Chaps, took the car for a winter roof down spin today, chilly but sunny, perfect. Heater control working fine, selected to hot, but fan speed was not noticeably faster when selecting fan to max. Also notice the vent surround getting very hot. I initially thought the fan had failed but when stationary I could hear a very slight change in note when selecting full fan but not as I would have expected, no hurricane being blown out of the vents. Only the second time I've driven the car. Any help gratefully received.
Slow Aircon Fan
- Thread starter Bincenzo
- Start date
Is your Zed a daily driver or has it been sat for a few days? How olds the battery? Only reason I ask is that when the battery voltage drops it can cause the car to restrict the airflow from the fans until there is sufficient voltage in the battery and it kicks right back in.
Edit - I've just seen that you picked this car up mid November and it's only the 2nd drive in it. Have you had it on a trickle charger at all? If not, my money is on a 'increased battery charge' as BMW call it. Nothing a good run or a quick charge won't fix.
Edit - I've just seen that you picked this car up mid November and it's only the 2nd drive in it. Have you had it on a trickle charger at all? If not, my money is on a 'increased battery charge' as BMW call it. Nothing a good run or a quick charge won't fix.
Angie4m said:
Angie, you may have hit the nail on the proverbial head. Battery was flat when I tried to start it, so jumped it and gave it a good run. I'm guessing the voltage could still be a little low, hence the restricted flow. I'll get the battery back to a decent charge then monitor from there. Thank you.
MACK said:
If not a simple flat battery issue then this is where I'd put my money. Final stage resistor also called 'hedgehog'. Failed on my Zed a few years back and caused all sorts of fan speed and in fact not even stopping when the car was locked. common on many BMW's of the era.
cj10jeeper said:
Oh, so it does afflict the E85/86, good to know.
The good news is they looks a dam sight easier to get at on the zed than the E46, they really are an absolute nightmare on them!
Also they are a relativity inexpensive part if you stay away from the dealers.
MACK said:
Yes - not too bad at all. Picked mine from Ebay for a few ££'s
Angie4m said:
I've got an Aston Martin trickle charger, the type that goes into the cigarette lighter, would that be sufficient? If not I'll certainly look at getting a bespoke one. Fingers crossed its that and not the resistor issue mentioned earlier, don't fancy having to get involved with any repairs just yet. Thanks again all of you. Bins.
Also it would be worth checking the cabin filter. On other cars if these get a bit clogged it causes problems for the fan motor and eventually the resistor blows.
I dont know how competent a mechanic you are but if your car has main dealer history I bet money on all the filters needing changing
I dont know how competent a mechanic you are but if your car has main dealer history I bet money on all the filters needing changing
If your battery has gone flat you might as well get a new one. Once it's been fully discharged it will never hold the same amount again - if yours is a DD then you might not have an issue for a good while, if it isn't then it will crop up again, probably in 2 or 3 days without trickle. These cars are very sensitive to lower battery charge states when all sorts of gremlins come out to play even if the car starts fine.
You can pick up a decent battery for about £60 with higher capacities than the originals. I got a Varta E44 and have been very happy with it. If I were you I'd be getting a new battery and making sure that stayed topped up
You can pick up a decent battery for about £60 with higher capacities than the originals. I got a Varta E44 and have been very happy with it. If I were you I'd be getting a new battery and making sure that stayed topped up
Scooba_Steve said:If your battery has gone flat you might as well get a new one. Once it's been fully discharged it will never hold the same amount again - if yours is a DD then you might not have an issue for a good while, if it isn't then it will crop up again, probably in 2 or 3 days without trickle. These cars are very sensitive to lower battery charge states when all sorts of gremlins come out to play even if the car starts fine.
You can pick up a decent battery for about £60 with higher capacities than the originals. I got a Varta E44 and have been very happy with it. If I were you I'd be getting a new battery and making sure that stayed topped up
Thanks Steve, I'll see what it's like after this run and if looks like it's going to be an issue I'll certainly look at a replacement. Fully agree that a weak battery can cause all sorts of dramas which I'd rather avoid. One thing I did notice, as an aside, was having charged the battery, I'd not replaced the battery compartment cover and a noise I'd associated with suspension/top mounts disappeared - it was clearly the cover rattling! Any good ideas to stop it from making such a noise?
Velcro?
Update - bought a trickle charger/conditioner and it's been on for a couple of weeks, tried to start it again this morning, wouldn't turn over. Jumped it, drove it for a good half an hour, stopped and it still wouldn't start so I'm guessing the battery is shagged. Shone a light into the indicator and it looked green though, which is a bit disappointing. Any recommendations on decent batteries?
Serpentine722
Member
The 'final stage resistor' aka 'hedgehog' is a very common problem on e39 (5 series) as well - I should know I've had to buy a few in my time ! If the battery isn't the problem that's where my money would be.
Hth
Matt
Hth
Matt
Scooba_Steve said:If your battery has gone flat you might as well get a new one. Once it's been fully discharged it will never hold the same amount again - if yours is a DD then you might not have an issue for a good while, if it isn't then it will crop up again, probably in 2 or 3 days without trickle. These cars are very sensitive to lower battery charge states when all sorts of gremlins come out to play even if the car starts fine.
You can pick up a decent battery for about £60 with higher capacities than the originals. I got a Varta E44 and have been very happy with it. If I were you I'd be getting a new battery and making sure that stayed topped up
Steve, looks like the battery is shagged. Where did you get your Varta from if you don't mind me asking?