hi:

i have a 99 century. recently the heater stopped working completely at any setting.
i checked the fuses out. sure enough, one was blown. replaced it. as soon as i started the car it blew again.

i did some research and thought it must be the fan blower resistor or the motor itself. being a novice and reading a few times on the net that it is common for the resistor to wear out, i decided to try to remove the motor, take off the resistor and replace it. i took off the motor and two bolts on the resistor, but the third was impossible to reach or even see (i could only feel it). the third is located behind the square outcrop on the resistor right up against the firewall(? i think that is what it is called)

so a few questions:
1. when i took off the carpeting/ undercarriage, it looks as if something leaked onto it. it was still damp. it did rain yesterday, but this heater has not worked since may and it is now august. there is no smell. the coolant level is normal. is this anything to be concern about?

2. am i missing a tool which would allow me to reach this final bolt/screw. all the accounts i read of this online do not mention this last screw, only the first two. i was using a torque wrench.

3. there is a check engine light which indicated a misfire
but this has been on/off for a long time.
i put everything back together.

any advice welcome.

thanks

 

For now, I wouldn't get too concerned about the resistor. A resistor failure would most likely cause one or more of the speeds not to function. I have never seen it to cause fuses to blow. I suspect the motor has seen it's day and probably should be replaced.
The blower motor has a high current requirement at hi speed and the manufacturer has put a relay in the system to handle that hi current requirement separate from the resistor.
If you can get just the motor out you may even feel a lot of drag on the impeller. That would confirm that its time to replace it. There were times you could place some drops of oil in the motor bearings and it would work for a short while. Best move is replacement.

 

the blower only works on high. this means the resistor needs to be replaced no?

question: if i fail to replace the resistor will this do any harm to any component?

thanks for the help!

 

Usually when you can't get any blower motor speed other than hi speed , it's the resistor.
If you don't replace the resistor, won't do any harm.
Whatever happened to the blowing fuse problem?

 

oh once i changed the blower motor and placed a new fuse the fuse didn't blow anymore.
so at least i have a operational defogger and somewhat functional heater. going to try to replace the resistor tomorrow. don't know if i can reach the final bolt to loosen the resistor i have to replace - really tough. at least i have some of the heater functioning for winter thanks to the new blower motor. it all cost only $50 so far

 

Glad you solved some of your vehicle's problems. Stick with it , you'll get it done and enjoy the comfort of a good heater- A/C system.

 

actually i just replaced the resistor but still only the high setting is functioning.
the old resistor looked burnt.

could this be the air filter possibly? or maybe the head of the wires that attached into the resistor? i looked at the head and looked fine to me.

thanks

 

If you have access to a test light or voltmeter , do you have power to any of the terminals in the plug that plugs onto the resistor assy when you select any blower speed but hi, with the key on? I believe there is a separate fuse for that function too.

 

thanks for the reply. i don't have a test light or volt meter. i checked all of the associated fuses. they are all good.

i actually came across what the root problem was though.

once in a while after rain the passenger side floor becomes wet. i found a forum saying water leaks in through the cowl and can cause the motor blower/ resistor to fail. i removed the cowling and "I noticed that there was a 2 foot long rubber seal that was not in place. it needs to be seated along the bottom edge of the metal frame, to block the water that runs off the windshield." the water then goes down the firewall to the floor

http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/bui...7A9K2MM1G1LRF1

this seal was completely off and there was a lot of trash there. replaced the cabin filter.

today i'm going to buy some weatherproof sealant to keep this rubber seal in place.

going to try to pick up a test light too.

thanks for the help.

cannot believe that this problem was caused by this.

 

hey hank.

thanks for all the help so far.
i went to autozone and brought a multimeter.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...entifier=64471

i'm confused as to how to use the multimeter to test the plug that plug onto the resistor assy.

i know little about wiring. i'm assuming i unplug the wiring plug from the resistor(we are testing the wiring leading to the resistor since i have a new motor and bresistor placed correct?). where do i place the black red wands from the multimeter?
also what setting do i place the multimeter on?
i do not disconnect the battery first correct?

thanks
thanks