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      07-08-2012, 02:33 AM   #1
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Stupid HVAC prb has everyone stumped

Not sure if anyone has this prb. Basically, every now and then (probably 30% of the time I start the car), the whole HVAC sys doesn't work, so all the lights are inoperative in those '4 circles' in the dash (save for the rear defrost). If it's on or off, it stays that way until the next time I turn on the car, i.e. if the HVAC is off, it won't suddenly work when I'm using the car, and vice versa.

The dealer has changed so many parts and I thought that they finally solved it, but no, the prb still exists!

Parts replaced:
-blower resistor motor
-heater control
-control unit

I'm not a trained tech, but how hard can it be to diagnose this prb??? Any ideas?
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      07-08-2012, 01:42 PM   #2
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Same issue here... Have had this to me 4 times in the last 6 months. I smell a recall on the mechanism as there some level of predictability in the behavior. Still pondering if it's worth taking to the dealership in 110deg weather.
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      07-08-2012, 03:12 PM   #3
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^Any ideas on what it could be? Please keep me updated on your progress.
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      07-08-2012, 09:40 PM   #4
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My AC on three occasions would not function. After the car sat a spell, shut off, it functioned like normal. I don't want to jinx myself, but it has functioned several months now without issue.

You seem to have a bit more of an issue, and I would have the dealership try everything possible before the warranty expires. I would make sure I have it fully documented, and discuss with the dealership if problems continue with the AC after the warranty expires, you expect the dealer to service at no cost...
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      07-09-2012, 10:22 AM   #5
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This happened to me once during my European Delivery of my '12 35is. It was the day after delivery when we stopped at a rest area in Switzerland - all four circles were just dead when I started the car up. They stayed that way till we made it to our stop for the night, but after that it never happened again.

I'm taking redelivery of the car tomorrow and will definitely be keeping an eye on this. I've seen this problem reported in quite a few posts so I'd say this is certainly some sort of design flaw.
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      07-09-2012, 01:20 PM   #6
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This is interesting as the issue seems to be common to all the E89 models since 2009. I am surprised how was it not caught in QA testing. I suspect it cannot be replicated unless you are in a "perfect storm" situation.

I would not want to be driving a $60k toaster over here in AZ if it were to behave badly on my way back from work .

Still waiting for that right opportunity to take it to the dealer or create a video of it when it happens.

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Originally Posted by dknightx View Post
This happened to me once during my European Delivery of my '12 35is. It was the day after delivery when we stopped at a rest area in Switzerland - all four circles were just dead when I started the car up. They stayed that way till we made it to our stop for the night, but after that it never happened again.

I'm taking redelivery of the car tomorrow and will definitely be keeping an eye on this. I've seen this problem reported in quite a few posts so I'd say this is certainly some sort of design flaw.
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      07-09-2012, 06:30 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redhot
This is interesting as the issue seems to be common to all the E89 models since 2009. I am surprised how was it not caught in QA testing. I suspect it cannot be replicated unless you are in a "perfect storm" situation.

I would not want to be driving a $60k toaster over here in AZ if it were to behave badly on my way back from work .

Still waiting for that right opportunity to take it to the dealer or create a video of it when it happens.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dknightx View Post
This happened to me once during my European Delivery of my '12 35is. It was the day after delivery when we stopped at a rest area in Switzerland - all four circles were just dead when I started the car up. They stayed that way till we made it to our stop for the night, but after that it never happened again.

