DwArF

So my fan isn't working, and I used my ohmeter and tested the switch like the haynes manual told me to do and my switch works, and my fuse is not blown. Do any of you guys know how I can fix my fan? I would like to be able to use my defroster thing, cuz my windows are hard to see through

SparkienSuggah

well, first let me hate on you for living in cali and not NEEDing defrost the way we canucks NEED defrost.. ever seen an ice scraper in your lifetime? (im just ribbin ya a little)

now that the h8ing is done yo, your blower is shot if and only if it does not work on full speed
full speed operation means the resistor is shot - just ask later
no operation: remove the blower motor (right above the passengers feet) and see if attaching it directly to the battery with two wires (clip leads are perfect for this) makes it fly.. if it DOES it will kick like an angry horse, so hold it steady. if it does, i lied and your wiring is shot.

if it doesnt: theres only one failue mode for a fixed magnet DC motor (well, actually two) and thats the brushes. the motor will come apart like a clamshell after removing some long set screws. the brushes will most likely be worn down to nubs, and the commutator may be scored. get new brushes from an electric supply store and clean the commutator with sandpaper. re-assemble.

the easy way: get another from a wrecker.. even check other mazda vehicles form the same time period.. even if the blower shells arent the same,. the brushes will most likely be. swap brush boards if the shells dont match.

DwArF

I blew a lot of fuses and stuff when my electrical system got shorted. Could I have just messed up my resistor? How do I check that?

kenn_chan

D,

more than likely the resitor pad is burned out. there is a 3 wire ressistor pack that is bolted into the fan case with 2 small screws. they use high resistance wires to vary the speed of the fan. useually the low fan speed burns out first, then the upper speeds burn out next.

to fix it you have to replace the entire resistor pack. it is very easy just look in the manual.

kenn

bliffle

Yeah, there's a resistor made of nichrome wire coils above the fan motor, and that can blow out, as it did on my 83. Incidentally, I got the replacement (for pennies) from that Pick 'n Pull in Newark on Mowry near where you live. There were about 5 wrecks sitting there last month, and I think Ford uses the same item in the escort, if you have trouble.

You need that fan motor working, even in CA, because otherwise the windshield will be hopelessly fogged during the winter rainy season. That fan draws a lot of current: I blew a 25 amp fuse last week. I think part of the problem is the high resistance of those damn contacts for the blade fuses, so that the fuse material actually melts from the heat of the resistance not the current going thru it. I actually had to replace some of the copper prongs a couple years ago: you can replace some sets of prongs in that fusebox, which is a heck of a lot easier than replacing the whole fusebox.

DwArF

So its on the passenger side of the car?

Ctrl

Could be brushes too.... was the cause of two toyota fan failures I've experienced.

bliffle

The fan is on the right (passenger) side and the fusebox is on the left. Both are pretty obvious. As I recall you undo 3 little cap screws to drop the fan: childs play.

DwArF

My dash is already out. I've conquered the hard.

nickj

Okay, bliffle, first I've heard of a resistor thing for the fan. I've got third and top speeds, nothing one 1 and 2. Where exactly is this resistor pack?

DwArF

Ok, So I still have my dash out and i was driving home last night. And all of a sudden i seen a blue spark, where my console would be, and all of a sudden my fan started working, then it stopped, sparked again and started blowing, then stopped.

In the morning I looked @ all the loose wires and tried to see what could have made it start working again but i didn't. I connected all of the wires to each wire to see if it would work and im stumped. i wanna put my dash back in but not until i have my defroster.

bliffle

As i recall it's all pretty simple and obvious. You just undo 3 obvious screws and undo an obvious electrical connector, the fan drops out and the nichrome coils are exposed.

FB II

well ****, i'll go with this thread instead of my "wire up heater blower" one. so by dropping the blower motor i can hot wire it to work?

DwArF

How did mine work for a second then stop? Is there more than the plug into the **** for it to work? THe control with hi med low off

DwArF

To get my AC blower to work I need to have that little tab touching part of the logicon switch.

DwArF

What is this tab supposed to be connected to?

DwArF

bump

DwArF

Anyone know where this goes? MY ac motor only works if this tab touches the actual controls, but there isn't a place for it

DwArF

Uh, it goes on the Ciggarette lighter, but when its connected to that my blower motor doesn't work. maybe i should just solder it to some metal on the ac control?

kenn_chan

\


hopefully a lesson was learned, mark your wiring and hoses when dissasembling.

kenn

DwArF

I found out where those 3 wires go. THe black one goes on the bottom of the ciggarette lighter, the red one goes on the top and the blue goes in the middle. but my ac motor still no worky