This might help ,from another forum .
darrenkellum
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: england
Posts: 46
My Ride: 1999 BMW E46 318 CI
View My Garage Final Stage Resistor Replaced - DIY 1999 318 CI
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Finally did this today!!! Replaced and working.
If your heater and air con seems erratic and not much air blows from the blowers this could need replacing.
Thought I'd detail the process for the E46 Euro Right hand drive 318i CI people out there (mine is 1999).
1. Remove the plastic above the pedals - about 3 screws around the edge, one plastic plug that pops out on the left console side, and the plastic stop behind the clutch (uncrews). Then just pop the whole thing down from under the steering wheel (two little clips hold that bit in under the wheel).
2. Location
The resister is to the top left, right at the back of the center console. If you get on your back and kinda push your head into the cluch pedal you can see it. There are some thickish brown wires going into the plug.
3. Unclip the plug. You have to squeeze the top and bottom of the plug and it pops off. Again not very easy to get a grip on it as its so far up and tight.
4. There is another thin black wire going onto a roundish black object pretty much direcly infront of the resistor (not sure what it is) I pulled that wire out too.
5. Mine had 3 screws holding the resistor in (T20 star shaped), one on the bottom, one to the right and one right at the top which you pretty much cant see. Bottom and right are easy. For the top you have to slide the screwdriver in through the tiny gap at the top of that black thing (point 4 above) and it just about lets you get the correct angle to get into the screw and undo it. I thought my 100mm shaft screwdriver was not going to let me reach it, it did in the end, just keep persisting.
6. Once all three screws are out, you can push the clip which is situated on the right of the resistor and at the same time yank the thing out. Mine did not come easily, you have to kind of push the plastic and components to the left side, they all move a bit and dont seem to snap. There was also some kind of thin metal bar right at the top which stopped the top of the resistor coming out. I had to ram a screwdriver onto the bar and push it above the top of the resistor. Then ... victory!
7. Push your new one in, plug in (and the little other black wire to its own component) and test out. Putting back everything is the easy bit.
I bought my resistor from ebay.
Hope this helps.
darrenkellum
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06-03-2009, 06:51 AM
Posted Nov 12, 2009 (15 years ago)