hey guys i bought a a/c unit from a guy on ebay. i wanted to upgrade mine from the old turn style knob. anyways everything works. no missing pixels and blows.

problem. no cold air. do i have to get my car recoded. somewhere i heard that i have to do this. otherwise the computer wont reconize it. thanks in advance.

The previous owner of my car tried that. He took it to the dealer, bought the climate controller brand new, got it recoded, but still no heat or cold air. The fans came on and everything, but I had no control over the temp.

What's the difference in how these things look? Could you guys have any photos your could post?

anybody. qsilver are you around brotha.

I bet you just need to have your new control panel coded to your car. If you're coming from the analog/digital thumbwheel unit...you car will need upgraded software to run the newer digital/digital units. Your issue sounds like many others that did this upgrade that needed the unit coded to their car...it's not kicking on the AC compressor.

There are 3 types of IHKA control units:

1. (analog/digital) thumbwheel fan speed control w/REST button (hard to find and hard to see in pic below...many owners dumped these for one of the units pictured below) perhaps 740ibimmer will post a pic a better pic of the thumbwheel type. :) I had to grab this pic from ebaymotors.co.uk..then I flipped it...that's why the instrument cluster is backwards !
http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/e38%20IHKA%20with%20Thumbweels.jpg


2. (digital/digital) buttons for fan speed & temperature control w/REST button
http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/E38%20IHKA%20with%20REST%20button.jpg

3. (digital/digital) looks like unit above except it has the MAX button
http://www.bimmerboard.com/members/q/original/E38%20IHKA%20w%20MAX.jpg

See, I would prefer a dial instead of a set of buttons.

I'd rather just flip it on high, or flip it to 60 degrees; instead, I have to sit there with my finger on the button waiting for it to get where I want it to be.

I'm a busy man, I don't have time to waste.

See, I would prefer a dial instead of a set of buttons.

I'd rather just flip it on high, or flip it to 60 degrees; instead, I have to sit there with my finger on the button waiting for it to get where I want it to be.

I'm a busy man, I don't have time to waste.

You probably are referring to the IHKR (regular system) instead of the IHKA (automatic system)...which I can't blame you. The IHKR with its 4 dials and bowden cable (manually actuated flapper doors, etc) instead of the electronic stepper motors...is a much less complicated and easier to operate system! :stickoutt

(from a 1997 e38 735i from the UK)
http://i19.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/dd/ff/7e05_1.JPG

http://www.bmwmobiletradition-online.com/bmw/diagrams/f/k/12.png

You probably are referring to the IHKR (regular system) instead of the IHKA (automatic system)...which I can't blame you. The IHKR with its 4 dials and bowden cable (manually actuated flapper doors, etc) instead of the electronic stepper motors...is a much less complicated and easier to operate system! :stickoutt

(from a 1997 e38 735i from the UK)
http://i19.ebayimg.com/01/i/000/dd/ff/7e05_1.JPG



Actually, I didn't know there was such a thing. I was just commenting that I like dials in general.

But after seeing the two, I think our button a/c controls look much nicer.

When I said dials, I had in mind the newer 7-series dials ...

http://www.usautoparts.net/bmw/pics/7er/5484_832.jpg