I'm taking redelivery of the car tomorrow and will definitely be keeping an eye on this. I've seen this problem reported in quite a few posts so I'd say this is certainly some sort of design flaw.
LOL. A video, exactly what the service manager asked me to do the next time my AC was dead. I patiently tried to explain the only damn thing the video would show would be the AC lights off/out. It's not that difficult to explain, or understand, the AC is DEAD!!! No lights, no fan, no nothing. Yet, on these three occasions, if allowed to sit "off" anywhere from an hour to overnight, the AC works as designed next time the car is started. Note, when this malfunction occurred to me, simply waiting 5-10 minutes didn't help. It had to sit for a while.
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      07-10-2012, 12:13 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baremeg55 View Post
LOL. A video, exactly what the service manager asked me to do the next time my AC was dead. I patiently tried to explain the only damn thing the video would show would be the AC lights off/out. It's not that difficult to explain, or understand, the AC is DEAD!!! No lights, no fan, no nothing. Yet, on these three occasions, if allowed to sit "off" anywhere from an hour to overnight, the AC works as designed next time the car is started. Note, when this malfunction occurred to me, simply waiting 5-10 minutes didn't help. It had to sit for a while.
Hmmm, seems like my dealer is not the only one confused by this problem. A video would show nothing...did they at least diagnose your car?

Yes, it probably takes at least 1/2 hour gap for it to have a chance to work again once you restart the car.
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      07-10-2012, 12:18 AM   #9
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Don't really want to be a dealers guinea pig while they play slueth on my baby...guess will wait it out until the problem reoccur and then put my smartphone to good use..

..and yes waiting for 10-15 mins did not help. It needed a good nights rests before it behaved.
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      07-10-2012, 12:43 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tranquility
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baremeg55 View Post
LOL. A video, exactly what the service manager asked me to do the next time my AC was dead. I patiently tried to explain the only damn thing the video would show would be the AC lights off/out. It's not that difficult to explain, or understand, the AC is DEAD!!! No lights, no fan, no nothing. Yet, on these three occasions, if allowed to sit "off" anywhere from an hour to overnight, the AC works as designed next time the car is started. Note, when this malfunction occurred to me, simply waiting 5-10 minutes didn't help. It had to sit for a while.
Hmmm, seems like my dealer is not the only one confused by this problem. A video would show nothing...did they at least diagnose your car?

Yes, it probably takes at least 1/2 hour gap for it to have a chance to work again once you restart the car.
I never took mine in, after those 3 fails, it has functioned properly ever since (knock on wood). Also, unless it is malfunctioning when the service tech can diagnose, I figured it would be a waste of my/his time.
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      07-10-2012, 12:33 PM   #11
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^It seems that way, although mine is malfunctioning more frequently and all those trips to the dealer have not solved it as yet. Will keep you guys updated.

If anyone got his/her car diagnosed, pls update as well.
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      07-19-2012, 12:13 AM   #12
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Bump to see if any updates.
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      07-19-2012, 05:35 AM   #13
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Hi! I appreciate that this is a real issue for you guys, but if your cars are under warranty then it costs nothing to take it to the dealer. Personally I would rather let them try everything to find the cause as ultimately if they cannot then you can get them to replace the vehicle...... Have you asked them to get the car looked at by a BMW employed technician (not a dealer technician) I did when I had an issue in fact the dealer did it themselves as not finding a fault is costing them money!!!!!
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      07-19-2012, 04:27 PM   #14
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What's the diff between employed vs dealer tech? Yes, I'm in touch w/ a dealer but will wait till it malfunctions again so I can take it in at the moment for them to do an immediate checkup.
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      07-19-2012, 04:51 PM   #15
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I would assume there would be fault codes stored in the on-board computer. If not, this is going to be a crap shoot as it will be my word against the dealers. I'm waiting for it to happen again (god forbid though in this unrelenting heat here in AZ) and possibly video tape the behavior if I'm not able to take the car in immediately.
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      07-20-2012, 02:11 AM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tranquility View Post
What's the diff between employed vs dealer tech? Yes, I'm in touch w/ a dealer but will wait till it malfunctions again so I can take it in at the moment for them to do an immediate checkup.
Sometimes faults are beyond the expertise of the dealer mechanics, so BMWNA has it own technicians who fly all over the country supporting the dealer network, but also they assist in locating difficult faults. Sometimes you may have to wait until their next scheduled visit to the dealer, but they are supposedly the best technicians and better trained and have access to more detailed information and data........but used sparingly!!!
(Dealer mechanics/technicians are not employees of BMW, they are employed by whoever owns the dealership, which is almost certainly not BMW)
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      07-20-2012, 02:33 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raven333 View Post
Sometimes faults are beyond the expertise of the dealer mechanics, so BMWNA has it own technicians who fly all over the country supporting the dealer network, but also they assist in locating difficult faults. Sometimes you may have to wait until their next scheduled visit to the dealer, but they are supposedly the best technicians and better trained and have access to more detailed information and data........but used sparingly!!!
(Dealer mechanics/technicians are not employees of BMW, they are employed by whoever owns the dealership, which is almost certainly not BMW)
The prb was supposed the dealer got in touch with the BMW head office or some outside tech help and they never heard of this issue. It is very perplexing to say the least.
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      07-20-2012, 07:43 AM   #18
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Interbus...On our cars all the controls are modular and are connected together on a service called Interbus. When the module for the air looses communication it shuts the whole card down, skips over it. That card controls the inputs and outputs of the air, that is why nothing works...until it reconnects to the service. Mine did the same thing. They do this to make it easier to add or remove different options.
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      07-21-2012, 06:16 PM   #19
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I really think you should try the "master reset" mechanism with the battery cables that other people have suggested. It may or may not fix this problem, but it should definitely NOT hurt anything and can only help.

