'00 Disco II blower motor fail

Jon K · Jan 3, 2011

It never fails! Nice long 10 day holiday break and didn't drive the truck much at all. Got in this morning to go to work and its 22 deg out and I am freezing. I wait for the coolant temperature to come up and turn the heater on - I press the fan speed button 3 or 4 times to bring the speed up. Getting excited for the heat I put my hands out and poof - fan turns off. I noticed last night when driving home from a movie that it smelled faintly of "electrical burningness" if you know what I mean.

So I am thinking the blower motor is burned out maybe? Or, is it a fuse or the resistor? Blah it never ends. How hard is it to access the motor/resistor, etc?

Thanks in advance!

Paul Grant · Jan 3, 2011

The resistor can easily be changed out without having remove the entire blower assembly. It's held in place with two philips head screws. Remove the lower panel and you should be able to get to the resistor. The relay is there as well.

If it turns out you need anything, let me know. I have several complete blower assemblies in stock.

wheelen disco · Jan 3, 2011

Pull the glove box and you'll find the burnt connection

Jon K · Jan 3, 2011

Thanks Paul I will keep you in mind if I need parts - does the resistor go? Does this sound symptomatic of a bad/failed resistor? I have only replaced a resistor pack once in a GM diesel suburban but I didn't have any symptoms the previous owner knew it didn't work. Thanks for your reply!

Paul Grant · Jan 3, 2011

My experience with bad resistors is limited to RRC's where, when they go, you only have the high blower speed or off available. I don't know if that's the case with the DII blower assembly. Other's may be able to weigh in with their experience but I would first suspect the relay. Had the blower motor been exhibiting any unusual behavior?

Jon K · Jan 3, 2011

That's the weird thing - it was fine. No temperamental issues, nothing. Last night I drove home from my girlfriends and noticed the last 200 ft or so of my drive that I smelled a faint funky "computer power supply stinky smell" (if you're familiar) but it wasn't overwhelming and I thought maybe it was coming from outside/another car. Then this morning I got in, cranked the fan up and it ran for a few seconds and shut off - again with the faint stink.

Paul Grant · Jan 3, 2011

You're going to have to take a test light or volt meter and see if there is power to the motor. If there is, then the motor is burnt. If you're not then it's probably either the relay or the resistor.

Jon K · Jan 3, 2011

Not a problem I am good with that sort of thing. Everything accessible on a DII? Someone said to remove the glovebox - is that necessary, and is that difficult? Any tutorials out there?

Paul Grant · Jan 3, 2011

I don't think you'll need to remove the glove box but if you do, it's held in place with four 7mm bolts at the bottom. You'll have to wiggle the box out to remove it but it's not a big deal.

ptschram · Jan 3, 2011

wheelen disco said:
Pull the glove box and you'll find the burnt connection

This!

When you hear hoofbeats, looks for horses, not unicorns.

Jon K · Jan 3, 2011

But unicorns are so mystical!

Jon K · Jan 7, 2011

Ok guys - got it all apart.

Pulled the resistor and the blower out. The resistor doesn't look like much - I can't tell if its borked or not. The motor spins nice and when I rigged it up to the battery for a "tap" of the +12 and GND, the motor spun right up.

I then (with resistor in place still) checked the 2 pin connector for the blower for voltage. This is where I am confused. With the key on to position 2, I turn the power on to the HVAC unit and have the blower speed on lowest with the blower plug open circuit and check for voltage:

lowest speed: ~1.8v or something
middle speeds: 9.86v in almost any "middle" speeds
high speed: 11.8 - 12v or so, with the engine not running.

What the hell is this? How can the connector have voltage but the motor not turn? THe only thing I can think of is the current is so low that when there is load on the circuit there's not enough to do anything? I don't feel any attempt to turn the motor. The relay clicks, power comes over the 2 pin connector for the motor... bad resistor? What gives?

Thanks all!!

What connector are you guys talking about burning up? The blower motor power connector? Mine looks good...

ptschram · Jan 8, 2011

Follow the wires from the motor. As it loops toward the right door, it mates with another connector and that one is the one that gets hot and becomes less conductive.

You pretty much have to lower the glovebox to see it. It's clipped to the side of the blower housing.

Jon K · Jan 8, 2011

ptschram said:
Follow the wires from the motor. As it loops toward the right door, it mates with another connector and that one is the one that gets hot and becomes less conductive.

You pretty much have to lower the glovebox to see it. It's clipped to the side of the blower housing.

Thanks - its the one I have to unplug to remove the blower bottom/motor form the housing? or no? I wish you had a picture I am trying to figure this out and its freeeezing. I will get a pic of my setup maybe you can point to the area.

Here is a photo of under the area - the plug with the red and black wire closest to the center of the picture looks like it has some corrosion on it but I removed it from the side and peaked in and everything looks pretty damned good. The whitish dusty stuff is just on the wires outside there.

http://jonkensy.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/Jon_Kensy_Photo_110108_IMG_9677.jpg

ptschram · Jan 8, 2011

In my experience, this is where the problem lies.

Jon K · Jan 8, 2011

ptschram said:
In my experience, this is where the problem lies.

http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt141/ptschram/untitled2.jpg

Darn - yeah that guy looks ok on both sides of the connector. I will try and measure output and resistance later today though. I don't really understand how I could have up to 12v at the connector to the blower yet the thing won't turn.

ptschram · Jan 8, 2011

It shows plenty of voltage until there's a load at which time Ohm's law rears its ugly head!

I strongly suspect that if you separate that connector, you'll find more corrosion than you expect.

I think I did four of them in a week earlier in the winter.

Jon K · Jan 8, 2011

Thats PTschram, I did separate it but I will look again. Is it easy to pop the pins out? I could pop the pins out and see, though some of these connectors are a PITA.

ptschram · Jan 9, 2011

Cut, solder, tape.

You might try probing ahead of the connector, turn the blower to its highest speed and seeing if the voltage drops before or after that connector.

Jon K · Jan 9, 2011

ptschram said:
Cut, solder, tape.

You might try probing ahead of the connector, turn the blower to its highest speed and seeing if the voltage drops before or after that connector.

Exactly - I have just done that. What I get is if I turn the fan to the highest speed, I get 12v at the blower connector. If I plug the blower in (careful not to get my arm wound up around it if it does decide to spin) that voltage drops to 0 or millivolts. If I probe up to the one you were saying causes the issue, that one has 0v or mv as well on both sides of the connector... something tells me its upstream of that. Where the hell could that be?!

'00 Disco II blower motor fail

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