BMW E36
HVAC Blower Replacement DIY

The left side of the cowl fits conveniently into a slot in the body that supports and retains it so only one fastener is used on this side.

This is the rear of the cowl that faces the firewall. The rubber was cracked in several locations and probably should have been replaced but I didn't think to order the part. However, this one was totally functional.

The reason to remove the engine covers is to allow the harness to drop down and rearward enough to provide clearance while working on the blower.

If you've ever wondered how a DME so well sealed can flood, this is why. BMW wasn't so smart with this design -- if the cowl drains plug up, the cowl can fill up with water and eventually rise to meet the DME compartment(!)

Remove this tywrap in the center of the harness.

Remove this tywrap on the left side of the harness above the brake booster.

To keep the harness away from the work area I carefully and loosely tywrapped it to the manifold using the nipple of the break booster vacuum line.

A perspective on the airbox with the cowl removed and the harness pulled back.

This is the crosstie wire connection on the right side of the airbox. This is not removed during this work.

Remove the crosstie wire by prying up the adjustment clip retaining tab from the top of the black actuator arm (Arrow 1) and push the clip (Arrow 2) toward the rear of the car until it releases from the arm. Patience with this -- the arm is made of plastic!

With the crosstie wire removed, the front cover of the airbox can be removed to reveal the original blower motor. The center section of the airbox simply pulls out.

After pulling out the wiper motor assembly, unlock the electrical connector by pulling it in the direction of Arrow 1, and then pulling the connector off in the direction of Arrow 2. Arrow 3 shows where the support piece (removed) connects.