I could really use some help. My recirculation vent broke and I was getting zero air through my vents with the fan on. I opened up the fan from underneath the dash and removed the broken door as a temporary fix.
I now have air when I turned the fan on. However, as I had the air on full blast to check things out, smoke started coming from the plug near fan motor and the wires were very hot. I didn't notice it until I turned the AC to the 'max' setting.

Any ideas what would cause this.

thanks in advance.

2002 Dodge Dakota 4.7

 

Is the fan making any noises other than airflow?
Was there anything broken from the recirc door that could have gotten caught up in the squirrelcage?
There is a resistor pack that the blower motor plugs into that will get hot.
Are all blower speeds working?

 

The fan noises all seem normal and there's nothing caught in the blower. The resistor connection is what seems to smoking. I guess I'll replace the resistor and possibly the wiring harness, depending on what it looks like. (It's obvious it's been replaced before)

Is it possible the motor is what causing this even though it seems to be operating correctly?

Also, does the Dakota have an expansion valve, or is that specific to the Durango?

 

Replace the resistor AND blower motor. The blower motor is pulling too much current.