I know this is probably going to be a long shot, but… I have a 2001 BMW X5 4.4i, the heater suddenly quit yesterday, and living in NH the timing couldn’t have been worse. I have to try to fix it ASAP, and because of service prices and lack of trust to most mechanics I don’t know I and my limited amout of available time I was hoping to do it my self. Haven’t started anything yet, about to go check fuses. But if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.
More details please. Is the fan running and blowing cold air? does this have a thermostatically controlled heater (set temperature) or just a cold-hot control? Does the defroster work?
There is nothing blowing out of it at all not warm or cold, nothing, it quit. It has dual automatic climate control. Individual temperature conrols for both driver and passenger. You can digitaly control the temp by 1 deg F from 60 - 90. Um, does that help?
yes, it means it’s more complicated. Could be an electrical problem, computer problem, more… out of my league.
Aw man! I really hate this darn car, it was a gift. But the problems I’ve had, arrggg. Anyway, does that mean there’s no real relatively not hard cheap things to try?
The complexity of an automatic climate control system puts it beyond the skill set of most mechanics. In this case, I believe that the dealership is probably your best recourse.
Alternatively, you could try using an independent mechanic, but there is a good chance that the much greater number of hours necessary for him to fix the problem would result in a bill equal to, if not higher than, what the dealership would charge. The dealership has undoubtedly seen this problem before, whereas the independent guy might not have ever dealt with this problem on your make and model of car.
Look at it this way–your family doctor is great for everyday illnesses and such. However, if you are sufferering from something out of the ordinary, it is wise to go to a specialist. I believe that your car needs a specialist for this problem.
If I had it in front of me, with a good schematic and tools, I’d give it a try. If someone took the dash apart first.
Check fuses first, tho.
Alright thanx guys, I’ve checked the fuses now and there’s no prob there. I guess VDCdriver is right, time for the dealer.
you obviously are not going to a dealer now. Wait a bit, maybe there is someone here who has seen this problem…
If you are around the Seacoast try Exeter Motor Works, not cheap but they fix things properly in my experience.