BMW E39 5 Series Blower Motor and FSU Replacement DIY

This video details how to remove the upper and lower dashboards in a BMW E39 5 series to access the blower motor and final stage unit. The car used in this video is a production 2/00 E39 M5.
Check out our sister E39Source website: www.E39Source.com
BMW E65Source: / e65source

[@TheTardis76]

Just a note in case no one has mentioned it before. The later models (maybe 2001 and up?), the center vent with the actuator rod is removed differently. It's held in by two large plastic clips on the left and right side. To separate it, undo the clip on the right side, and in the left vent insert a small screwdriver into the actuator rod. There is a small square that has a nub you need to depress, then try and remove the left clip and slide the whole unit to the right and up.

[@chrisbombe596]

You are a life saver ! Thank you !

[@bryansehie292]

Yes! Thank you. All other instructions were not clear enough or incorrect for mine! 2003 e39. Was pulling my hair out. Got it now! Thanks

[@jockemattsson14]

Did this today with my father, took total of 1 hour and 50 minutes. Thank you guys for this tutorial

[@ironmantooltime]

That's reassuring!

[@steveinfl1]

Great Video guys! Tore my 2000 e39 apart yesterday except for the upper dash and fan cover and fan. Waiting on word from my parts guy nearby. Shared video with him, so he could get to the my replacement fan quickly and easily. Truely amazing how we basically all need same replacement parts eventually. Keep up your awesome videos, and I can't thank you enough.

[@E39Source]

Thank you so much for your comment! Very glad to see that you found this video helpful.

[@kyrkbymannen]

Followed this guide. Thanks for making it! :) I have a 2001 e39, the pin and package mount with the air distributors is different after 2000 models, so i broke mine despite your warnings... Lol. Managed to glue it and it seems to hold up. Right now im quite happy that i did not leave it at the workshop, it was not hard at all when following your guide. Thanks for making it! Thanks a bunch! / Swedish e39 owner

[@ironmantooltime]

Amazed this took you guys 5 hours, slightly concerned it would take me a week 😳

[@Denvermorgan2000]

You can do this job with out taking the lower dash out i did it just loosen the screws on the sides and you can pull the lower part down enough to get the screws for the top out it only took 3 hours and i was finished one note you still have to remove the glove box no way around that because if you do not the bottom dash will not flex enough to get to the screws.

[@xam2215]

thanks i needed to understand how to remove the dashboard to change the canopy airbag on each side , you are the only one showing how, big help !

[@robertmoriarty925]

You were absolutely right about the BEHR being the same as BMW. I just replaced the blower (BEHR) and FSU IN MT 97 750IL and the sun led one had both the BEHR and BMW logos. Works great! Thanks for your help. Btw. I didn’t have to remove nearly as much on my car....thankfully! Thanks again!

[@karnek4455]

Was an very very informative repair! Thank you all for the amazing videos! As an E39 owner I really appreciate it! Two thumbs up!

[@e39source87]

Excellent! Thanks so much for commenting, we appreciate your feedback!

[@kristersraisis6065]

yesterday i also change with my friend and we do it 1hour and 30minutes, and all was wery easy. Thank you guys for this tutorial

[@DiehardSportsCardCollector]

Great job guys! Wow. That is a major job to do. I need to replace both of mine. I think I’m just gonna take mine to a mechanic.

[@ahmetorhan05]

We have a Bmw e39 523i and i love this car. My fuse was also broken i replace that. I think my blower is good. Keep up the good work.

[@Moe11032]

Amazed how you guys have the guts to do this, i wish if i had colts knowledge on how to fix things

[@npduncan73]

I am so thankful I do not have any issues with this yet. Good video guys.

[@persistencewins]

I know this video is old, but on the e39 is really ez since you are replacing the fan motor and the FSU only, cuz you pull out kind of half of the dash and you should of done the heater core as well since you were half way already. i did the heater core on my E53 and it was very fun taking me about 3 good days. But it is worth at the end. You just need to have guts in order to do it. Take it ez. Keep it up guys.

