Heater Blower - many many questions

[boardmonkey]

Hi,

Have just managed to split the casing for the blower, it had been glued and was a nightmare.

It looks like there had been a fault and the resistor had got hot as the plastic has melted and deformed, it also looks like the electrical wiring in places was close to melting as well...I need to replace this, however with what capacity wire ? Electrics aint my thing...

IMG_2495.JPG (30.01 KiB) Viewed 3714 times

Secondly, the wire goes down to the switch, how are you meant to get the spade connector out of the switch !?

Thirdly, where to mount the resistors...? Thinking behind where the original one was..?

[123-jn]

As for the resistor mine was getting very hot and melting the casing but this was due to the motor being stiff in its bearings and drawing too much current. Once I had installed a new motor the resistor was quite happy as was the cable.
If you really need to change the cable use 2 mm sq or 2.5mm sq The original is about 2 mm sq ish. AS for the resistors I would mount them right where the original was inside the casing. Here they benefit from a though breeze to keep them cool. Are you using the two ceramic ones from brikwerks? It is best if they are mounted to the old bracket as you don't really want them in contact with the plastic. Have you bought the new clips to put the case together? You can get away with cable ties and they are much cheaper!!! Looking at your wires I would leave them be and make sure you insulate any bits where the copper came though if it did. But do fit a new motor.

[boardmonkey]

Hi,

Cannot see how the new resistors will fit where the old one was, they seem wider than the gulley the old one was in, they are rectangular whereas the old one was cylindrical...They are 46mm width, perhaps they can be mounted on the chassis...somewhere outside the housing itself ?

Did you replace yours ?

[lloydy]

you can just make out where mine were fitted in this pic

[boardmonkey]

you can just make out where mine were fitted in this pic

Ideal lloydy, thats exactly what I thought myself...good enough for me

[123-jn]

That is exaCTLY where mine are but the old one was an inch or so to the left on your picture. I mounted mine on some aluminium sheet about 3 inches by 1.5 ish with a tab to screw to the case.

[boardmonkey]

Hi,

Do they get particularly hot ? Why mount it on the aluminium sheet ?

Sorry for all the questions

[ghost123uk]

They can get quite warm, the aluminium plate folks often mount them on acts as a heatsink.

[lloydy]

That pic of mine was taken 3 years after install. No heat damage at all. It's not a bad idea to fit a metal plate, but. I wouldn't loose any sleep over not fitiing one

[boardmonkey]

Superb to know..

Any ideas how to get the spades out of the switches ?
Also - do you know what power these things pull ? I want to replace the cabling as its damaged, supplier on eBay looks pretty good stuff, wondering if 1.5mm or 2.5mm as VW used approx 2mm.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/14A-21A-30A-1 ... 3a9cbc7e9e" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

1.0mm 14A 168W
1.5mm 21A 252W
2.5mm 30A 360W

Thanks, Richard

[ghost123uk]

Without looking I don't know how the spades come out, but often there is a little "tang" on the actual spade that locks them in place. You have to use a very fine but strong tool to bend them out of their locating hole whilst at the same time pulling the wire/spade out. As I say, without seeing this switch I cannot remember if they use this locking in mechanism, but they might.

I too don't know exactly how much a blower fan draws, but if you check the standard rating of it's fuse (on the fuse panel) and select a wire that is a bit more than that, you will be fine. Oh, by the way to convert the Amp rating of the fuse to a wires "Watt" rating, multiply the Amps by 12 (Volts). So a 20 amp fuse on a 12 Volt system = 240 Watts etc.

p.s. = I looked it up for you (HERE) and for vans after 1985 with blade fuses it's a 20 Amp one so the 2.5mm 30A 360W cable is the nearest choice and the one I would use.

[boardmonkey]

Without looking I don't know how the spades come out, but often there is a little "tang" on the actual spade that locks them in place. You have to use a very fine but strong tool to bend them out of their locating hole whilst at the same time pulling the wire/spade out. As I say, without seeing this switch I cannot remember if they use this locking in mechanism, but they might.

I too don't know exactly how much a blower fan draws, but if you check the standard rating of it's fuse (on the fuse panel) and select a wire that is a bit more than that, you will be fine. Oh, by the way to convert the Amp rating of the fuse to a wires "Watt" rating, multiply the Amps by 12 (Volts). So a 20 amp fuse on a 12 Volt system = 240 Watts etc.

p.s. = I looked it up for you (HERE) and for vans after 1985 with blade fuses it's a 20 Amp one so the 2.5mm 30A 360W cable is the nearest choice and the one I would use.

Thanks ghostie have ordered the 2.5mm cable...will have a fiddle with the switch later...Im sure Ill end up breaking the bloody thing and buying a new one