Intermittent heater

[DougieV8]

Hi all, i have tried a search but no joy - maybe using wrong words!?

Anyway - my heater blower is coming and going, display can show it is operating but nothing blowing out of vents then comes back at full chat soon after.

I am guessing this is down to faulty FSR but just looking for some confirmation.

[DougieV8]

Anyone?

[wilkoturbo]

Prob be that fsr

[DougieV8]

Anyone else that has had same issue?

Most fsr issues seem to be down to stuck on blower and battery drain. My issue is that bit different!

[jaynana]

from wht ive read the common symptom of a bad FSR is in fact not battery drain but inconsistent fan regulation. battery drain is secondary

[X5LeMans]

Had similar problem with my E39. Fan would basically spin at all kinda random speeds fast then slow then in the middle etc. Fixed by changing the FSR.

I think the FSR don't last all that long. I pulled mine from the E39 as a spare for my X5 as I believe it's the same part .

Based on your problem I would agree. FSR.

Don't know if BMW ever fixed it.  But in the E39 there is a tiny fan in the climate control panel. If that fan fails the heater struggles to work out the cabin temperature and starts making errors. That might be worth checking.

[DougieV8]

Cheers for replies - much appreciated.

FSR easy to replace? Where is it situated?

[X5LeMans]

Easy, but a bit fiddly. 30 minute job if you do it on a regular basis, but set aside 1-2 hours for a first time.

I think its in the same place as the E39 more or less, so access is by removing the cover under in the footwell on the drivers side (the big one that hides the pedal box, under the steering wheel area)

You may also need to remove a piece of carpet trim from the transmission tunnel as well. (Careful not to lose the screws).

The FSR/Hedgehog is in a tight corner near the clutch pedal (or footrest for auto's), behind the heater control panel. It has one electrical connection, and its clipped in (I think with spring clips, no screws). 

Its not a coded part, so just unplug, slide it out, and you'll see the heatsink which gives it the nickname hedgehog.  Slide in the replacement (Should be between £45-70 depending on where you source it) plug in, and reassemble interior.

You'll need a Phillips screwdriver (actually its probably pozidrive, but in sure some can correct me on that). and a torch is handy so you can see what your doing. In the E39 there's also a ribbon cable close by, Im not sure if the X5 has that, but if you see a ribbon, just be careful, its hard to replace if you damage it .

If your car has its original hedgehog, you may notice the new one is a different shape. BMW tried several different version. I think they improved it a little, but they still break from time to time.

There are several video's on youtube, but most of them show the left hand drive cars.. Its not much different on our cars though, just on the LHD cars the part is actually on the passenger side instead, so there is a little less "in the way".

If you can use a screwdriver though its certainly a DIY job.. BMW dealers would probably charge you £500 for "diagnostics", try changing a dozen parts, and then charge you for the whole lot, unless you specifically ask them (or an INDY) to change the FSR.... It can be called FSU (final stage unit), FSR(Final stage resistor), Parts dept often call it blower resistor, and DIY/Owners nickname it the hedgehog.

Anyway. Hope that helps, and you get it sorted

[DougieV8]

That's great - just what I was looking for.

Much appreciated
Dougie

[Nogoodboyo44]

Having the same problem with the heater and noted X5LeMans comments which are great. Ive stripped of the long carpet trim in the passenger foot well as per the internet websites (in reverse of the LHD models) but there's nothing there. See the attached picture. I assume that the FSU is located on the drivers side as stated. Could someone confirm this before I start to strip down the drivers side.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks