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Subject: Blower Motor Replacement Procedure Author: thesteve : member since December, 2003 : 4047 posts Posted on: 2004-12-31 01:17:07

Finaly did this job. My blower strarted to go this past summer. It would only work when I was turning to the right or when I hit a bump. Then it stopped working all together. It's nice to have a blower when it's 19 degrees F outside. I would get some heat, but only if I was moving at 50 mph or more. (from the little air that got forced through the vents on the hood) Anyway,
My car is a 95 740iL.
Don't forget to move the seats back and lower the steering wheel before you disconnect the battery.
Disconnect the battery.
The most important thing to remember with this project is to never reconnect the battery while the airbag plug is disconnected. If you do, you will need the dealer or a reset tool to reset the airbag light. Also, If you have to, you can power back up (as long as the airbag connector is connected) with the instrument cluster out...-just don't drive. If you put any miles on the car, the mileage in the computer and the mileage in the instrument cluster memory will not match and you will get a mileage tamper dot. If you have to drive with things in a state of disassembly (and your a madman like me) just make sure the instrument cluster plugs are connected and the airbag plug is connected. I didn't have to do this, the job is really easy...I'm just passing on the info.

These just pull off


Out comes the instrument cluster. (two torx screws)

Yank off the plugs for the lights, fog lights, the security LED flasher, and the one hidden (marked with arrow)

Undo some screws so you can get to this

This just pulls right off. Remove torx screw marked with arrow. (I don't have air bags here, if you do, ask me for the TIS)

Don't ask me why, but this leather assembly thing is attached on the top on the left side but on the bottom on the right side. So you have to remove this plastic screw on the left side. You have to get under it to see it. Its a big philips.


OK switch seats... This just pops off, I used a little screwdriver to get my fingers under it and just pulled it off. Pull on the right side. A little white plastic piece (see arrows) will break which is to be replaced.



These plastic nuts make things very easy. There are 4 on the wooden finisher and 4 on the lower leather finisher (8 total). The ones on the end are screwed in fat end first so feel for a smaller knob.

A couple of screws hold this side thing on...then remove the two bolts

Might as well pop this sucker off now. (Note my V1 cocealed display cord hiding back there.)

That's it. Pull towards you. Its gotta slide out towards you a ways before you can start to pull it upwards. Then eventually get it out the right side. The two flat straps that were attached with the big torxes will scratch the pillars. You'll never see the scratches, but if it bothers you maybe tape 'em up with electrical tape first.


My foam gasket stuck to the dash and did not get damaged

Here's our area of interest

From the TIS, it seems that maybe the newer models are different, and the following is a lot easier. Anyway, its still cake. In order to get the cover off, you've gotta get those sliding arms out of the way. First cut off the tie wraps around the wiring harness. The ventilation duct (lower part of picture) has to come out. It just pops off.

The linkages pop off too. The top one has plastic tabs that bend. See pic.


The left side of the lower arm can be carefully pryed off

The right side is metal and just pops out

Remove the power plug and it's tie wrap. Now you can pop off the motor cover (4 screws) These plastic parts are gooey. Resist the urge to wipe them off, as this is lubricant to keep everything sliding nicely.
OK, here's the money shot.


Pay no attention to that big connector at the bottom. Thats my factory radio plug. (I have an aftermarket radio in now) Its pretty huge and was previously jammed back there. (I want to keep it in tact in case I want to put a factory radio in again) With the dash off, I cleaned up the wires behind my Kenwood so things would fit better.

Well thats it. Three big torx hold the motor in. Remove the big resistor pack thing from the old motor and put it on the new one. Put everything back together. The gasket is tricky. Before you finish pushing the dash back in all the way, make sure the gasket is still where its supposed to be. Check the left side and the right side. (You'll have to keep going back and forth like this) At first I left my gasket stuck to the underside of the dash, but I noticed it was getting moved all over the place, so I peeled it off and set it down on top of the ducts. Oh yeah, before I put the dash back on I reconnected the battery (making sure the airbag plug was connected) and checked the operation. Worked like new. It was cool to see what actually goes on back there. Now I know what events are tied with all those funky sounds we always here back there when different buttons are pressed. Oh, that crack in my windshield happened a few weeks ago. It started as a little chip, but since it was in front of my state inspection sticker, I didn't see it untill it had started to grow. Don't forget to use new tie wraps. Also there are three plastic female gromets in the firewall that three plastic protruberances on the dash fit into. Make sure the gromets are in place. One or two might have come out when you removed the dash.

• Blower Motor Replacement Procedure (pic) - thesteve 2004-12-31 01:17:07 (37623 views)
  • Re: Blower Motor Replacement Procedure - rsmith2134 2005-08-23 01:14:26 (3056 views)
  • Re: Blower Motor Replacement Procedure - dchoover 2005-06-20 23:08:16 (1923 views)
    • Re: Blower Motor Replacement Procedure - collison944 2005-06-21 01:32:08 (1588 views)
  • Re: Blower Motor Replacement Procedure - phorsch 2005-06-06 03:52:17 (1585 views)
  • Additional notes from a happy reader (url) - DavidC 2005-05-30 03:52:52 (2423 views)
  • Re: Blower Motor Replacement Procedure - soesbandet 2005-01-29 13:44:37 (1447 views)
    • I pulled the dash in 1.25 hrs & saved $600 in labor fees - collison944 2005-05-28 00:52:05 (1768 views)
      • 'Preciate that man, hopefully my brother and I can tackle - Ultymte 2005-10-19 12:06:25 (764 views)
  • Geez. I had enough trouble putting back together my toaster... - Socal7s Erik 2004-12-31 20:44:11 (1007 views)
  • Thanks. Ha, and I tried to make it look easy - thesteve 2004-12-31 20:01:36 (1040 views)
  • Vary nice work!!! - JL 2004-12-31 12:45:57 (751 views)
  • Yikes - I'm exhausted just reading this! Nice work!! (nt) - seattle740 2004-12-31 11:25:06 (936 views)
  • Re: Blower Motor Replacement Procedure - wu8 2004-12-31 10:28:19 (5614 views)
  • You are a very courageous for doing this.... (nt) - johngoga 2004-12-31 09:50:17 (1009 views)
    • Amen to that! Thanks for documenting. Hey David C., - sealbeach740 2004-12-31 12:40:31 (861 views)
  • Great Job and nice pictures. - alicat 2004-12-31 06:53:13 (743 views)
    • Re: Great Job and nice pictures. - trowe7 2005-03-10 20:13:36 (709 views)
  • Nice job Steve. Great pictures and a crisp write up. (nt) - farnarkler 2004-12-31 04:58:08 (1236 views)
  • Excellent writeup! I love the details! (nt) - DavidC 2004-12-31 02:02:55 (767 views)
    • Thanks everyone. Dave, if you want, I could resize the pics - thesteve 2004-12-31 20:06:30 (765 views)
  • 4got 2 mention thanks to farnarkler and his post (url) - thesteve 2004-12-31 01:49:47 (1333 views)
  • Fantasic Job! The only other thing we have in common than the 7 is Kingdom - silber98 2004-12-31 01:47:11 (1067 views)