[@E39Source]

I actually just replaced this blower motor installed in this video last week! It had started to whine at low speeds. I went with a Genuine BMW motor this time, and still didn't do anything with the heater core. 230k and it's all going strong! I was able to do the blower motor in about 3 hours this time. If/when the heater core needs service, I'll take care of it.

[@persistencewins]

@@E39Source wow again? Unfortunately there are a bunch of low quality parts, but did u get oem from FCP? U usually get ur parts from them right? They are the best place with the buying only once kind warranty “LTW”. Anyways, wish ya all the best n keep up with ur videos n top notch repairs. You are great in all u do n congrats! God bless ya n family!

[@E39Source]

@@persistencewins This was before FCP. I think I used BavAuto actually. Thanks!

[@MrCuckoobox]

Great job and Thanks for Sharing!..........I hope I never have do that with my e39. I like to use "zip lock" bags for the screws, nuts and bolts and sharpie pen to mark the bags - the snack size works best. If you drop or kick one of the those "cup of nuts," you are going to go "nuts" looking for them.

[@enrique967]

Agreed! Same here!

[@lockergnome90087]

The old blower motor sounded like an Impala motor in the dash! Great job though. This guide will also be pretty similar for the E53 X5, as lots of interior parts are similar/same.

[@antoniomancuso3950]

Holy, they really make it hard. No wonder it is so expensive to get your car fixed at a garage. Now I can see why it cost me $800 to get it replaced at the garage. Great Video.

[@svenrichter8231]

My center vent and actuator rod was slightly different. 2 clips in the back, none in the front. Theres an actuator rod behind the vent, reach around it and push the tabs while slightly pulling up. Next, take a screwdiver and push the tab inside the driver side vent down while carefully pulling the vent assembly to the passenger side. Thanks for the vid!

[@georgehrubec8542]

Kudos to you guys to take this on.. I am currently on my 2nd e39.. The first one was 03 530 with sport package and 5 spd which I kept for close to 100k from new. The second I found pristine 03 M5 with only 27k and I hope I will keep this car for long time. Keep up the good work. Amazing what you guys can do without dealership.

[@ggua92722]

Great job guys and thank you for sharing. Saved this DIY video in my favorites just in case I need to do this in the future.

[@Matty-Z]

Love the lighting setup LOL!

[@e39source87]

Yeah we think that turned out fairly well since we started later at night!

[@shhleeshhmaker9496]

Love your cup/paper and part layout idea! Great tip thanks for sharing!! :)

[@maraz26]

16:20 - I have 530d from 2001 with automatic AC and there was just a few seconds to pull this out. No screwdriwers, no problems. Just carefully pull off the hassis and release plastic clips.

[@stereo-ed1yd]

Today my blover died... So this video is money saver for me... Thx

[@saitekLT]

Jesus.. I hope my blower motor never gets broken...

[@Denvermorgan2000]

Its really not so hard.

[@andrzejcinalski9638]

Scoda Oktawia oświetlenie wewnątrz

[@andrzejcinalski9638]



[@andrzejcinalski9638]

Scoda

[@MarcusCliff]

Valdemaras Drozd I have a weird question . Would a 2004 BMW 320d m sport saloon 4 door dash. Fit a BMW e39 touring ?

[@apastras]

i have to do this in my 2001 e38, thanks for the blueprint guys. great vid

[@IAMISEE]

I have the same model. How did it go?

[@kbuckovski]

You guys are making great videos. I dont have a BMW but still keeping up. Thumbs up

[@e39source87]

Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed!

[@phil22]

Thanks for sharing! Great job. I believe I will need to do this on my 97' E39 because I believe the radiator of the heating system has a leak and the water is coming inside on the carpet of the driver's side. On the other hand the blower motor is doing a strange noise and the heating on the right side is not working....

[@E39Source]

Philippe Bousquet If one side isn’t working, you need the check the heater core valves under the hood on the inside of the drivers side strut tower.

