Sound comming after engine turn off ?

[concoran]

Hi there,
Everytime I turn the engine off, I hear a sound comming from somewhere in front center ventilator. It sounds very similar to the sound that comes when a retractable antenna goes in in other cars - that is a small motor running for 4-5 seconds. What sound possibly is it?

 

[Kirby]

This is normal. There is a fan inside the dashboard that circulates air around the temperature sensor for the climate control system. For whatever reason, it is programmed to continue running for a bit after shutting off the engine.

 

[concoran]

ah, that helps. But I am sure it is not the sound of a fan. It is some sort of a motor.

 

[330i and like it]

What do you think drives the fan, a motor. That noise is normal.

 

[squarehat]

It's just a normal 3-Series thing. My E36 (1995 318i) and E46 (2005 325i) both behaved exactly as you described.

 

[Bmw 325i 7803]

They all do that, the consensus is correct.

 

[nathan56989]

the reason you hear this noise is not from a fan of any sort. it is acctually from the stepper motors that open and close the air distribution flaps. When the vehicle is turned off the flaps close and that is what you are hearing is the motors closing the flaps. No B.S.