Cabriolet rear blower
Moderator: martauto
Next up on my list of jobs to do is the rear cabriolet heater blower. The switch lights up but the rear blower doesn’t neem to want to blow. Any ideas on troubleshooting?
Current: 325i cab 1987 / Z3 2.8i 1999
Previous: Z3M Coupe / Z4M Roadster / E90 335i / Z4M Coupe / Z4 3.0i / E46 330i / Z3 2.8i
Previous: Z3M Coupe / Z4M Roadster / E90 335i / Z4M Coupe / Z4 3.0i / E46 330i / Z3 2.8i
- paultv
- E30 Zone Squatter

- Posts: 1541
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:00 pm
- Location: Auf dem Schnee: Germany
I reckon the blower relay and switch both get fed from fuse 8 - so if the switch lights the fuse is good - I'd pull the rear seat back out and check power at the relay first - could be duff.
Paul
Paul
4th May 1990 325i Convertible.
BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:
https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:
https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
Cheers Paul. I’ll take a look at the relay power.
Current: 325i cab 1987 / Z3 2.8i 1999
Previous: Z3M Coupe / Z4M Roadster / E90 335i / Z4M Coupe / Z4 3.0i / E46 330i / Z3 2.8i
Previous: Z3M Coupe / Z4M Roadster / E90 335i / Z4M Coupe / Z4 3.0i / E46 330i / Z3 2.8i
- paultv
- E30 Zone Squatter

- Posts: 1541
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:00 pm
- Location: Auf dem Schnee: Germany
It appears I may be wrong - fuse 8 feeds the relay at the rear and energises the relay via the dash switch - however the yellow dash switch lamp gets
power from fuse 23 via the main light switch - you have a light so 23 is OK.
So, first supect is fuse 8.
Then check pin 8 ( 86 Black ) of the rear relay for consstant 12v when ignition is ON.
Then check pin 6 ( 30 green /blue ) of relay for 12v when the heater/blower switch is ON - whilst ignition is also ON.
You may also want to check that the "top down" switch is working both electrically and physically. If it is failing to make a connection with the roof UP it will think the roof is down
which stops the relay energising coil from making its path to the body of the car - this will "switch off" the blower.
With everything switched OFF and the roof up you should have a dead short 0 ohms between the relay pin 4 ( 85 ) brown/black wire and the car body.
If pin 2 ( 87 Black/red } has 12v when the dash switch is operated and the relay clicks I would suspect an internal problem with the blower and if fuse 8 blows when you run the blower
for a short time it indicates a shorted or damaged heater coil which causes high current flow to blow the fuse - also true if the motor is seized up then the heater coils become too hot
and the fuse pops or the internal thermal fuse gives way - resulting in running motor but no heat.
Paul
power from fuse 23 via the main light switch - you have a light so 23 is OK.
So, first supect is fuse 8.
Then check pin 8 ( 86 Black ) of the rear relay for consstant 12v when ignition is ON.
Then check pin 6 ( 30 green /blue ) of relay for 12v when the heater/blower switch is ON - whilst ignition is also ON.
You may also want to check that the "top down" switch is working both electrically and physically. If it is failing to make a connection with the roof UP it will think the roof is down
which stops the relay energising coil from making its path to the body of the car - this will "switch off" the blower.
With everything switched OFF and the roof up you should have a dead short 0 ohms between the relay pin 4 ( 85 ) brown/black wire and the car body.
If pin 2 ( 87 Black/red } has 12v when the dash switch is operated and the relay clicks I would suspect an internal problem with the blower and if fuse 8 blows when you run the blower
for a short time it indicates a shorted or damaged heater coil which causes high current flow to blow the fuse - also true if the motor is seized up then the heater coils become too hot
and the fuse pops or the internal thermal fuse gives way - resulting in running motor but no heat.
Paul
Last edited by paultv on Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
4th May 1990 325i Convertible.
BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:
https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:
https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
Amazing info and direction, Paul. Many thanks!paultv wrote: ↑Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:47 amIt appears I may be wrong - fuse 8 feeds the relay at the rear and energises the relay via the dash switch - however the yellow dash switch lamp gets
power from fuse 23 via the main light switch - you have a light so 23 is OK.
So, first supect is fuse 8.
Then check pin 8 ( 86 Black ) of the rear relay for consstant 12v when ignition is ON.
Then check pin 6 ( 30 green /blue ) of relay for 12v when the heater/blower switch is ON - whilst ignition is also ON.
You may also want to check that the "top down" switch is working both electrically and physically. If it is failing to make a connection with the roof UP it will think the roof is down
which stops the relay energising coil from making its path to the body of the car - this will "switch off" the blower.
With everything switched OFF and the roof up you should have a dead short 0 ohms between the relay pin 4 ( 85 ) brown/black wire and the car body.
If pin 2 ( 87 Black/red } has 12v when the dash switch is operated and the relay clicks I would suspect an internal problem with the blower and if fuse 8 blows when you run the blower
for a short time it indicates a shorted or damaged heater coil which causes high current flow to blow the fuse - also true if the motor is seized up then the heater coils become too hot
and the fuse pops.
Paul![]()
Current: 325i cab 1987 / Z3 2.8i 1999
Previous: Z3M Coupe / Z4M Roadster / E90 335i / Z4M Coupe / Z4 3.0i / E46 330i / Z3 2.8i
Previous: Z3M Coupe / Z4M Roadster / E90 335i / Z4M Coupe / Z4 3.0i / E46 330i / Z3 2.8i

