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Fan speed switch working intermintently

Discussion in 'VR - VS Holden Commodore (1993 - 1997)' started by bluecar, Oct 12, 2006.

  1. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    The one that contols the fan speed that drives air into driver and passenger area.

    Probably been a thread about this sort of thing before but a search didn't find it.

    Would it be a dickie switch or an else where problem. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

    Anybody else had the same problem? Don't want to pull the dash apart if that is where the problem isn't. I did replace a relay above the front right hand tyre last year when it was doing it. Made no difference. With summer fast approaching, you know. Cheers.
     
  2. SweetWagon

    SweetWagon booosted

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    Fan speed resistor pack probably, if it only works on the highest speed and not some of the others/intermitent
     
  3. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    Thanks vn6.

    Works on none or all.

    The answer would be have to pull the dash out to replace resistor pack?

    Got a lot of other work on.

    Not looking forward to it but mainly just don't want to do it unnecessarily.
     
  4. maginoodle

    maginoodle Member

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    do a search for fan speed resistor. its a common prob and is easily fixed. its under the windscreen wipers so you dont have to pull the dash apart.
     
  5. SweetWagon

    SweetWagon booosted

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    Even if it is the resistor pack it should still work on the highest speed as that is not resisted ie. 1:1 speed, your best bet would be to get a gregorys wiring diagram and trace it all back to the cause. I'm currently racking my brain with mine ATM, I've tested everything, it even work's if i tap from another power source, so i think its a dodgey wire/connection somewhere, just got to get to it :ranting:
     
  6. SlyVR

    SlyVR Fo'sizzle....

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    yer iam suffering from the same problem.. tho my ac or demister or fan control work and i swear i have tried everything.. i think there is something funny from the battery to the first fuse.. unless there is a linkable fuse somewhere which i dont know about
     
  7. SweetWagon

    SweetWagon booosted

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    There is a fusible link in the engine bay for the blower motor, if this was blown (doubt it) it would never work
     
  8. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    yeah well thanks. Just pulled everything apart with it working and put it all back together with it still working. No backwards steps in that.:yarr:

    Next time it stops, if it does, will just see if the current is getting through to the fan now that the fan has been discovered hiding there under the glovebox. It could hide but it couldn't get away. I got it.

    maginoodle, if the haynes manual didn't say things about pulling the windscreen wiper blades off to get at the windscreen wiper motor, I would reckon you were having a lend of me. That cover doesn't just lift off mine. Decided the resistor pack is probably where the trouble wasn't so left well alone.

    Anyway cheers and thanks. See what happens from here.
     
  9. maginoodle

    maginoodle Member

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    that long plastic cover has some clips that nned to be bent to get the cover off. you need to take the wipers of as well. i cant remember exactly how i did mine but i think there was 2 nuts on the wipers that had to come of to allow the plastic cover to come off.
    is there a relay on the power for the blower? i cant remember but if there is i would swap it and see if thats the prob
     
  10. kopper69

    kopper69 New Member

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    You get to the blower motor under the glove box. The fan speed resistor is under the cover under the windscreen wipers. Your fault doesnt sound like a fan speed resistor. The whole system is pretty small. Theres a fuse, a relay, a control box, a resistor and a fan. If you are good with a circuit diagram you can solve any problem with it in no time. If not, let me know and I will help to break it down for them and help them find the problem.
     
  11. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    Saw the clips maginoodle but I left them alone. Still a bit scared of breaking the thing and I doubt if the problem is there as it works on all speeds or none at all.

    If I try I can read a circuit diagram, kopper. If it is still giving trouble, will take you up on your offer. In my somewhat dumb opinion it has to be either a poor connection on the switch or the fan its self.

    Remember once when the trouble first started it came on with a fiddle of a nearby knob to the four speed switch, not sure if it was the thermostat one or the the one that swaps the vents around now.

    Counter to that fiddling of any knob hasn't got it going since so it may have just been coincidence.

    What gets it going these days? Well that's the mystery. As mentioned did replace the relay on the right hand side of the engine bay last year and it made no difference to the whole wide world except for the five bucks that I no longer had.

    If its the four speed switch, reckon that is going to be a fair prick to pull right out. Looks like its worth about $228 to. Cheers.
     
  12. SweetWagon

    SweetWagon booosted

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    Maybe you can help with mine :) I have a wiring diagram, my problem is that I have no power whatsoever, I have tested that it still works by getting power from another source direct to the fuse and it will work, On the wiring diagram it shows the fuse gets its power from the ignition relay, I pulled of the fuse board and there is no power on that wire going to the fuse from ignition relay, I swapped the relay for another but I did not fix the problem. I'm stumped
    Thanks for anyone that can suggest something
     
  13. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    Tell you what its playing hard ball.