[@mArk-qm4yl]

I love you, just had to change mine, and this video really helped me alot, at first i had no idea what and how, but you really made it happen and saved me alot of money

[@michelinov]

Well,not all E39's , mine does't have one,but here in Europe we tend to get less equipped cars. You guys get all the fun. Ps - have a video request , can you do a throtle body clean up video or something , will be interesting to see how things are under the cover of a higher mileage car.

[@e39source87]

I would gladly do that if I trusted myself. But, I've head my local dealer do the carbon cleaning and when they had the engine torn down they cleaned everything in there. According the master tech, my car is in excellent condition! :D

[@Top_g80comp]

great video with great step by step instructions you guys are great!!!!

[@only1balto]

Thanks so much for your videos. I really appreciate the guidance and help. So jealous of your M5.

[@pfannkuchengesicht42]

if merely watching a video would do the work for me, that'd by nice... but I have to do it myself soon Thanks for the video! I was afraid I had to take out the whole blower assembly.

[@sucableadi]

a very very big request. can you guys please show the whole process of removing each item? not just cut to the scene where it's already been removed. thanks. yes the video will be longer but you know we can FF it.

[@Kirkmdrfkr]

I totally agree. :)

[@matracz21]

hey lads;) Nice one;) I've done it myself, about nine months ago, as the bloody heater was licking:( Your movie is great, just forgot to mention that upper dash is having a pins (plasticks fingers) which need to get to their place in front wall of the car otherwise putting back all together will be a bit dodgy and on the end dash will not line up with doors and other elements etc. Warm regards from Poland;)

[@e39source87]

I could have sworn that I mentioned that the desk fits back into clips... I hope all goes well with everyone. **Note that the dash slides back into clips by the windshield! Thanks for watching up though, even warmer regards from San Diego, California!

[@kenjones2972]

Lots of screws to remove.. Liked the containerisation with the coffee cups to keep everything organised !!! Hope I dont need to do this any time soon :)

[@soldaat24-channel]

When on auto, my car starts blowing too cold and too much air after about 10 minutes of driving, it's like the car thinks the temperature in the cabin is too hot. The airflow gradually increases. When I start increasing the temperature, it starts blowing less. Could this also be the FSU ? Thanks!

[@alkalineph9446]

will be doing this on my 7’er thanks for the video!!

[@TheLastBabyBoomer]

Awesome video. My battery is having a drain problem and the FSU may be the culprit. Thanks.

[@e39source87]

Thanks! Note that the dash-removal is unnecessary for the FSU replacement. That can be accessed from the passenger's footwell, although it certainly does help if you have smaller hands, a light, and some patience that way. It is very likely that the FSU is indeed your culprit though, good luck!

[@TheLastBabyBoomer]

Thank you:-) gonna check the m5board for a day.

[@harrisjohnny477]

this video has to win an award for being the longest as well as boring unnecessary work. you do not have to go through the dashboard to take out the blower just go through the hood. just left the hood. taking out the dashboard is Harley irregular as well as unnecessary

[@Sroor2023]

How to do that not possible from hood only with e34 it's possible and I think pre these models

[@payamstar]

You have no clue what you are talking about!! This is the only way on e39.

[@mz-khan]

Excellent video! I was just comparing it with the blower motor DIY on M5Board and it looks like the head unit doesn't need to come out. In any case, it's a great resource for the M5 community. I'll post this video up on M5Board and nominate it for the DIY sticky if that's OK with you.

[@e39source87]

Hey, thanks for the feedback! That would be awesome, we'd greatly appreciate the post!

[@alexedward1250]

Nice job guys, bookmarked it for my future reference.

[@KayGeee86]

Great video, guys! I came from a e36 328i to a e38 740iA. And now i finally bought an e39 540iA and i must say this is a fuckin great car. Powerful and very comfortable. As i was looking for the e39 i found your YT-site. Really good vids up here! Like a BMW deserve ;) Greets from Germany

[@e39source87]

Thank you very much for your feedback! If you ever feel like filming a car I know our audience would love another 540, and we'd be happy to post a video from you! Thanks again

[@alcanhg]

Great job. I also have a 2003 540 and also am from MD.

