We have a 1988 Dodge Ram B350 van. While running the air conditioner today, I noticed that the fan control switch was VERY hot. The A/C blows cold air, and the heater blows hot air. So it seems that the A/C and heater are OK?

Any theories on why our fan control switch is so HOT?

Thanks,
Tom & Sallie Norman

 

Check the wiring leads and contacts. You could have a bad ground someplace or the switch is going bad. Another issue is higher than normal current (amps) running through the switch. I would leave the switch OFF to prevent it from buring out or from causing an electrical fire in the vehicle before finding the problem.

In the Gen-1 Ram Vans, a coiled resistor pack sits in the HVAC unit near the blower. To access this resistor, you must bend the glove box clips and pull out the glove box. Check to see if the resistor terminal leads to the connector are corroded or need cleaning. My Haynes Repair Manual says to check the voltage, but gives no numbers to compare to. !?! (Section 3-7 item 9.) 9 times out of 10 it's the resistor that is faulty anyways. This part is usually under $20USD.

Another thing to check is the blower motor itself. It could be faulty even though it's putting out enough air. The motor is a two or three pole motor. You'll need to pull the motor and fan assembly out from the engine side. In some of our vans, the upper half of the fan shroud needs to be removed first.

If the fan motor assembly is bad, the price is around $60USD to replace.

Mostly, the Ram Vans use a vacuum actuation to control the HVAC, thus, the only electrical is the fan blower, resistor, and AC switch.

 

Thank you for your input. I replaced the fan blower motor about two months ago because it had quit on me. That was not a fun job. As you indicated, I had to remove the upper fan shroud before I could remove the blower motor. I removed the blower switch, and it was obvious that the internal contacts had "fried". The switch case was burnt-looking, apparently from excessive heat, and two of the four spade connectors were loose. A quick trip to AutoZone solved the problem. Wells fan switch, part number SW212, at a cost of $15.37, resolved the problem. Perhaps the fan blower motor going bad contributed to the fan switch contacts getting "fried"?

 

Tom,

That's great that you got the hot switch fixed.

I just spent the afternoon lubing the front suspension and rotating the tires. Oh what fun!

Don't be a stranger, stop by often in the forums. Help here can save you some $$$ up front.

Stev

 

I also had to replace the resistor and the fan motor on my 87 extended Ram 250 van. I also had problems blowing fan fuses and found others with same problem who say it is common so i did like they did and put foil around the fuse. I think it is actually the fuse holder causing the trouble as the fuse finally just melts apart... ie bad connection causing resistance and heat in the fuse holder.. no problems since and its been on tin foil for 6 months now. I had a major overhall on the ac too.

 

If the van doesn't have AC, and if the van is 87 and older there is a mechanical pushrod/cable system to actuate the proportioning gates for floor/defrost and Heater core/outside air. The later is located on the heater box and is connected to the temp indicator on the console. The floor/defrost gate is in the conduit about the middle of the dash. Though maybe a bit closer to the passengers side. I have 2by2by55 AC, works all the time but with variying results. In the winter the 2by2by55 AC works really well. [:@]

If on one of these vans your heat isnt as good as you would like it on the full hot setting. Take a look in the heater box and see if the swing gate is all there. mine was missing about 25% due to rust. I havnt come up with a good way to replace it either.