BMW AC System Problems, Climate Control Not Working

Hi there! I have some experience working on cars and faced a similar issue with my 2004 BMW 3 Series diesel last summer. The symptoms were exactly the same as what you're describing with your 1 Series. After taking it to my regular workshop, they found it was just a faulty cable connection to the climate control unit. The repair was pretty straightforward, they replaced some worn-out wiring and connectors. Cost me around 95 Euro, and the AC system has been working perfectly since then. Before jumping to conclusions about the ventilation flap, I'd suggest getting the electrical connections checked first, it's often the simpler solution. Could you share what error code you're getting? Also, have you noticed any other electrical issues in the car? This info would help narrow down if you're dealing with the same problem I had. Cheers

Hey there! Thanks for the detailed response about the electrical connections. My car has been pretty reliable up until now at 79492 KM and just had its service last month. Actually, I'm getting error code P0645, and now that you mention it, I've noticed the dashboard lights flickering occasionally, should've mentioned that in my first post. Your experience with the wiring issue is really helpful, especially since our cars are from around the same era. I'll definitely get those connections checked out first before diving into anything more complex. Did your mechanic have to take apart the whole dashboard to fix those connections, or was it a simpler job? Just trying to get an idea of what I might be in for. Thanks again for the help!

Hey again! Thanks for providing those extra details about your situation. Yeah, those flickering dashboard lights along with the P0645 code definitely sound familiar, it's pretty much identical to what I experienced with my BMW. In my case, the mechanic didn't have to tear apart the entire dashboard, which was a relief. They mainly accessed the connections through the glove box area, took them about an hour and a half total. My car was at similar mileage too, around 82,000 KM when this happened. Just to give you a heads up, while they were in there, they noticed some of the connector pins were slightly corroded, which was contributing to the problem. They cleaned those up as part of the repair. Since the fix, I haven't had any issues with either the AC or those annoying dashboard flickers. One tip though, I'd recommend having them check the AC compressor relay while they're at it. That P0645 code can sometimes be related to that, and it's worth looking at while they're already working on the electrical connections. Let me know how it goes when you get it checked out. I'm curious if it turns out to be the same issue as mine!

Thanks so much for all this fantastic info! You've really put my mind at ease, especially knowing that it might not require a massive dashboard teardown. The similarity between our situations, the mileage, the error code, and those dashboard flickers, is pretty striking. I've actually just booked my car in for tomorrow morning, and I'll definitely mention checking the AC compressor relay too. That's a great tip, wouldn't want to miss checking that while they're poking around in there. Really hoping it'll be as straightforward as your repair was. I'll let you know how it goes, but I'm feeling much more confident now that it's probably just those electrical connections rather than something more serious with the ventilation flap. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's been super helpful!