fan. It should be on with AC on.
I have bmw e46 2002 my car heater always on even if I set on cool air but
air condition does work .it giving hot and cold air same time .
Can someone tell me how to fix my 328? Everytime I turn on the car the
heater comes on by itself. Is there a part I need to replace? Thanks
Hello, Does the top blow warm air even when everything is set to cold and
the AC is on. Keep in mind when ever defrost is selected it will always
default to warm air at the top vent.
Check for power and ground right at the connector for the heater control
panel. It could be a wiring issue.
The defroster will always default to heat on this BMW. If you only get heat
with the AC on and only normal vents on then you need to have the
compressor checked along with a refrigerant recharge with dye to check for
leaks.
HI there. im also having hot air from footwells and windshield.the main one
blows cold but when i turn off footwells or top middle blows cool not
cold.i done the refriegerant change, contol panel. and not im thinking like
a flap inside. do the stepper motor change from hot air to the cold air.
Hello, This is usually an internal failure of the final stage. I have a
video on how to replace the final stage or FSU. If the heater control is
off and the air still blows you will have to replace the final stage which
controls the blower output.
Sometimes with warm air from one side of the vent it is a low refrigerant
charge but it sounds like you may have a failed stepper motor which
controls internal flaps on the heater box.
Ok, that’s what I had suspected. The previous owner for some reason had cut
the original harness off. It looked like it had been replaced with another
harness; with a backyard special wiring job done to it. I undid the wiring
and carefully rewired everything using wiring clamps and still had no luck.
I have yet to test the ground and power though. Do you know where I could
find a diagram that would explain which colors indicate power and ground?
Your help by the way is much appreciated.
Hello, Did you have air after the radio install?
Does it work some of the time?
That just may be a failed purge valve. I would start with replacing this
unit and clearing the code. I have seen a few fail.
Thanks for the idea…let me try that and get back to you. I just hope that
is the problem.
Luis, Unplug the heater control panel and see if the noise goes away. If it
does then it is the heater control panel. Now keep in mind there is a small
fan in the heater control panel that will run for a few minutes when the
vehicle is locked or woken up. This is taking an air temp sample and is
normal. The fan is replaceable separate and you may only be hearing the fan.
There was a production range on the E46 where even if the heater control
panel is switched off it will come on when the vehicle is switch on. On
later model E46’s (not sure the production range) when the heater is
switched off it will remain off. The way to set it to car memory if your
vehicle is in the correct production range would be to shut off the heater
control panel and then lock the vehicle with the remote. If your vehicle is
in the correct range the heater panel will be off.
Interesting. With a 98 you may have an E36 BMW 3 series. Try this, swap the
heater control panel out of your friends BMW and see what happens. If it
works the same as in his then it is the heater control panel. If it works
the same then it is your BMW settings. Not sure if it can be changed. If it
does shut off you can try to have the heater control panel re-coded. No
guarantee but it may allow it to work the way you want 🙂
Hi! And thanks for this vid. I recently damaged the LCD on my climate
controll, and bought a new one. Can i just unconnect the old one and just
connect the new one or do i have to remove any fuse first for safety? or
other things to do before unplugging?
Glad to help. Looking forward to hearing how it goes 🙂
This is an odd one. The flaps close off different portions. There is the
fresh air flap and air stratification. It is unusual to have a problem like
this on a BMW that is not due to the heater control panel unless the wiring
is not correct. I think some hands on is needed at a shop to find the root
cause of this one.
Hello, This is usually due to a low refrigerant charge. I would first have
the system drained and refilled with the correct amount. Have them add dye
to the system so a leak can be found if the system goes low again.
Hey I have a 2000 BMW 323I the problem im having is sometimes my A/C goes
off all by itself whether the car is driving or just idling. I’ve checked
my freon pressure and its ok I actually vacuum and recharged the system
just to be certain however the same thing keep happening again. Has anyone
else experienced this same issue?
The fan does not run by itself when the heater control is off. It turns on
and run every time I start the car.
You need to order TIS from ebay and use windows Xp or Xp mode to install on
a computer. The TIS online from spaghetti coder was removed due to a
request from BMW. Definitely miss the online instructions!