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Air con blockage?

Discuss your latest mods or ideas, and anything to do with the BMW X5 (E53).
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Smeeagain
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Air con blockage?

Post by Smeeagain » Tue Apr 14, 2015 3:25 pm

Ive got no air blowing out any if the vents either top of dash or on my feet, however I can hear the system blowing and pressing the max button ramps it up, but still nothing at the vents (yes they are open and top dial is also set to blue)
As its coming out none of the vents I suspect its an exit pipe at the aircon system?
Would/could the garage have disconnected it, consciously or inadvertently, to get at the alternator last week.
In terms of loose hoses what/where am I looking under the bonnet?
Thanks
Smee

Smeeagain
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by Smeeagain » Tue Apr 14, 2015 4:29 pm

Bizarrely I came back to the car and its working !? But not very cold - had the car five years so most likeley needs regassed
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Greydog
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by Greydog » Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:39 pm

It's the FSR get it changed after your re-gas
4.6is X5 Estoril Blue (current)
4.4 X5 Sport Topaz Blue LPG (now gone squashed by a tree)
Subaru Outback 3.0 Rn Star Silver (current)
AMG 6.3 CLS Obsidian Black (sold)

X5-D-Sport
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by X5-D-Sport » Tue Apr 14, 2015 6:12 pm

What is the FSR...
wondering if my machine has the same issue

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kjb1
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by kjb1 » Tue Apr 14, 2015 7:06 pm

final stage resistor is fsr.  Im not so sure its the fsr.  FSR normally means no blower speed control etc


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Smeeagain
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by Smeeagain » Tue Apr 14, 2015 7:26 pm

Yes but i did have blower and speed control - it just wasnt coming through the vents
Anyway - fsr, expensive? Easy to replace? Affects anything else ?
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kjb1
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by kjb1 » Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:31 pm

smee, I don't think its the fsr.  I was disagreeing in my post above that it was the fsr in first place.


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Smeeagain
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by Smeeagain » Wed Apr 15, 2015 10:29 am

Ok. But if it is that? Where is it located? Easy to replace? Expensive?

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X5Sport
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by X5Sport » Wed Apr 15, 2015 12:21 pm

I think it is located in the centre console area just to the left of the pedals.  Have a look for threads about the 'Hedgehog' on here (it looks like one with all the cooling spikes is has).  Fiddly to do because of the heed to get your hands into the area.  If you (like me) have big hands then it can be a tad more challenging, but still doable.  Doesn't take long as it's a straight swap over.  Costs around £50 if memory serves.

A bad one will kill your battery as the fans will not shut down after ignition off/car locked.
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by Greydog » Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:46 pm

When I brought the first X5 the symptoms described happened while I was test driving the car. No air flow at all through the vents but you could adjust the fan speed. Got back to the dealer and he had one of the workshop guys change the FSR it was located in the drivers foot well the guy dropped the trim under the steering wheel removed the carpet trim on the tunnel then reach in behind the heater unplugged the FSR put the new one in place. tested all working and put it all back together took him less than 10 mins (probably 2hrs if I had been paying??) He said it was a fiddly job not difficult, he also said they were a fairly common failure and can cause strange behavior and spurious faults.
4.6is X5 Estoril Blue (current)
4.4 X5 Sport Topaz Blue LPG (now gone squashed by a tree)
Subaru Outback 3.0 Rn Star Silver (current)
AMG 6.3 CLS Obsidian Black (sold)

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kjb1
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by kjb1 » Wed Apr 15, 2015 4:52 pm

[quote="Greydog"]
When I brought the first X5 the symptoms described happened while I was test driving the car. No air flow at all through the vents but you could adjust the fan speed. Got back to the dealer and he had one of the workshop guys change the FSR it was located in the drivers foot well the guy dropped the trim under the steering wheel removed the carpet trim on the tunnel then reach in behind the heater unplugged the FSR put the new one in place. tested all working and put it all back together took him less than 10 mins (probably 2hrs if I had been paying??) He said it was a fiddly job not difficult, he also said they were a fairly common failure and can cause strange behavior and spurious faults.
[/quote]

Possibly misleading, as no doubt you could not change fan speed on the blowers, but could request it via the lcd selector, the fan speed wasn't physically changing???, just the lcd display yes?


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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by Greydog » Wed Apr 15, 2015 5:23 pm

It was 4 years ago so to be honest I don't remember now if you could hear the fan or not, plus the dealer wanted to sell me the car and was in it while we were testing it so was all over it like a rash when we returned.
The tech he called out seemed to know straight away went and got the part changed it and like I said took no more than 10 mins and fixed the issue.
They carried out other stuff prior to me picking the car up and I have to say it was brilliant until a 100 ft tree squashed it in Jan last year.
I replaced it with a 4.6is
4.6is X5 Estoril Blue (current)
4.4 X5 Sport Topaz Blue LPG (now gone squashed by a tree)
Subaru Outback 3.0 Rn Star Silver (current)
AMG 6.3 CLS Obsidian Black (sold)

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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by X5Sport » Wed Apr 15, 2015 6:06 pm

[quote="Greydog"]
.......... it was brilliant until a 100 ft tree squashed it in Jan last year.
[/quote]

:o :o :o
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Smeeagain
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Re: Air con blockage?

Post by Smeeagain » Sat Apr 18, 2015 2:01 pm

[quote="Smeeagain"]
Ive got no air blowing out any if the vents either top of dash or on my feet, however I can hear the system blowing and pressing the max button ramps it up, but still nothing at the vents (yes they are open and top dial is also set to blue)
As its coming out none of the vents I suspect its an exit pipe at the aircon system?
Would/could the garage have disconnected it, consciously or inadvertently, to get at the alternator last week.
In terms of loose hoses what/where am I looking under the bonnet?
Thanks
Smee
[/quote]

Seems to be sorted now - took it for re-gassing today. The replenishment level is 440g of gas as I recall.They recovered only 5g from the system, so no wonder it wasn't blowing cold air .....

Smee

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