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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) => Topic started by: induction on May 24, 2010, 02:17:45 am

Title: Blower Fan not working
Post by: induction on May 24, 2010, 02:17:45 am
Hi there,

I have a 1978 Sierra, and it's been stored for several years.  At first the blower fan (that's supposed to always run) was intermittently blowing through the floor vent as normal (all HVAC switches off), but now it no longer works, and if I switch on the vent fan, it doesn't work either.  Anyone have suggestions for what to do?  My cruise control used to work too, not sure if it's related to the blower motor not working?  Thanks!
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: Irish_Alley on May 24, 2010, 02:20:04 am
check fuses and relays on the side of the evaporator core box
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: induction on May 29, 2010, 02:14:18 am
I checked the internal fuse box below the dash near the parking brake pedal, and I didn't find any bad fuses.  I checked around the evaporator in the engine area, and notice a 2inx3in metal & plastic electrical module that's secured with 2 small bolts to the evaporator area with a few wires going into it with 1 wire leading to a capacitor (?) that's connected to the blower motor.  Is this the relay?  It has 1 hot wire going into it (red, and it always has electricity).  But when I switch the fan on, I don't get any voltage readings on the other wires.  I remember the blower fan being always on whenever the engine is started (right??), so shouldn't there be electricity going to the blower fan whenever the ignition is on?  Should I check anywhere else?
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: Irish_Alley on May 29, 2010, 02:35:16 am
in the key on position the fan will be on. i would tap the relay and see what happens i think its what your talking about (http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/additional-prod-images/en/US/wl2/19812/4/image/4/) it should turn on to make it easer on you turn it on high first and with the key "on" so if it does work you will hear the fan come on
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: Irish_Alley on May 29, 2010, 02:39:27 am
also the resistor is on the top of the box (looks like a plate with a pittail going to it the resistor is hanging inside the box while the relay is on the side
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: DnStClr on June 03, 2010, 03:46:25 pm
It sure sounds like the relay has stuck open. If the blower doesn't work after you tap on it, then it's probably not closing to send the signal to the resistors.
Here's a pic of the resistors
(http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd22/Dnstclr/BlowerResistor.jpg)

Which fan speed you choose determines which resistor gets "used" by the voltage coming from the relay. So the reduced voltage can then travel on to the blower motor
(http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd22/Dnstclr/BlowerMotor.jpg)

Since you have B+ voltage at the red wire going into the relay,I think Irish is right- it sounds like the relay is bad.
  New relay costs @ $16.00.

Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: induction on July 01, 2010, 03:11:35 pm
Thanks Everyone, but no luck - I replaced the relay (wow, these are getting hard to come by locally) and removed/inspected/cleaned the resistor, but that has not helped.  Is it safe to say that the only thing left is the actual HVAC/heater control module in the interior (is there a name to this HVAC control module)?  I didn't find any bad fuses either.  Below are pictures from my truck.  Anyone have ideas?

Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: VileZambonie on July 01, 2010, 03:56:52 pm
It won't work if you don't plug it in.
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: ccz145a on July 01, 2010, 04:26:01 pm
It looked plugged in to me.
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: VileZambonie on July 01, 2010, 06:15:46 pm
Did you check for B+ at the wire coming out of the relay?
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: beastie_3 on July 01, 2010, 06:42:20 pm
Do you have power coming out of the control switches?


A side question, in his first and second pic, (with the relay, resistor and motor wire labeled) what is bolted to the fan motor? It is inline with the motor power wire. Its the metal cylinder part, after the rubber connection.
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: VileZambonie on July 01, 2010, 06:48:12 pm
Noise filter, that's why I suggested plugging it in "directly I should have clarified"
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: beastie_3 on July 01, 2010, 06:53:32 pm
What does the noise filter do? Is that a similar issue compared to why you shouldn't run amp power wires along speaker wires, and such?
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: VileZambonie on July 01, 2010, 07:02:16 pm
RFI (Radio frequency interference) is usually caused by large moving magnetic fields (emi) electromagnetic interference. If you are running a cb or am radio it may be necessary to do everything you can to reduce it. Crossing or twisting wires helps as well as filters etc.

As far as checking any malfunctioning electrical circuit, generally you want to start at the source of the trouble. In this case the blower doesn't work so you should start right at the blower. Is there B+ at the blower? How about before the filter?
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: induction on July 02, 2010, 12:17:05 am
Bear with me guys, here's what I found:

1-a direct wiring from relay to motor doesn't work (regardless of interior switch setting)

2-confirmed again that the red wire is B+ (always hot)

3-There's 5 pins on the relay, so red is B+, purple goes from relay to motor, black is ground (?), and that leaves 2 more wires that I assume go to the resistor?  If I have power going to this brand new relay, do I have a defective relay or is the interior controls causing a problem where even in the off state (for the controls) - the fan would still not run with ignition key on?

Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: VileZambonie on July 02, 2010, 04:42:01 am
Please answer this question:

Do you have B+ at the purple wire coming out of the relay when the key is on and the switch is on high?
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: induction on July 02, 2010, 07:49:26 pm
Nope, don't have B+ at the purple wire coming out of the relay when ignition on, and switch (vent) on high.
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: VileZambonie on July 02, 2010, 08:39:55 pm
And what do you have at the orange wire at the relay?
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: induction on July 03, 2010, 03:35:30 pm
For the orange wire at the connector for the relay, I have nothing when ignition is on, vent on High or with vent off).

This is the same for any of the other 5 wires except for red.
Title: Re: Blower Fan not working
Post by: VileZambonie on July 04, 2010, 10:19:51 am
At the orange wire at the relay, backprobe it with the key on blower on high, jumper it to ground momentarily and let us know what happens.