[@damson777]

I have squeak noise problem on my E39 from this blower, but this is actual only in winter and after it warms up, noise goes off or maybe is slightly hearable. Any explanation on this? And is it possible to somehow oil it without taking out motor?

[@E39Source]

The bearings in the motor are starting to wear out/bind and squeak. You'll probably have to replace that motor before long. To oil it, you'd have to do all of the labor of replacing it- and after all that work, you'd be better off to put a new one in that will last another 20 years.

[@BoudewijnvanHouten]

Great effort. nice informative video! One question: Wasn't this the right opportunity to clean the evaporator also because it tends to gather lots of stinking mold in the years?

[@e39source87]

Never read anything about that. You could very possibly be right, but I didn't touch it!

[@alexedward1250]

Hello, thank you for posting this video, it is very helpful, as your video posts. In my case the wire connectors in my 2003 530 have never been removed, as such the one with two tabs on each side and the one with no tab are stuck shut in there. I have tugged very hard and no budging. I was wondering if you have any solution, may be a spray of some sort that would loosen up the connectors. Thank you in advance

[@E39Source]

You could try a drop or two of WD-40 in there.

[@alexedward1250]

@@E39Source Thank you kindly.

[@3ricky13]

I had trouble on my 2004 around the steering wheel getting off around handles for wipers and lights

[@lukas318e36]

Which mark of blower did you bought ? I bought Nissens and it makes noise, original was there Valeo, this was more silence, what is you experience ?

[@raym316]

That's was very smart with the screws good idea

[@fotomedia1]

Great video guys! My Blower issue is that it remains on a very low constant speed on my e39 528it no matter how high I set the control speed button. Does the FSU have anything to do with that?????

[@enrique967]

I would always start with the FSU...much easier to do and will need to be replaced eventually.

[@antifa86i35]

guys! I have an 96 E39 523i, and I just found out that I can't turn the heating of.. I mean that it will blow cold air from the front blowers but on the windshield and the leg zones it will always be hot air! any idea what ca it be the problem ?

[@TheHell666yeah]

Great video. Your channel rules. Keep up the work with this beautiful machines.

[@E39Source]

+TheHell666yeah Thanks!

[@patriklenck1735]

Thanks for the Great Explanation!

[@berkeleydojah]

the manufacter behind the blower motor for the e39 i beleive is Valeo, not Behr.

[@E39Source]

Valeo is OEM, yes. I in fact this replaced this Behr motor after a decade.

[@2001mario]

Hi the great video but i was woundering if you a video on how to locate or remove a FSU on a 06 525xi e60 because it is different then e39 thanks

[@e39source87]

I did some research and there is little information about the FSU on the E60. It looks like it's under the dashboard though... you may have your work cut out for you! Good luck, Ryan

[@BavarianM]

I need to do this eventually to my 525tds

[@akbarbukhari]

that looks so hard to fix, you had to take down the whole dash to get to the blower. why dont they place it under the glove dept like some cars, this job would of been done in 20 mins

[@pfannkuchengesicht42]

hm, today I tried to get to my e39's blower motor and the pushing to the left of that stick of the actuator was impossible. It was also constructed slightly differently. It's a 2000 facelift model.

[@pimpmissile]

Yeah mine wouldn't move either, ended up breaking so i used some super glue with plastic weld powder to hold it back together seems to be working fine

[@jojo-vc6qe]

I had the same promblem but I ended up taking it off by pulling the whole thing to the right without breaking the stick

[@ronaldswapp3186]

It's not that big of job, just plan on a good cool Saturday or Sunday, a few cups of coffee and a good memory. I've done this several times on a few of my e39s, by a few I mean 6.

[@ktraoui]

great video as always. just curious...did you guys know each other from before or did you meet through the e39source effort?

[@e39source87]

We met through KZbin (not E39Source) about 2-3 years ago.

[@Denvermorgan2000]

Still a great video even though some steps can be skipped.