    Did a run, started off with the blower not working so I just left the stwitch on. First corner the blower springs into action.

    Waited at school to pick up kids. Wasn't working when we started to come home. Left it switched on and didn't come on at all in the twenty minute drive home.

    So got the test light out at home. Power at both the fuse and the relay under the bonnet. Was about to take the cover off under the glove box to get at the fan and check if the current was getting to their.

    Decided I needed a torch to see what I was doing. Headed for the house. was 10 steps away from the car just thinking I better watch out for a snake I had nearly walked into the day before just outside the workshop. Hear a noise back at the car. The fan has started with no-one even touching the car.

    Now was it because I had been fiddling around with the fuses. Hope you are getting on top of yours vn6pwr.

    cheers.
     
  14. kopper69

    kopper69 New Member

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    The control box can be picked up for $20. I got mine from the wreakers and didnt end up using it. vn6pwr, you sound like a clever guy. So you know that if you put power in the fuse socket, it will work. Next you need to check for power at the relay. If you are getting power at the relay, but not the fuse, it would be a broken wire that connects the two. If your handy with a multimeter you can check if the wire is broken or not.
     
  15. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    well kopper 69 or anyone, in not working mode pulled the resistor under the windscreen wiper motor cover out and it checks out A O'K.

    As you might expect with all speeds working.

    But with ignition and fan on, there is no current getting to the plug that plugs into the resistor.

    And as already stated, in not working mode current supplied to the fuse and relay under the bonnet doesn't make it work.

    When current is supplied directly to the blower when it isn't working as it should, it does works.

    Means it has to be the switch or thereabouts doesn't it.
     
  16. kopper69

    kopper69 New Member

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    Sorry mate, you lost me a bit there. When you talk about checking electrics and such you should talk in voltage too. Current will only flow if there is a complete working circuit. Its alot more difficult to check current flow - very easy to check voltage, so we generally check for a voltage. I just set a reminder on my phone, so I will get my manual in the morning and go over it for you.

    When you say that you put power to the blower, what do you mean? Are you saying you put 12V on the fan? If so, then yes, the fault is likely to be the switch. Its the only thing that connects them all together. You should be able to easily check for voltage at the fuse, which is the last place it goes before it goes to the switch. But yeah, I think I might make a big how-to guide tomorrow morning ok. :)
     
  17. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    Hot wire is what I mean from the positive of the battery terminal.

    Unplug the blower and poke the hot wire into the socket and away she spins.

    Prod the hot wire on points prior to this it doesn't activate the thing and that's supplying current to me.

    All I was really asking is the speed resistor has to be after the 1,2,3,4 switch doesn't it.

    Wouldn't make sense if it wasn't.

    I have had a look at that 1,2,3,4 switch and it doesn't look easy to get right out but it is where the problem has to be unless it is on the ignition switch. The way it seems is once its going it keeps going. Its only after the ignition has been killed that it waits it moment before starting next time.


    Don't want to do pull the 1,2,3,4 switch out if I don't have to but is it what you refer to as the contol box you got for 20 bucks from the wreckers?

    Sorry for losing you as I probably have again but if you could answer that last question it would be handy. Might see what the local wrecker has as the next step.
     
  18. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    It's not the 1,2,3,4 switch.
     
  19. bluecar

    bluecar Member

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    We are getting close.

    The drain of the car starting is what kills the blower. That's proven.

    You hear a click at the circuit breaker bar when it decides it wants to go again. Have swapped circuit breakers left right and centre. Doesn't seem to make any difference.

    Strangely at the moment it is working well. Not expecting it to last but the cure was pulling the horn circuit breaker out and putting it back.

    This caused a circuit to activate as it was pushed back in and now when the car is started with the fan on it stays on.

    Have let the snake live in case anyone was worried one of the nation's protected species was going to get done in. Tough call with kids about but he just scuttles away.

    Any electrical comments welcome.

    The battery is good but cranking is slow. Suspect that might be somewhere in the mix of the problem.

    How I started to get to the root cause of the problem was putting the battery charger on. Had had the ignition on for extended periods and thought I better give it charge before its flat.

    Connecting the charger sprung the blower into action. Can only conclude that the problem is removed from the blower its self. There is a poor current flow in there somewhere.
     
  20. SweetWagon

    SweetWagon booosted

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    Thanks mate, the only problem is that the fuse is before the blower motor relay. It goes like this.. ingnition relay > fuse > blower relay > fan spd resistor > blower motor. Therefore if theres no power at the fuse the problem lies before it. The ignition relay is working so thats what stumps me. The only thing i can put it down to is a broken wire from ignition relay > fuse. Bluecar, sounds like you are in the same position as me, If i can fix next time i take the fuse board out to get behind it i'm going to hardwire it into somewhere else running off the ignition.
     

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