lekmedm Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I just replaced the resistor pack on my '98 OBW. The number 2 position on the fan wasn't working. Well, to my disappointment, this didn't fix anything. What now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frag Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Presuming the new pack is not defective, the control button? Wires going from the button to the pack? Only ideas that come to my mind. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I've taken many fan speed switches apart, and usually what goes wrong is the grease dries up and the contacts don't mate up properly. It needs to be cleaned thoroughly and relubed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwatt Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 I just replaced the resistor pack on my '98 OBW. The number 2 position on the fan wasn't working. Well, to my disappointment, this didn't fix anything. What now? The blower motor works on the other speeds, right? Since you've replaced the resistor assembly, the only other possibility is the blower speed switch itself. I suppose it's possible that there's a broken wire or connector at the switch or at the resistor but that's highly unlikely, unless someone has been in the dash recently and butchered something. We've got a 98 OBW also, and I've noticed recently that the blower speed switch feels "sloppy" and doesn't have the positive detents at each speed like it used to. I suspect I'll be replacing the blower speed switch on our car in the not-to-distant future......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 As I eluded to before, they can be taken apart and cleaned. It's not that difficult, as long as you have opposing thumbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekmedm Posted January 13, 2006 Author Share Posted January 13, 2006 As I eluded to before, they can be taken apart and cleaned. It's not that difficult, as long as you have opposing thumbs. What type of grease or lube should be used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 Most of the ones I've taken apart had what looked like regular grease is them. I have reinstalled with no grease on a few with no problems. If you can get some silicone grease, that would be your best bet, maybe at Radio Shack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 As I eluded to before, they can be taken apart and cleaned. It's not that difficult, as long as you have opposing thumbs. There you go again .. its always about those oposing thumbs .... brag brag brag nipper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forester2002s Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 What type of grease or lube should be used? If it's the contacts that need lubeing, then you'll need some 'electrically conducting grease'. Try your local auto-parts store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2X2KOB Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 This is not optimal, but I have successfully used vaseline on stuff like this lots of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted January 14, 2006 Share Posted January 14, 2006 If it's the contacts that need lubeing, then you'll need some 'electrically conducting grease'. Try your local auto-parts store. You don't use conductive grease. The contacts are fairly heavy inside the switch, and the grease helps eliminate arcing. If you use conductive grease, the fan won't know what the heck you're trying to have it do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekmedm Posted April 17, 2006 Author Share Posted April 17, 2006 I've been meaning to come back to this thread for quite some time... So, to sumarize, position 2 on the switch does not blow while 1, 3, and 4 all work fine. I replaced the resistor pack and still have the same problem. As suggested, I took apart the switch, cleaned it out and put in new grease. This did not help. What's next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 The only thing left is a wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 So, to sumarize, position 2 on the switch does not blow while 1, 3, and 4 all work fine. I replaced the resistor pack and still have the same problem. As suggested, I took apart the switch, cleaned it out and put in new grease. This did not help. Since the blower works at both low and medium-high speeds, the problem area is very limited. There may still be a problem with the switch, or just wiring as Tiny Clark suggested. I can offer electrical troubleshooting suggestions, provided that: 1) You verify that you have access to a voltmeter and know how to use it 2) You tell me what the colors of the wires are (including any color stripes, such as "red/yellow") at the switch connector, and their positions (terminal numbering); I'll need that to verify the wiring diagram I have is correct for your '98. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekmedm Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 With the hot, hot, hot AC weather here, this thread boomerangs back so I may finally take care of this annoyance... I just wanted to confirm with OB99W, that you are asking me to check the colors/patterns of wires leading to the AC switch so that we're both on the same page, right? Yes, I have a voltmeter, and I'd say I'm an average user with it. BTW, I had once downloaded the wiring diagram for my car from the Subaru site, so I can send you that if it helps. I hope you're still available to lend a hand. If anyone else has any ideas, I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commuter Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 I just replaced the resistor pack on my '98 OBW. The number 2 position on the fan wasn't working. Well, to my disappointment, this didn't fix anything. What now? Was it a new resistor pack? Long shot, but it could be that the 'new' resistor pack has the same fault as your old one. Commuter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekmedm Posted July 17, 2006 Author Share Posted July 17, 2006 Was it a new resistor pack? Long shot, but it could be that the 'new' resistor pack has the same fault as your old one. Commuter Yes, it was brand-spanking new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted July 18, 2006 Share Posted July 18, 2006 If I remember correctly the speed switch makes a ground connection through the switch to select which resistor is in the circuit with the motor. This problem can only be due to two things since you have already replaced the resistors. The first possibility is the switch position for speed 2 is open and it doesn't make contact to ground. To prove that you can either measure the voltage across the switch position or the resistance with the power off. You could also make a ground jumper and ground the wire going to the switch 2 position. If the speed then works you know the switch