<E36>HVAC Query

[r browne <r_browne@xxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings:
  Well, no responses to my earlier E36 Automatic Transmission Control
Module query, so I'll try another digest brain teaser. :-)

   Few weeks ago, when the weather started to turn cold, I turned my
heater on, and heard some slight thumping or knocking noises emanating
directly behind my speedometer/tachometer.  I' ve heard those noises
before...I think they are present the same time those ventilation
motors whir after you shut the car down and sit in it quietly for a
few minutes.  This time the slight thumping was persistent, followed
by no heat from the vents.  (Dont confuse this issue with the IHKR
programming problem that plagues early E36's, thats a different no
heat problem.  The noise is pretty hard to describe, but its
definitely HVAC related.  To make a long story short, I unplugged the
heater control valve located beside the brake fluid reservoir, tapped
on it, looked at it funny, scratched my head a bit, plugged it back
in, and I think the noise disappeared a couple of days later.  

Since then, heat is back, and no noise...yet.

Any thoughts on what this was? A friend who has a 1996 318i claims the
exact same thing was happening to her, but her dealer blew her off
with a "they all make that noise, its the heater core materials
expanding and retracting".  

Ron Browne
1992 318is
Bowie, MD


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