i think my blower is dead, please tell me it isnt

[tlg]

i recently changed the bulb on the heater panel. in doing so there was some fiddling and prodding with wires.

Since this the 20a fuse keeps blowing in our 89 california - the blower had been working perfectly before this, no squeaks or squeal so is there any chance it's not the blower and i'm missing something?

i'm not keen on removing the dash...

[Mocki]

Change the fan switch .

[SyncroMatt]

Change the fan switch .

This has piqued my interest. After a long period of inactivity my blower no longer works, just blows the fuse.

Before I start pulling the dash apart, is it common for the switch to give out? That would be an easier fix...

Matt

[mrhutch]

It's the easiest thing to replace/check!

[tlg]

Great idea - i've just done this but with no luck. Although having checked with a multimeter, i'm getting basically no volts at the black/red wire (live i believe based on the diagrams). i think this means there is a chance the issue is not with the blower/resistor?

Anyone know which connection block the black/red for the heater switch goes to?
 

[Robsey]

The diagram says A22,

So it should be a fat black / red wire on pin 22 of the blue connector plug.

Connector A is the blue one on the CE1 fusebox.

It is a very simple circuit, for the switch.

Black / red from A22 to the "+" terminal of the switch.

Pins 1, 2, and 3 go to the fan motor resistor pack (buried inside the casing).

The grey / blue wire (58b) is for illumination feed.

And the brown wire is for the illumination bulb ground.

If it still blows, then consider a short somewhere, or dry / stiff motor bearings.

These motors usually blow the fuse, when the motor begins to bind on it's bearings.

[tlg]

nice - thank you. I seem to have 12v at the fuse holder but no volts/less than 1 at the switch - which makes me think i've got a damaged cable somewhere. 

[Robsey]

To do what you suggest would hint that you have a wire that may have been caught by a fixture screw or by the sheet metal of the dash panel.

Here is the plug - you can see the black / red wire coming from one of the fatter pins, near the centre bottom of the plug.



As for the blower motor - the wires all run across the front of the plastic casing, so a suspect may be that it has got caught up in a slider lever or a fixture screw





I have converted my looms from a 1983 "torpedo fuse" loom to a 1987 CE1 blade fuse loom.
This is why mine is all tidied up with narrow fabric looming tape.
It tidies things up, and also protects the cables from chafing on the metal of the crash-beam, self tapping screws and the metal dash panel itself.

There is pvc tape on the main loom to the left, but I think that was already there.

Still a long way to go, but hopefully the pictures help a bit.

[tlg]

Thats super helpful - thank you so much. not had a chance to trace it yet...

[tlg]

Okay, so my blower is ded i'm afraid.

Planning to get a new one from brickwerks plus do the whole PWM upgrade.

is there anything else i can do to increase blower power/cooling/heating or just anything else i should whilst the dash is out?

[multisi]

If you have any signs of rust from the windscreen area get that repaired .

[Robsey]

The obvious answer is -
Ensure that all connections are clean and securely fitted.
Ensure that the fat brown wire from the blower motor is also firmly attached with clean connections.

Earthing problems contribute to a lot of electrical gremlins and failures.

Whilst the casing is out -
I replaced the motor,
Fitted a new set of foam seals from Brickwerks
Cleaned and painted my flaps and rods.
And fitted clean / fresh wiring.

I suppose a new switch would not hurt either.
Assuming that the old one has probably got burnt contacts.

PWM Module -
I fitted mine in the glove box, and used the original switch to turn the fan on and off.
How often do you change the speed.
In the glove box, if it is a cheap chinese module that fails, it is easier to get at and swap without having to take the dash out again.

With the dash out -
I would say, generally look at things now that you have a better view.
Clean any electrical items and connectors that you can see.
And a good wipe clean of the bulkhead to remove much and crud.
I took the opportunity to tidy wiring up (as mentioned earlier).
Clean the earth crowns !!! etc...

One thing to leave alone is the instrument cluster.
If you have an original blue foil with copper tracks, then these are best left undisturbed as much as possible.
By all means put in fresh illumination bulbs, but - if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[ZsZ]

PWM Module -
I fitted mine in the glove box, and used the original switch to turn the fan on and off.
How often do you change the speed.
In the glove box, if it is a cheap chinese module that fails, it is easier to get at and swap without having to take the dash out again.

I know that with the PWM module the whole point to have unlimited RPM control, but you can wire the original switch in with some resistors matched to the potentiometer set for different speeds.

BTW there are modules on the market with remote potentiometers with wires.