vinkodex.Blower motor connector corrosion: short circuit and fire, even on a parked car
It does not show up on every car. Check before you buy.
critical
severity
not available
mileage
3
sources
3 sources next to the write-up.
The fault
How you spot it
The contacts between the wiring harness and the blower motor regulator wear against each other and corrode. The connection becomes unreliable, the connector heats up, the insulation of the harness is damaged, and that can lead to a short circuit and finally a vehicle fire.
The short circuit and the fire can happen while the engine is switched off, and also while the car is parked. A car standing in a garage can catch fire too.
According to the German technical press, in January 2021 around 430,000 cars in Germany and more than half a million worldwide were recalled for this, all E90/E91/E92/E93 3 Series. In the USA more than 700,000 2006 to 2011 3 Series cars had already been recalled for the same thing in autumn 2017, after claimants in three separate cases cited injuries. The maker disputed that the fault had ever caused personal injury or an accident.
The EU Safety Gate names it in two separate alerts: the 3 Series (A12/00390/21) and the X5/X6 (A12/01261/21).
The campaign is free, but only if it was carried out. On a fifteen year old car, ask about it, because nobody will offer it unprompted.
Which model
Who it affects
The card opens the generation, the engine or the transmission.
Generations and models
3 generations.
BMW
E90
3 Series
M 93 / CC BY-SA 3.0
BMW 3 Series E90
2006–2011
BMW
E70
X5
M 93 / Attribution
BMW X5 E70
2006–2011
BMW
E71
X6
M 93 / Attribution
BMW X6 E71
2008–2011
vinkodex.Checklist
Blower motor connector corrosion: short circuit and fire, even on a parked car
What you would check for this fault. Take it to the car.
Before you buy
Checklist
What you tick stays on this device only.
Sources
How we know
Information, not an expert opinion
We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.
- A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
- A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
- You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.