98 Escort, wiper & blower don't work

[UT1]

After a recent ice storm, my heater blower and windshield wipers don't work.
The wiper may have been on and set at intermitent and trapped by the ice while I was trying to thaw the car out causing it to burn something out.
There is no power to the blower motor and all the fuses appear to be fine.
I believe the blower resistor is ok.
The wiper & blower motor are tied together at the blower motor relay, per the schematic.
And I've heard there is a blower circuit breaker.
Does anyone know what and where either of these are?

Thanks
UT1


I found the blown fuse by checking them correctly. - thanks Selectron

I haven't been able to find the blower relay and/or circuit breaker in any literature. I'd still like to know where they are and what they look like.

[mightymoose_22]

So... you are not certain if the wipers are inop or not? You say it could have been the ice restricting them?
Until you know for sure about the wipers, focus on the power problem at the blower.
The blower is inop at all speeds and fuses are good? Doe the A/C light come on when the button is pressed?
It may be a problem at the switch. Use a test light or other tool and trace the power. Start at the switch and follow to wherever the power is lost.

[Selectron]

If it is just the blower that's not working, could you let us know, but I'm reading it as saying that both the wipers and blower are now inoperative. If that's the case then there's no need to go anywhere near the blower motor circuit because even if the blower circuit breaker and blower relay were both faulty, the wipers would still work - the wiper motor, multi-function switch (wiper section), and the blower motor relay do indeed all share a common 12V feed, but that feed is prior to the blower motor relay so the blower circuit will not be causing the fault.

More likely is that the 'Wiper' fuse (20 amps, located in the interior fuse panel) has blown. This is the fuse location on the '97 - it should be the same on your '98.

'97 Escort interior fuse panel layout

If the fuse is intact, and if you have a multimeter or 12V test lamp, then check for 12V on both legs of the fuse by probing through the little access holes in the top of the fuse body - it should have 12V on both legs when the ignition switch is in the 'Run' position.

If you have 12V at the fuse but you still have neither wipers nor blower then let us know and we'll take it from there. I think you'll find that the fuse is blown though.

[Intuit]

Re blower, I have a '94 LX and for awhile my blower worked intermittently. Eventually figured out that I could jiggle the wire harness. Problem eventually ceased altogether. Next winter season began smelling burning plastic for awhile. Noticed that was the case only when the blower motor was on high. Eventually discovered that the wire harness was melting. In such a case there are two/three possibilities. 1) The contacts are too corroded. The resistance to electrical flow creates heat which in-turn melts the harness. 2) The motor is drawing too much amperage. A possibility if it's starting to fail. 3) Both issues, 1 and 2 exist.

As far as the wipers, never dealt with the situation personally, but there are only a few possibilities there. 1) burned-out motor 2) wire harness 3) wires 4) fuses 5) multi-function switch 6) relay

Since the fuses are good I'd say it would have to be either 1, 2, 6 or 5. If the wires short then that inevitably takes a fuse with it. It's rare that the wires just burn-up without shorting against something else, but it happens. If you hear the motor actuator but see no movement, then there is a disconnect between the motor and wipers somewhere. Make sure those arms rotate easily while replacing that motor. This will help catch a potential issue before it results in another motor.

[Selectron]

Originally Posted by UT1

I found the blown fuse by checking them correctly. - thanks Selectron

I haven't been able to find the blower relay and/or circuit breaker in any literature. I'd still like to know where they are and what they look like.

Excellent! Well done, and thanks for letting us know. If you haven't already done it, then replacing the fuse should restore wipers and blower motor to normal operation.


Regarding the blower motor circuit breaker location, it's plugged into the side of the interior fuse panel - same panel which contains the 'Wiper' fuse - it's the item at the top left, labelled as Heater C.B.

'97 Escort blower motor circuit breaker location


The blower motor relay plugs into the interior relay panel, located below the instrument panel, to the left of the steering wheel above the interior fuse panel. This chart from the Ford service manual indicates that the relay is brown in colour, but note that the rear defroster relay is also brown.

'97 Escort interior relay panel reference chart


The relay panel location diagram doesn't show any great detail, but does show the general area. These diagrams are all for the '97, but they should also apply to your '98.

'97 Escort blower motor relay location