Slow hvac fan speed--and too damn cold

[quickster]

The circulating fan for the heat seems to only have 2 speeds- real slow and slow. My '97 gasser blows crap out the vents like it was connected to an air compressor. This is in my '91 with the problem. The slider in the control panel is fine, the fan never seems to wind up. Is it possible some crap could get on the core to block it up? Or do the fan motors just get toasted after a while. Thanks

 

[Kevin 007]

I would first check for debris the cowl, heater/HVAC box etc. Make sure your blower motor resistor is not burnt out on a coil or two (replace if necessary) and go from there. The 87-91 vintage seem to typically blow pretty strong.

 

[quickster]

this is one area I have never worked with. Stupid question- where would the blower motor resistor be located, in the fan housing itself or?? Thanks

 

[quickster]

Okay--looked the part up. I guess it's in the fan enclosure. Now I see what you talking about with the coils.

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

Lubing the blower motor bearings can also help a lot.

 

[retiredinhomer]

remove your blower motor and look inside for debris. Besides the other stuff as mentioned above fan motor it is probably not the resistor assembly since you said nothing about having high fan.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I recently replaced the evaporator core in my 1985. It had so much crap on it that it looked like it was covered with dryer lint. It's no hurricane coming out of the vents, but it did make a noticeable improvement in air flow. I'm not suggesting that you replace your evaporator, but you may be able to clean it up some.

 

[aggiediesel01]

Also check the fan switch itself for signs of over heating the connector. As the motor ages and the lube gets thick it starts to draw significantly more current and has been known to melt the fan switch connectors and wiring. Once it’s overheated the connectors lose their ability to keep tension on the contacts and it becomes a reoccurring problem, loose connections lead to high current, leads to overheat and melting.

 

[quickster]

I went out yesterday and pulled a few things apart. The resistor looked good, no broken coils. Byt after I moved a few hoses, I found that the small white vacuum line going to the door in the heater housing had a hole in it. Don't know if that is what it's called, but there is a vacuum pod connected to a arm that must open and close the door in the housing. Passenger side right in the corner. I slipped a hose that fit tight over the lines and now I have heat. I rode around for 20 minutes just to see what it felt like to have good heat for once.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Glad to hear that it was a relatively simple fix.