Blower motor/pw/pm

[deploytosave]

hey guys first of all, my name is chuck, i am new to this board, and VERY new to E30s, but i know my way around cars pretty well...

well just so you guys are aware i have been searching quite a bit and have found a couple things on this issue but so far no direct answers for me...

the car is a 1991 318is, the blower motor, the power windows, and the power mirrors dont work, i have seen some people on this forum suggest something about k7? im not sure what that is, but i suppose thats a possibility...

and i have also seen some suggestions about a ground on the starter, but dont know anything about that either..

i have replaced the blower motor, tried a couple different switches on the windows, and also tried running a direct power line to the blower motor, but could only get it to work intermittently..

its the dead of winter here in missouri, and without having a defroster, its down right dangerous... not to mention freaking cold!

i really do appreciate any help guys! if anyone could link me to a thread maybe or just explain to me what i need to do, id be so grateful!


looking forward to a long e30 ownership and hopefully a long stay on this board!

THAAAANKS GUYS:D

[Matt-B]

K7 is a relay in your fuse box...

[deploytosave]

K7 is a relay in your fuse box...

does it control the above listed things?


thanks for the quick reply

[jlevie]

The unloader relays aren't closing or are bad. The coil of those relays receives switched power and the ground for the coil is via a switch in the starter. When the starter is operating that switch back feeds the coil with power to open the relays. When the starter isn't operating that switch goes to ground to operate the relays and enable those circuits. Thus having those items disabled is most likely to be failed relays or a bad unloader switch in the starter.

A workaround for a bad unloader switch in the starter is to disconnect the unloader wire from the starter and ground it. Just make sure that the wire is the unloader circuit and not the start lead to the solenoid. If you ground the start lead by mistake, the starter won't engage and smoke will appear from the shorted wiring. The simple test to make sure that you've disconnected the unloader lead is to keep it isolated and try starting the engine. If it starts you have the right wire and if not you have the wrong wire.

Engaging the unloader relays all the time the ignition is on won't hurt anything. Early cars with the two wire starters are configured that way.

[b*saint]

Do all oem replacement starters have a unloader switch signal contact?

[jlevie]

Do all oem replacement starters have a unloader switch signal contact?

An OE replacement starter, by VIN from a dealer, should be in the correct configuration for the car (with or without the unloader switch as appropriate). Since BMW used starters with and without the unloader switch for E30's, you have to make sure that a replacement starter is in the correct configuration for the car.

[deploytosave]

wow, this site is amazing.. excellent information, i will be trying this tomorrow...


cannot thank you enough

[deploytosave]

if i swap relay k6 with relay k7 and nothing happens i should assume that im going to just need a new starter correct?

getting reeeeeally tired of not having heat haha

[deploytosave]

here is a new one, maybe this will tip someone off as to what it could be...


i took a corner and got a little sideways, when ever i got straight, it jerked the car a little bit, and then bam, my blower motor kicks on..

stayed on for maybe 5 mins, then shut off, and wont turn back on now..

[Kershaw]

drive sideways from now on.

[deploytosave]

drive sideways from now on.

dually noted

[deploytosave]

ok so i took the top post/ black and green wire off of the starter and gounded it.. it made a clicking noise in the fuse box, and would also make my over head "srs" light flash but still no blower motor/windows/mirrors..

ive now replaced the relay and tried grounding what i belive to be the unloader switch..

am i doing something wrong? please help out here :(

[deploytosave]

whenever i ground the unloader switch relays k5 and k7 both click...

this is frustrating

[deploytosave]

fuse 19 was blown, replaced it.. i now have power mirrors.. but still nothing else.. i reattached the wire back to the unloader switch on the starter and sure enough mirrors are still working..

so now im down to this, my relays seem to be good, and as far as i can tell the unloader switch is also good..

but i still have no blower motor nor windows :(

[deploytosave]

power windows = fuse 19

windows = bad window circuit breaker...

blower motor= ???