is bad. If the switch is ok then the only thing left is the wire between the switch and the resistors is open somewhere. I would suspect the connector pins first if this is the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekmedm Posted July 19, 2006 Author Share Posted July 19, 2006 If I remember correctly the speed switch makes a ground connection through the switch to select which resistor is in the circuit with the motor. This problem can only be due to two things since you have already replaced the resistors. The first possibility is the switch position for speed 2 is open and it doesn't make contact to ground. To prove that you can either measure the voltage across the switch position or the resistance with the power off. You could also make a ground jumper and ground the wire going to the switch 2 position. If the speed then works you know the switch is bad. If the switch is ok then the only thing left is the wire between the switch and the resistors is open somewhere. I would suspect the connector pins first if this is the case. So, basicly, you're saying check the ohm reading on the back of the switch, and/or jump the wires on the harness. Am I right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 [...]I just wanted to confirm with OB99W, that you are asking me to check the colors/patterns of wires leading to the AC switch so that we're both on the same page, right? Yes, I have a voltmeter, and I'd say I'm an average user with it.[...] Sorry, I've been busy the last couple of days and didn't see this until now. Yes, I had wanted to verify that "we're both on the same page". The info Cougar gave is basically correct, by the way. The resistor pack has three resistors. The switch has two sections, one of which operates the blower motor relay (in all positions except "off", naturally), while the other selects which resistor(s) of the pack are used (or none, for the highest speed). Each of those operations is accomplished by grounding the appropriate terminal. In the "low" position, all three resistors are used in series, so when that speed works it becomes obvious that none of the resistors are open. That can still leave switch contact, connector, or wiring problems. If you haven't found the cause yet, let me know what the wire colors/positions are, and I'll suggest a voltmeter approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted July 19, 2006 Share Posted July 19, 2006 So, basicly, you're saying check the ohm reading on the back of the switch, and/or jump the wires on the harness. Am I right? You got it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekmedm Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 OK, so I jumped the wires at the plug from the back of the switch and position 2 still doesn't blow. The wire colors are: Black Green Black Black White Red Yellow Yellow Black Black Yellow Nothing happened with Red Yellow. You can see a pdf of the A/C wiring diagram for my car here: http://www.boomspeed.com/lekmedm/AC_wiring.pdf. What's next? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 OK, so I jumped the wires at the plug from the back of the switch and position 2 still doesn't blow.[...] Nothing happened with Red Yellow. You can see a pdf of the A/C wiring diagram for my car here: http://www.boomspeed.com/lekmedm/AC_wiring.pdf. What's next? If by "Nothing happened with Red Yellow" you mean that grounding that wire didn't get the blower running, then it's probable that the problem lies with the switch contacts that power the blower relay, rather than the ones that select the resistor(s), or something else. However, I'll give a procedure that should help pinpoint the problem without making assumptions. Since the following are voltage tests, of course they need to be done with the blower powered. Put the switch in the medium-low position ("2"). Connect the negative lead of your voltmeter to a known-good ground. Leaving all the connectors in place, with the positive lead back-probe the green/black wire at the switch connector. You should measure zero volts (or something very close to that); if you see battery voltage, the section of the switch that powers the blower relay in the medium-low position isn't making contact. If you get a correct reading at the green/black wire, move the positive meter lead and back-probe the red/yellow wire at the switch connector. Again, you should get a reading of zero volts, or very near it. If you see battery voltage, the section of the switch that makes connection to the resistor pack in the medium-low position isn't making contact, or the connector itself has a problem at that pin. If you get a near-zero voltage reading at the red/yellow wire at the switch, the switch is probably okay. Move the positive lead and back-probe the red/yellow wire on the connector at the resistor pack. If the voltage is still near zero, the problem is likely that the connector pin for that wire at the resistor isn't making good contact (or, although unlikely, the resistor pack has a bad internal connection). On the other hand, if you now get battery voltage, there is a break in the red/yellow wire between the resistor and the switch. Unless the wire has been damaged, there's a good chance that pins in connectors i20 or B80 aren't making good contact. I hope that did it. If after going through the above you're still not sure what the problem is, please mention what the voltage reading was at each step above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lekmedm Posted July 21, 2006 Author Share Posted July 21, 2006 So let me get this straight. I need to dumb this down a bit. I have to take apart the dash to get to the switch. I leave the harness plugged in. Turn the switch to "2". I ground the negative lead of the voltmeter to a known ground somewhere in the car other than that harness. I insert the probe where the wires enter the plug from the back to take readings. First read Green/Black, then Red/Yellow. Finally check the Red/Yellow at the back of the harness at the resistor pack using the same procedure. I think you did a good job with the description. I just wanted to make sure. I really appreciate the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 [...]I have to take apart the dash to get to the switch. I leave the harness plugged in. Turn the switch to "2". I ground the negative lead of the voltmeter to a known ground somewhere in the car other than that harness. I insert the probe where the wires enter the plug from the back to take readings. First read Green/Black, then Red/Yellow. Finally check the Red/Yellow at the back of the harness at the resistor pack using the same procedure. You've got it; of course, you shouldn't go through the entire procedure if the cause becomes evident part of the way through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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