[@Sam-zw2gp]

Brave move well done - most people would have sent it right to a dealer

[@robertmoriarty925]

Great video! What BRAND blower did you use? After all that work, I want the best quality. Would a BEHR BE OK, or would you only use BMW OEM? Thanks!

[@E39Source]

I used the Behr, which is the same as the Genuine BMW. Just with the BMW logo ground off!

[@brad4003]

Nice work guys!

[@tadiens999]

after replacing the blower, only hot air blows on the right side, where could a mistake have been made during assembly?

[@E39Source]

The actuating flaps could have gotten stuck/jammed, or disconnected. You'll need to open it up again and check operation with the upper dashboard removed.

[@AlanMedina314]

Hey Guys, I am current working on a 88 528e and my ac blower does not turn on at all. Any ideas?

[@michelinov]

Great video , your car is amazing.Do all M5' s have a flashlight ?

[@e39source87]

Thanks! Yes, all E39s came with on in the glove box.

[@TheHeretic435]

I need a new evaporator in my E39. I'm terrified. And why is there no vids on replacing evaporators?

[@E39Source]

I haven't heard of anyone else needing needing to replace their evaporator yet. Nothing on M5Board/other BMW forums?

[@s2kulptr]

How did you hard wire your valentine 1? I wired mine into the garage door opener supply, but I'm curious on a better place that you may have used

[@E39Source]

That is what I used as well, the green/white wire for the garage homelink panel.

[@ottson]

A bit reckless throwing keys into an M5 at 0:45.. What happened to just handing them over?

[@deuflhard9511]

Awesome video! Thanks!

[@MrAntonioRomao]

Good Work. Thanks for share this with us.

[@daMoonSon]

How much time it took? I have working FSU and fine contact, but already 2nd FSU is being melted down in contacts. I heard, that it could be caused by faulty blower, what is taked too much Amps. How do you think? How I can diagnose that? I don’t want to change working blower and do this much work without being sure that it is causing this melting FSU contacts.

[@E39Source]

I have never seen a blower motor fail in that way, though it is certainly possible. I don't know of a way to test this without removing the dashboard for inspection. I actually just replaced the blower motor I installed in this video last week, ironically. It had started to whine at low speeds.

[@daMoonSon]

@@E39Source how long time it was in service and what manufacturer? My was whining at low speeds in winters while car gets warm, but now also that whining is gone and it seems functioning 100% right from user perspective.

[@E39Source]

@@daMoonSon It was a Behr motor that lasted about 9 years. I installed a Genuine BMW now.

[@mehmetirfan5834]

hi i want to bay like that rings how i can?????

[@rst570]

A lot of work just for a blower. Had to do the same on a 2000 528i about 10 yrs back

[@unosec]

good video, it is difficult to remove blower.

[@Innaui]

That vid really helpful.

[@alkhashtee]

Awesome guys. Thank a lot

[@raduradu3169]

Super work!

[@augustoadames4081]

Wherr you at located i have the same problem in my bmw do you how much it cost me at the dealers or with you guys

[@E39Source]

Hi Augusto, I am located in Escondido, California, about 30 miles north of downtown San Diego. I can change the blower motor and FSU for you for about $500, plus parts. A dealership will probably be closer to $1,500.

[@benjigreenlee9540]

Well I tried this without looking anything up first and I broke that arm that he said not to break I've been searching for a part number or some way to find that part to replace. It's on my 2001 525i it's not my daily so no rush but I'd love to know if anyone can help point me in the right direction on where to find it. Thank you

[@E39Source]

You can use RealOEM to determine the part number, though it may be included with another larger component like the entire HVAC assembly. You can probably find it on Ebay or in a salvage yard.

[@benjigreenlee9540]

@@E39Source yea I was looking on realoem and couldn't find it. Thanks though

[@robertmoriarty925]

Wow! Thank you so much!!!

[@deathle55]

Great guide! Thanks)

[@W210Garage]

Great Video!

[@lawrencepacheco3342]

would you happen to know if this same installation applies to a 1995 540i?