I haven't had this issue with the HVAC, but I have had other strange electrical issues. Specifically:

1. My radio sometimes turns on fine, but NO audio comes out. Once this happens, it stays this way until I shut off the engine for at least 30 minutes. Then, when I restart it it usually starts working again.

2. I often got the "TPM Inactive" warning popping up about 30 minutes into a drive. First few times it freaked me out, but after checking my tire pressure each time and seeing that it's normal, I now ignore these warnings. Again, these errors often go away after letting the car sit at least 30 minutes or more. It doesn't ALWAYS go away, but often it does.

I lived with both these issues for many, many months. Two weeks ago, I finally did the "master reset", and so far, I have not had these issues. AND I'm trying to make it the worst-case condition on the radio problem, which is keep the radio turned on when I shut the engine off -- in the past, that almost always guaranteed to cause the no-audio problem at least 30% of the time. So far, flawless.

The master reset procedure is easy and safe. Simply disconnect both positive and negative cables from the battery (in the trunk). Then, using a long wrench or some other metallic object, touch both cables to each other for a few seconds. Then, let the car sit with the cables still disconnected from the battery for at least 30 minutes. Finally, re-connect the cables to the battery. You'll only have to reset your clock. Everything else should be as you left it (radio stations, seat settings, etc.).

I asked my dealer service guy about the master reset, and he knew about it well, but he said that they do NOT perform this master reset for any of the cars unless they have to (for specific issues). And their procedures did not have them doing it on my car. I told him to not sweat it and I'll do it myself, which I did once I got the car back. He also told me to keep the cables disconnected for at least 30 minutes rather than just 10-15 minutes like others may have recommended.

So anyway, give it a try. I'm curious if this fixes your issue.
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      09-01-2012, 10:51 PM   #20
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For those that did the 'master reset' aka 'touching battery cables together', how long have you been prb-free? Any side effects? Thx.
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      09-02-2012, 12:55 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tranquility
For those that did the 'master reset' aka 'touching battery cables together', how long have you been prb-free? Any side effects? Thx.
Jeez, I know I'm tempting fate here, but my AC has not misbehaved since my three early in the life of the car episodes..... I would definitely keep a journal on this problem with the issues you've had Tranq.... I would video each occurrence, contact the dealer, and at some point, I would be conversing with BMW on a replacement vehicle.
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      09-02-2012, 03:11 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Baremeg55 View Post
Jeez, I know I'm tempting fate here, but my AC has not misbehaved since my three early in the life of the car episodes..... I would definitely keep a journal on this problem with the issues you've had Tranq.... I would video each occurrence, contact the dealer, and at some point, I would be conversing with BMW on a replacement vehicle.
Replacement vehicle? It's not that big of a prb. The HVAC only malfunctioned maybe ~6 times during my 2 yrs' ownership, so it's not that big of a deal. Still, it's a weird prb w/ a weird solution. Just wanted to make sure that this solution is 'foolproof', if there is such a thing.
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