IKHR 525i heater flapper pictures?

[calmloki]

Guys,
Trying not to muck up the threads unnecessarily, and hoping that a good subject line will be followed by good information for future travelers.
I'm doing my best not to tear apart more of my system than I need too. Problem with air distribution. Been to a 80 page German site on converting from one system to another but the pictures are neatly obscured by the site name watermarks. Anybody have good shots of the flappers inside their 525i heater box? I'm not finding what I need with the search function. Any thoughts/tips/troubleshooting greatly appreciated. Problem is as follows:

I'm working on a new to me '93 525iT. PO reported that he had had the heater core replaced and heat hadn't worked properly since. I can feel heat and hear the fan doing it's thing, but air just sort of leaks out indiscriminately. Started pulling parts and found the outside air bowden cable unclipped from the slide controls - broken female retainer on the slide control. Not the problem. Got to the point that I pulled the microfilter, left it's cover off, and started the fan - bunches of air gets pushed backwards out the microfilter cover opening. For some reason neither the heat nor defrost flaps are opening, though the bowden cables move smoothly and the levers on the heater box move back and forth. I pulled the stepper motor onthe right side of the heater box and it makes little short spins as I play with the heat/defrost sliders. I suspect, though I don't know, that the stepper motor mixes air to reach a given temperature. This system is completely new to me - I've been to the German site that Shogun recommends, but it doesn't seem right on point - different system. Can anyone hazard a guess as to what the problem might be here? Hate to pull all the clips on the heater box if it can be avoided.
Thanks for any help or further troubleshooting suggestions.
Tom Walrod

[shogun]

I have only info about IHKA, maybe it helps a bit, some links from my page
http://bmwe32.student.utwente.nl/ind...ihka/ihka.html
http://shrubbery.student.utwente.nl/...ts_v1.1-1.html
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/131541
http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?i...einheit1gt.jpg

[calmloki]

Thanks Shogun, I had been (on your prior suggestion from the archives) to Johan's German site and the pictures of the broken mixing flapper helped, if only to confirm that things do break inside the box. Anyone else with specific IKHR pictures of the flappers? Thanks much,
Tom

I have only info about IHKA, maybe it helps a bit, some links from my page
http://bmwe32.student.utwente.nl/ind...ihka/ihka.html
http://shrubbery.student.utwente.nl/...ts_v1.1-1.html
http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/131541
http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?i...einheit1gt.jpg

[calmloki]

Just to put an end to this story: after pulling the center console, dash, glovebox, radio, etc. and forcing myself to split open the heater box I found....nothing. FWIW, the heater box splitting was easy compared to the obscenity cabin filter, which was black and kinda full of crud - when I pulled the filter and ran the fan plenty of air blew out the filter door opening. Hmmm. Replaced filter, buttoned it all back up (replacing burned out bulbs as I went) and glory be! It blows air out where it's supposed too. Miserable getting the new filter in, but a lesson there: check maintainance issues first before assuming the worst. My bad for ASSuming that the flappers weren't opening. Dumb not to have replaced the filter door and tried the fan w/out the filter before doing major dissassembly. Filter should have been first place to go. On the good side, I'm up some bulbs and know the car better...
Tom Walrod

[mattyb]

all valid points and allthough frustrating feels worthwhile as some folks just never get to go there and have a look. the filter replacement is part of inspection II if im not wrong so it would seem it has not had an ins II for some time.