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The “Three Little Pigs” and your Blower Motor Resistor/Regulator
Posted by Chris Kjellmark on December 16, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Do you own an e46 that sounds like a reenactment of the “Three Little Pigs” when you first start the climate control? It huffs and puffs and tries to blow that little piggy’s house down. Well this is your final stage of the blower motor resistor/regulator going bad on you.
This sound is usually the worst when you first start driving. The regulator is located on the passenger side of the consol to the left of the glove box. There are some really great DIY’s on the internet for this repair. One google search for “e46 Blower Motor Resistor/Regulator DIY” will bring up several with step-by-step instructions. You can find the part numbers for your particular vehicle at www.realoem.com with the last 7-digits of your car’s VIN number. I have found that the prices listed on realoem are pretty reasonable. However, if you buy from your local BMW dealership, you also get to use your membership discount. This is just one more reason to have a membership, especially if you are a DIYer.
In the picture, the original part is the taller one on the right and the redesigned replacement is the short one on the left. The redesign part appears to be manufactured too, but is more sensitive with significantly more rods on the body. This is a repair that can be done with a few simple tools and one of the DIY’s from the web and a Bentley manual for good measure.
