Removal of heater bowden cable?

Does anyone know how to remove the bowden cable and other bits and pieces off the back of the old school manual heater controls in an e36?

I have this unit in mine:
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BE52&mospid=47425&btnr=64_0155&hg=64&fg=20
And have a replacement unit as none of the original unit lights up. Tried replacing the bulbs and the plexiglass inside the unit that allows the light to flow/travel around the dials but the original still doesn't work so need to change it out completely just can't figure out how to remove the wires without anything breaking, or the bowden!!

Searched for DIY vids on youtube and it seems to just bring up manual climate control units or full OBD units.

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Originally Posted by Paddy

Does anyone know how to remove the bowden cable and other bits and pieces off the back of the old school manual heater controls in an e36?

I have this unit in mine:
http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BE52&mospid=47425&btnr=64_0155&hg=64&fg=20
And have a replacement unit as none of the original unit lights up. Tried replacing the bulbs and the plexiglass inside the unit that allows the light to flow/travel around the dials but the original still doesn't work so need to change it out completely just can't figure out how to remove the wires without anything breaking, or the bowden!!

Searched for DIY vids on youtube and it seems to just bring up manual climate control units or full OBD units.

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The bowden cable reaches all the way around the back of the heater unit itself on the drivers side. I've taken out a couple of full units and it's a dash out job as access is heavily restricted.

Edit: Actually I have a whole heater unit out of the car, I'll have a look around the shed this eve if I get the chance and see if I can sort you some pics to show what I mean as it will be easier with the full unit out to show you what I mean and maybe also answer your question correctly!

Also this is might be worth a look: Click

Cheers! All I need to do is take the cable off the back of the heater dials and connect it back onto to back of the new set of dials! Would it really be a dash out job? Wouldn't have expected it to be that much hassle!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Paddy

Cheers! All I need to do is take the cable off the back of the heater dials and connect it back onto to back of the new set of dials! Would it really be a dash out job? Wouldn't have expected it to be that much hassle!

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Oh haha misread the situation!

Easily done push it towards the dials and rotate it and it will pop off.

If its like the e39 dash cable it just unhooks like a bike brake cable can you take a picture of it ?

Not at the car right now! There is still the remnants of a bowden cable on the new (second hand) unit and I couldn't figure out how to get it off it! Wanted to have it figured out before I remove the original dials from car and then realise I opened up a can of shit!

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Sounds odd normally you would disconnect the simpler end up at the dash take a pic of the new one later see if we can spot how to release it

There is a little hook the cable is attached to on the unit, pop the off the rotate it so it slides through the slot that allows it to be released. When you look at it it should make sense.

Managed to swap it out there today. Finicky piece of awkwardness.......for me anyway!

The replacement unit is Siemens don't know what the original one was but there were some differences all on the back of the units like screwed mount positions for the electrics and the splined cable for the air direction which kind of threw me a little as I thought the replacement wouldn't fit or work. Few pictures of taking apart and jiggery-pokery.


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Whats the green button paddy

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Originally Posted by Gar

Whats the green button paddy

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That was a switch that came with a set of hella front fog lights that were fitted to the car strangely the actual light switch in the car doesn't have a push-button front fog light but then the car never had fogs fitted but it had hollow empty glass lenses which got replaced with the hella kit!

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So its not for a laser behind the reg plate [emoji20]

[emoji1][emoji1]

The bulb in the original unit was blackened and the bulb in the replacement looked grand but I think it might be blown as there still is no light spreading. I'll have to change that so.

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The same bulb may be in the headlight switch if you want to check that. Take it out its just pushed into the holder :)


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