[@E39Source]

The E34.. maybe? Similar, I would imagine. I've never worked on an E34 though.

[@lawrencepacheco3342]

@@E39Source yeah E34, I'd assume so. However there isn't anything concrete online. I've seen some posts about how you did it and others going in from the engine bay

[@3ricky13]

The E60 is a problem and different the cover over blower motor much different.2004 later

[@mrnajee1]

Sooooooo... am I out of line if I mention, "why did they edit all of the removal footage out of the video but kept all of the before and after footage in this DIY". I just want to make sure that it's just me who notice this as I'm watching.

[@clubherbalife6292]

Good job ! 👍

[@thermb213]

awesome vid

[@shhleeshhmaker9496]

Good job!!!

[@naelnicolas3280]

YOU'VE EARNED MY RESPECX. WASUUP, KITTENS PLOT WHAT'S YOUR OPINION ABOUT THAT, GUYX

[@TheLCWorks]

How much would two master technicians charge to do this on a 2001 530i?

[@E39Source]

Probably at least 6-8 hours labor.

[@bahadirozen]

Dashboard center air vent is broken in my bmw e39 528i '98, and I bought new one on ebay, so How can I replace it? Can anyone tell me how please...

[@E39Source]

Hello, Kennan here! There is a video on the channel regarding this job already: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2qQl5ummZlqsKM The one thing I would add is that you do not really need to remove the radio, HVAC unit, or CD player. From my experience, I was able to simply put my fingers in the old fresh air vents and work the old ones out without even breaking them, but it does take some firm persuasion. Of course, the Bowden cable was disconnected, but physically removing the vents once they are disconnected is not too bad; connecting the Bowden cable for the new vents is much more difficult, so take your time and be patient. Thanks for the comment, good luck! -Kennan

[@bahadirozen]

***** thank you!...

[@harrisjohnny477]

oh this is a 5:40 BMW thank God for E46 3 Series

[@Stian2001]

What part brand did you use? Bmw orginal or Torpan?

[@E39Source]

Genuine BMW, Mahle, Hella, or Behr would all be quality parts.

[@Stian2001]

@@E39Source I saw that oem bmw is simens or valeo. But, mahle orginal I think have hella behr stamps on it. Mahle orginal is indeed a good product. On autodoc I only found mahle orginal, valeo and torpan as good quallity brands. I dont know if you can get a hand on a brand new simens one though. Never seen it brand new only used

[@E39Source]

@@Stian2001 For 64118385558 (3/2000+), it looks like the OE is Valeo which is NLA. I would buy the Genuine BMW to be safe. You don't want to do this job twice.

[@Stian2001]

@@E39Source I agree with you somewhat. I remember you made a video about the ecu/dme fan that was made by bosch and the bmw bosch was a 120$ more. I am thinking the same here. If the oem is valeo I think I will go with valeo for my 2001 black facelift and maybe mahle orginal for my 1997 preface since I cant find the simens one

[@Kauaiguy25]

thanks!

[@jfn1103]

"Hey E39 Source here! Here's a 50 minute video on how to change the radio station in my E39 M5!"

[@E39Source]

Hey thanks for watching bud! I'm sure this video would be very helpful to you if you needed to do a $800 dealer service for $200. As for changing the radio station, please consult your owners manual. We don't cater that low as to respond to your desires here.

[@stevesteve1729]

Not sure how this correlates to the video at all. This is obviously not a real simple thing for a lot of people to do on their own.

[@grapewater123]

Omg ! my heater takes about 5 minutes of driving before it actually starts blowing. (before that nothing happens) Once it realises I've actually switched it on it works fine. However if the cars been off for more than 30 minutes or so the same thing is likely to happen. Please don't tell me it's likely a blower motor... I can't do all this! :-o

[@E39Source]

That could be the final stage unit (FSU) up in the dashboard. I would replace that first.

[@grapewater123]

E39Source Yes yes it was the FSU, thanks for the advice!

[@enrique967]

My vote as well!