Hi, I posted a question here a few weeks ago about my air vents blowing air/heat/ac and stopping for a split second and resuming again while I am driving or at a stop.


Sometimes the thermostat flashes when this happens and the whole system will go dark. Often the windshield wiper will turn on when this happens and you can't get it to stop. I found that often if I turn my car off and then restart it, it will work okay for a little while again.


I had taken it to my mechanic a few months ago, but the car was not doing it at the time and he said I would have to bring it in when I have the problem again. It took almos 4 months before it happened again.


One person responded to my original post and mentioned that I should try to get body codes checked by my mechanic. I stopped and asked about this, but he said it wouldn't show anything. I have to wait for it to completely fail


Tonight it was raining so hard and my windows fogged up and I couldn't get them to clear because the air would not come out. I shut off the car and started it again and the air worked for just a few seconds. Thank God I didn't have a very long ride.


What would you try to replace first? This problem will happen whether the vent/heat/ac is on low or hight. I have read a little about engine blowers and engine resistors but don't know enough about either of these to know if this would be a good place to start.


Thanks for any help you can give me. This is for a 5 speed basic 2003 mini cooper.

 

I'm going to go with body control module but you can't just replace it...it's coded to the car and needs to be programmed at the dealer I believe. The whole moisture thing has me thinking this is your issue.

 

Hi Kahnfucious, thanks for your reply. This was actually the first time it was raining when the blower was not working and I really needed the defrost/ac to be blowing to clear the windows. The other times I was just trying to get heat (during the winter) and the vent our ac when it got warmer.

 

Not sure if you have the standard HVAC controls or the automatic...I think realistically you need the dealer to take a look. Or a very strong independent mini shop. Electrical issues are not something where you should just start swapping parts...they are just too expensive and unless you are qualified to check those kinds of things you could be replacing needlessly.

Good luck

 

I'd find another shop....
Any BMW shop should be able to pull a few codes....
Changing random parts Is an $$$ game.....a lottery ticket might be a better wager in some cases....

 

^^^+1

Basic diagnostics should be able to narrow down what wrong.

 

When weird electrical issues start happening at random times with no apparent pattern it's the battery. Take it to Auto Zone or another of that ilk and they'll replace it and have you on your way in minutes. You may be forced to reset your clock or the radio presets - oh the horror.
Dealership shops throw new parts at problems. Independent shops find out what's wrong and 'FIX' the problem. To find an independent shop in your area go to www.soopercooperinfo.com and scroll down thru the indie shop section to a town near you.

 

The clock and radio presets can be maintained by attaching a battery charger to the jump start connection whilst the battery is disconected. Might also want to check the security of the grounding points on the engine and battery. Good luck.

 

Kahnfucious thank you for repying again. Also I really appreciate the comments and opinions from ZippyNH (you were the one that responded to my original post, too!), cerenkov, Fly'nBrick and buzzsaw. Thanks for steering me away from my terrible idea of just replacing parts. I will get the battery checked out first and then see if another garage will run diagnostics for me. Thanks so much.