This has been discussed many times here before, and I thought I would bring all of the information together in a "how-to." I have personally replaced this part with one purchased at CarQuest for $20. The repair took me about one hour to complete.
Problem: HVAC Blower motor only works on fan settings 3, 4 & 5.
Reason: Blower Motor Resistor is bad, and needs to be replaced.
Affected Model Years: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
Permanent Fix:
You will need: 1/4" Socket set -or- a 3/8" set with a universal joint
1. Remove the plastic cover from the underside of the passenger dash held in by four bolts. Note how the two air ducts on the left and top are connected, and how the other plastic cover piece is connected to the piece you are removing. This is helpful when you go to reinstall it.
2. Slide the Control Module to the right and pull it down carefully. Push it to the right being careful not to damage the wires.
3. Remove the blower motor power cable located on the forward side of the blower near the firewall.
4. Remove the jumper cable link to the blower motor resistor located on the resistor near the forward side of the blower.
5. Remove the blower motor held in place with three 7mm (I believe) bolts. You mat not need to do this, but it helps give you some room to work. It will also let see the blower motor resistor before proceeding.
6. Remove the two 5.5 mm bolts that hold the green blower motor resistor.
7. Install the new resistor using the two retained bolts. The improved part will be longer than the original, and black not green.
8. Re-install the blower motor using the three retained bolts, if you removed it originally.
9. Re-connect the blower motor power, and the resistor jumper.
10. Test the blower fan settings prior to putting the dash back together.
11. Align and push the Control Module up into the slot and slide it back to the left.
12. Re-install the plastic cover using four retained bolts. This is where it helped to pay attention to the ducts and the other cover when removing.