Anyone on here done the broken heater control fix?

bombur

bombur

Zorg Guru (III)
Supporter
British Zeds
Joined
May 8, 2021
Points
148
Location
Porthcawl, Wales
Model of Z
Z3 1.9, Z4 E89 2.3
So I have taken out radio and inspected the controls and indeed the heater control arm pin has broken off.

Anyone done the fix via the radio gap? Im trying to get the arms off, red one etc. First time I tried they started moving away quite easily but then I thought Im rushing and put them back in place. Now I cant seem to remove them :mad: Also the cables that are attached the the arms...is the cable easy to remove. Remember Im working through the small gap.

Broken pin evidence
Screenshot_20231002_183734_Gallery.jpg

Screenshot_20231002_183733_Gallery.jpg


How do I remove this arm?
Screenshot_20231002_183913_Gallery2.jpg
 
You "pop" the levers out of the housing, red one first. They are held in place by a compressible clip on the end of their shafts.

The cable is attached by way of a slot in the end of the leg. It will become self evident once you pop the lever out and turn it over.
 
BMW TIS only gives this scant detail for removal

1696282644228.webp
 
NZ00Z3 said:
You "pop" the levers out of the housing, red one first. They are held in place by a compressible clip on the end of their shafts.

The cable is attached by way of a slot in the end of the leg. It will become self evident once you pop the lever out and turn it over.
Click to expand...
Im still struggling to remove the red arm. Im probably being dull. I still have the unit connected to the dials. So only one way to get at the red one is from behind. It isnt budging...have only used slight force as dont want to break anything
20231003_092001.webp

Screenshot_20231003_093029_Gallery.webp
 
Ive now got the glove box off. The red arm was also out of the channel and I have removed the cable from that arm. As the cream arm doesn't got that far right or left then I cant get it positioned so that the cable can come out of the slit. So am stuck again. Also even with the cable off the red arm, it isn't budging when I try to pull it off the cream one @hard top did you do this fix? I've followed your post where you took glove box out. I'm just stuck getting the arms off
 
Why don't you pop the HVAC unit out? All info taken from the Tinterweb.

Then watch this for a repair if you can get it into a position to work on it.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7GO9MY4KpA


On the lower left and right side of the radio opening there are screws that hold the HVAC unit in place. Once you have the screws out, there are two tabs at the top of the HVAC assembly. Pull up on these and it releases the HVAC unit.
Pull the knobs off the HVAC control and then push on all three (3) stems evenly to "pop" the control loose from the console.
Keep one hand behind the control to catch it when the clips disengage from the console.
Now you can get the whole control up to the radio opening.
To put back together, the hardest part (but not insurmountable) is getting all the HVAC control mounting tabs lined up; TIP- start with the tabs at the bottom first and insert them all evenly.
 
Nodzed said:
Why don't you pop the HVAC unit out? All info taken from the Tinterweb.

Then watch this for a repair if you can get it into a position to work on it.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7GO9MY4KpA


On the lower left and right side of the radio opening there are screws that hold the HVAC unit in place. Once you have the screws out, there are two tabs at the top of the HVAC assembly. Pull up on these and it releases the HVAC unit.
Pull the knobs off the HVAC control and then push on all three (3) stems evenly to "pop" the control loose from the console.
Keep one hand behind the control to catch it when the clips disengage from the console.
Now you can get the whole control up to the radio opening.
To put back together, the hardest part (but not insurmountable) is getting all the HVAC control mounting tabs lined up; TIP- start with the tabs at the bottom first and insert them all evenly.
Click to expand...
Thank you @Nodzed, that's my next step this afternoon. Thank you for the info and tips on this removal!
 
well its out, now i can see the clips for the arms!
20231003_143255.webp

wish I had just found that rather than do this :nurse:
20231003_143011.webp

20231003_143017.webp

How am I going to put it all back I haven't a clue! It was really tight getting things off, will be harder putting back I expect

so now onto the repair for this, gonna look for a ballstud or something similar, then very careful drilling...if not I will be intouch with @spurs fan in a coupe Im sure
20231003_144042.webp
 
Whist Im here I thought I might as well change the heater control bulbs...then I saw the price on ebay! Is dealer best place to get them, are there alternatives? part number Im looking at is 61138353797
 
If you buy 6 you get free delivery - bargain!! :whistle:
 
Nearly everything I see new OEM on ebay its cheaper at BMW. After all as Cotswold BMW told me, where do you think they get it from. :whistle:
 
Surly, someone has done a LED conversion?

The original bulbs are only held in place by their wirings into the base, so if you have the right LED it would be easy to fit it to the base.
 
Pingu said:
A walk around the local salvage yard might bear fruit ;)
Click to expand...
Mine are working, just thought given I have spent ages and lots of scratches getting the unit out I might as well stick some new ones in....dont raelly want to see the unit again once its back in tbh
 
bombur said:
Whist Im here I thought I might as well change the heater control bulbs...then I saw the price on ebay! Is dealer best place to get them, are there alternatives? part number Im looking at is 61138353797
Click to expand...
If they are 501 style 3W bulbs I have some.

Tony.
 
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