Hey, first time poster!

 

I just got a 90' Loyal 5speed 4x4, Got it for my daily driver (awesome car mechanically and to not stick out; as sometimes that's good).

 

Anywho; I have a bit of a problem my fan does not work for my climate control system! I can turn the knob to any setting and I get nothing, no noise, nothing.

 

What do you Subaru gurus think? resister, switch, motor...what is the common cause.

 

Thanks,

-SuperchargedRS

Either the motor or the switch. The resistor isn't used in the high posistion so it shouldn't be that.

 

You'll just have to test the motor and see. Its right there under the glove box. A few screws and the glove box comes completely out allowing complete access to it. Jumper 12v to the motor and see if it spins. Might be clogged up with mouse nests, etc.

 

Niether are common failures - in fact usually the resisitors fail. But being you don't have any speeds at all - it's either the switch or the motor.... or a fuse - don't forget those.

 

GD

THANKS, will check tomorrow, by the way are there any tricks to remove the switch if that turns out to be the problem?

 

Thanks,

-S

 

*oh yea, fuse was first thing I checked lol

I can't recall any big issues off the top of my head. You'll have to remove the surround to get at it IIRC. The only real trick is taking your time and not going nuts and breaking or cracking the surround when you haven't got all the screws out. Some of them are hard to spot so take your time and loosen slowely. But it's probably not the switch. They really don't fail much. It's more likely the motor, a power supply issue, or mice nest, etc.

 

GD

Also - if the motor is jammed, then there's a good chance the resistors are shot too. The motor will pull high amps if it's not allowed to turn, and the resistors rely on the airflow from the fan to cool them. High amps + no air flow = blown resistor block.

 

Junk yard, or make your own if that's the case. You can find quite a few threads on it around here. Nichrome wire and the special flux to solder it isn't too expensive so making your own is actually feasible if you can't find a good used one. Or just live with high only.

 

GD

gotcha' where is the resistor pack BTW?

Doubt that's the problem as GD pointed out

it could be the relay also.

 

It's in a tangled web of wires above the ECU by the steering column

 

As for the blower and resistor block

look under the glove box for this

Since you have no function on any speed, it's probably the relay. Pull off the lower dash panel from driver side. Way up behind the dash, to the left of the column, is a group of four relays. The blower relay is the one with the white connector.

A more or less simple test

is to pull the plug apart going to the motor.

 

Check the harness side for battery power on the

green with a white tracer wire when the key is in the run

position.

 

It comes from the relay.

 

Speeds are controled by the negitive side of

the motor passing through the switch and

the appropriate resistor.

 

Hope this helps

yep, before you pull the dash apart to get to the switch, check the relay. Had a friends car with charred contacts causing the fan to not work.

 

Note that I Would measure 12v at the plug to the fan, it just couldn't carry any current due to the bad connection at the relay.

 

-Dave

Well I have been swamped.

 

Check the thing out and I get +12vdc on the green wire, guess it's the motor.

 

what is the best way to check the resistors before I get the motor?

 

 

Thanks,

S

what is the best way to check the resistors before I get the motor?

 

Remove the block assembly & look at them. They are coiled NiChrome wires. If they are broken, they are bad. There are 3, the finest one, for the lowest speed is fragile, and often burns out. Be careful with the removal & handling.

Ok so, speed 1 & 2 are out, can I re solder them?

Ok so, speed 1 & 2 are out, can I re solder them?

 

Not easily. You need silver solder IIRC, and special flux to solder Nichrome resistance wiere. Plus the old stuff is brittle.

 

You can buy new Nichrome wire, wrap it around a pencil, and then using the special flux and silver solder you could make your own new windings. A bead of RTV across the top should keep the coils from shorting and withstand the heat assuming the blower motor keeps cooling them.

 

GD

Ok so, speed 1 & 2 are out, can I re solder them?

 

The OEM nichrome wire can be solderd to the terminals. The problem is they usually break in the middle. Solder won't stand up to the heat.

 

I got some NiChrome wire on ebay - matched the gauge. Wind the same number of turns, same diameter, and you have a new resistor. Not all NiChrome solders, however. I'll have to braze my new resistors.