Morning!

Not usually found over here in the caravan section, but today, my mother called and said I need to come over and replace her fan motor for the heat and a/c.

I am usually over on the Durango side and they have helped a bunch with diagnosing problems with me, so I figured I would post something here.

I am thinking it is either the resistor or the motor. but I don't know how to check either. I know I can replace them I just want to check them.

Here's the story:

A long long time ago, my mothers van would only blow air if it was on high. Then one day she heard something "blow" from under the dash. She says it came from the passenger side. Now it will not blow anything any setting!

Whatcha thinking guys?

 

when it was only blowing high it probably was the resistor then, Now it is probably both, The pop was probably the fan motor giving up. First get under there and unplug the 2 wires going to the fan motor, ( I think green and black?) put a terminal in each of the terminals in the 2 fan wires making sure you do not spread the terminals bigger than they are (very important) , then get test light and connect the clip of test light to one terminal and clip the point of the test light to the other terminal and turn fan switch on from low to high, if test light lights up through all positions, then resistor is showing good, but since she only had high the light should only light up at the high position. If the test light lights up on high and the fan wasnt running then both parts are probably bad. You could plug fan back in and hit it in high position and it might work, but i definitely would replace it anyway. Next unplug the resistor and look VERY carefully at the terminals in the resistor and on the plug in. IF they show any discoloration or any darkness, (like they were getting hot or burnt you need to replace the connector that plugs into the resistor or you will have the same problem again. IF you replace the plugin,, You need to solder the new plug in on, DO NOT use butt connectors

 

Before it was blowing both hot and cold, both worked, I was just using the heat as an example because it just happens to be the one we need now. It would blow both hot and cold but only on High...

 

If the fan is blowing and its blowing only on high, Its probably the resistor, But again make sure to check terminals closely if you change it. That is a big problem with them, people dont notice the terminals being brown or burnt and put a new one in and before too long it does it again, good luck

 

I am going to say you need both. Sometimes the reason for Blower resistor to go out is because the Blower motor is drawing too much Current.
it is easy to check if you have a test light. There is only 2 wires going into the blower motor, one is power, one is ground, like a Battery + and -. stick a test light in on HI setting, see if test light lights up. test both wires.
If you have power and ground, blower doesnt work, you need a blower. If lost power or ground on HI setting, I recommend you to pull the control head out and see if the connector at the back is melted.

Dont forget to check fuse.

 

Well it was the resistor and resistor connector. Seems as though the resistor is bad, but the big problem was the fact that the positive wire going from the blower motor to the resistor for the on off control on the resistor had corroded and shorted out, causing the pigtail to melt.

Going to take 3 days to get the new resistor and no one has the dang pig tail. Now my question is, I have a connection now and the blower motor turns on high. and only on high (bad resistor) however, seems to only blow cold air now...wth is this caravans problem?

 

chrysler dealership usually had the connector, or can get it the next day, Remember to solder the wires, do not butt connect them, If you have to you could put terminals on the wires and hook them direct, but to make them a good connection I would solder the terminals and put shrink tube on them and that would work as good as a new connector, Just make sure you get the right wire on the right terminal in the resistor. As far as hot or cold, I suppose theres a possibility that it could have damanged the control too. Also does this vehicle have a blend door actuator on the bottom of the blower motor? IF so that might work thru the resistor wiring plugin. Don't know for sure, Check and see if you can here anything under there when switching from hot to cold

 

I can't tell about a sound switching from hot to cold, but I know when I turn it from vent to defrost.

I changed the resistor tonight (they managed to find one). The only resistor that matches my plug in was the resistor that is apparently for the Caravan with the aux. rear AC...This van only has controls in the front..so not sure what is up with that.

But anyways, I took spade connectors and connected the wires directly to the prongs on the connector for the on/off switch. Looks like it is working just great!

BUT, a problem still persists. When driving, oh man do you get some nice lovely heat, after driving, you have heat for a few minutes while idling. But, you turn it on defroster, or want heat before hitting the gas, or idle for too long, its not so great heat, and defroster is just chilly.

Link to the new resistor: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...___#fragment-1

Picture of the old resistor below.

 

check your coolant level, usually when heat gets cooler at idle it is a little low on coolant, check it at the radiator, not the overflow tank, see what that does. From what you are describing it sounds like air in the system

 

Definitely check coolant lvl as above suggested.
It is possible that u have a Open too early Thermostat, the engine might be running too cold at idle.