To finish this post off for the archives, my sampler blower motor, although it appeared to be spinning fast enough to create enough suction, wasn't. I would imagine that this is normal for an 11 year old motor that is constantly running, even when the AC/heater system is turned off.

To remedy the problem, I taped shut 3 of the 4 ventilation squares to create more suction, and voila, it worked. I checked it by placing a piece of tissue onto the grid of the temperature sensor, interior air on dome light and it stuck. Not sure how long this patch will hold, but it's better than a $55 replacement part.

My ACC system is very precise after the fix. The slightest turn of the wheel will now reduce fan speed or alter cooling/heating air temps.

Hope this helps someone. :p

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-Paul-
'01 E430, Sport 72,000 mi
'98 C280, 126,500 mi