blower motor resistor, blower or both?

[hammer2]

2000 SE 3100. blower started working only on highest speed (5?). has been that way for months. thought blower motor resistor again! yes, changed that years ago when blower started working on only about half the settings. has worked fine until few months ago. now today, it seemed to work on high, then it quit working altogether. sometimes will come on, other times won't. and sometimes when on, it sounds sick: running slowly (with it set to high) and lot of noise like rubbing on something or bad bearing? I assume the resistor is bad. but don't know if maybe the motor has gone bad too?

[richtazz]

it sounds like the motor is definitely bad, and due to the motor drawing more amps, it may have taken the new resistor out with it. Any other electrical gremlins popping up like key sticking in ignition, instrument/dash lights flickering, DIC not functioning properly, etc...? This could indicate a bad ingition switch.

[hammer2]

the air bag light came on about a year ago. used to come on occasionally and then would go back out. seemed like it would come on related to rain. I am not certain about that but that is just what it seemed like. it is on constantly now. of note also is that sometimes when it rains, I get a lot of water in passenger footwell area, which is right below blower. it does not happen all the time when it rains. I often thought that maybe there was leak somewhere near blower and this caused the resistor to go bad and maybe a connector for airbag in vicinity?

the backlight for radio doesn't work. under strong sunlight in right direction, you can still see the time on clock/station and radio functions fine, just no backlight.

what is DIC?

[rkvons]

If you have rain coming in and landing on the passenger side front floor area, you probably need to lift the black cover that is underneath your wipers on the passenger side and look down inside. This black cover is held down with what look like phillips head screws, but are actually push pin anchors. You can pry them loose with a small screwdriver and pull them out. You should not have to remove your wiper blades. There is a deflector that is suppose to carry water away that has probably come loose under there and now provides a path for water to land on your blower. Get some clear silicone sealant and remove the loose baffle, clean out the groved edge and apply a bead of the silicone in it, then stick it back in place and put the cover back on.

DIC = Driver Information Center? The red LED area.

[richtazz]

as Rkvons stated, DIC = Driver Information Center. It's where the door ajar/trunk ajar display, trac off switch, etc.. is, and also contains the oil change/avg economy/fuel used info if your car has the enhanced DIC.

[hammer2]

no problem with lights coming on or flickering on the DIC.

[hammer2]

so if I take blower out, how many wires are there-just 2? I am assuming there multiple wires coming from the blower control to the resistor and then just 2 going to the blower itself? how can I test the blower-just hook up 12V to the 2 wires? is the resistor wired in series so that as you increase the resistance through it, the voltage drop across the motor is decreased? would like to also test the wires coming into the resistor if anyone has the pinout. I guess it is all 12V-likely one ground and multiple hots depending on what setting you have blower control set at?

[doctorhrdware]

Going to the blower motor there is 2 wires.

[hammer2]

just an update. changed blower motor and resistor last weekend. works fine. of note, I could not get to one of the back screws on resistor very well. I guess it was not tight (from last time i changed resistor) and was able to remove front one, loosen other rear one, and forcefully remove resistor. then, even after blower motor and resistor were out, I had hard time turning that one rear screw! 7/32 socket with different kinds on extensions, universal joint, ratchet, breaker bar--no luck. could only turn it with wrench, which obviously can't use to tighten it after resistor is in place. I don't know how I got to it before when I changed resistor?

[doctorhrdware]

That is how I did mine, but to make the job easier I pulled out the passenger seat. I have a wobble extension that I used, instead of a universal joint, and a 1/4 ratchet. It makes it easier to get to the blower motor resistor mounting screws. I also uses 6 point sockets.

[richtazz]

Since the back two screw holes in the resistor are slotted, I loosen them just enough to free the resistor, then leave them that way and only tighten the front screw, which is plenty to hold it in place.

[anc33]

I installed brand new blower motor, brand new resistor and still only works on speed 5 ,and I also noticed after I put it on speed 5 I turn on the heated seat switch and the blower turns on only on speed 5 ,,and also almost everyday have to leave the key in the ignition cause doesn't turn back all the way,, if I replaced blower, resistor ,,,,does the ignition switch have anything to do with the problems I'm having?

[Tech II]

Anc33, you should really start your own thread instead of jumping on a year old thread.....

You also don't state what year the vehicle is, so it's hard to look up a wiring diagram for you.....

In some years, there is a seperate fuse for the lower speeds, and a seperate high speed fuse for just position #5.....so I would be checking that low speed fuse.....

As for the key, you are probably having a problem with the BTSI solenoid in the shifter.....more often than not it's a broken wire(the harness flexes a lot due to moving the shifter) going to the harness of the solenoid....however, you can still get the key out.....look at the underside of the steering column, in the area of the lock cylinder,,,,,there will either be an opening or a platsic tab that can be removed, that exposes the opening.....take a small screw driver and insert it upward into the opening....this will push a plunger on the lock solenoid, and then you can turn the key the rest of the way to remove it.....

[anc33]

TECH II ,, I'm new to this n didn't know had to open a thread but anyway I got a 97 pontiac grandprix gtp,,, I replaced blower motor and resistor and blower runs on speed 5 only ,,,,, I checkd every fuse and relay all are good ,,,and bout the key not coming out of ignition I chekd n these cars don't have that button on the steering column ,,,,but wat got me frustrated the most is the blower issue ,.,.,.,.

[olopezm]

It's better to open a new thread, tell you story, post your vehicle details (year and model) and, from there, link to any previous thread you've found. It's easier to keep an eye by doing things that way

There is no button, but a hole instead. You need to insert a pick or small screwdriver to remove the key.

I would say that it looks like the ignition switch has gone bad. Check the Daytime Running lights. I bet they will turn off whenever one of the 1-4 blower speed is selected. Another thing to tell if you have a bad switch is if you have constant electrical gremlins (like lights staying on, DIC lights not working).

Oscar.