SOLVED - No HVAC Airflow From Dash Simple Fix

[jfoj]

No airflow from HVAC in dash.

Pop the blower motor controller out, open it up. Find bad solder joints that overheated, reflow high current joints, pinch female terminals closed slightly for the higher current connections.

HVAC back working.

Priceless!

 

[DRLexpress]

Nice, where is that controller located.

 

[jfoj]

The controller is just above the passenger side hush panel below the glove box and above the foot well area. Easy to get too once the hush panel is removed. 2 1/4" bolts hold the controller on to the bottom of the HVAC ducting, in your face once you pull the hush panel.

This was not the original fan controller. I installed this one about 5 years ago. The OE may have been able to be saved, the fan connection melted due to loose female spade connections. I recall this replacement had you cut a few wires and use crimp connections to bypass one of the failure points. Those crimp connections looked fine. I probably have the original fan controller in a box somewhere in the garage still??

While the fans can fail in these vehicles, mine is 20 years old and still has the original fan, usually the fan controllers fail or the wires get hot due to poor connections and too much thermal cycling and expansion and contraction. Often the connections can be repaired like what I did. I would say failed fans are far more uncommon than the fan controller. I would also suspect before the fan controller connections finally fail, the fan speed may be a bit erratic or not blow and times before if finally fails.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Good work, and thank you for posting your solution. Our collective knowledge base has been increased.

Please add the word "FIXED" or "SOLVED" to your thread's title, to let others who are experiencing a similar issue know that this thread has an identified solution.

 

[jfoj]

I have already replaced all the gauge motors in the dashboard about 10 years ago. Purchased the gauge motor set on Amazon for $18 and pulled the dash cluster and got the soldering iron and solder sucker out and fixed this is short order. The speedometer quit right when I was trying to teach my son to drive and he would not use the Tach as a reference, so I had to get the speedometer repaired before I could get him back behind the wheel.

I have fixed a number of radio displays and Odometer displaces on GM products over the years as well. I have fixed bad solder joints in everything from TV's, Stereos, Water Heater Controllers, Refrigerators, Door Lock Controllers and more over the years. Between bad capacitors and the stupid micro relays that are the size of 1 or 2 sugar cubes that are rated for 15 Amps it is crazy what I have repaired over the years!!

 

[TJ Baker]

The blower motors do enventually wear out. I recently replaced my rear blower speed control module. While in there I had a look at the blower motor to see about maybe adding some lubrication to the bearings. Will need replacement soon. Brushes about gone and the armature deeply worn as well. Also found the sleeve bearing on one end ovalled out pretty good.

 

[jfoj]

@TJ Baker

Looks like that motor is on borrowed time. As mentioned, fan motors fail but not as often as the controllers from what I have seen. But now with many of these models getting up to 20 years in age, the motors are on borrowed time.

As the vehicle get up in age, everything is going to wear out.

But the electronic controls and variable resistor controls are also dirty and in need of cleaning.

My dash light controller was very dirty, lights would either be full bright or dance in brightness if I tried to turn the brightness down. Had to get some contact cleaner and spray in around the control shaft because I was too lazy to pull everything apart. Seems to have worked for now.

 

[DRLexpress]

The controller is just above the passenger side hush panel below the glove box and above the foot well area. Easy to get too once the hush panel is removed. 2 1/4" bolts hold the controller on to the bottom of the HVAC ducting, in your face once you pull the hush panel.

This was not the original fan controller. I installed this one about 5 years ago. The OE may have been able to be saved, the fan connection melted due to loose female spade connections. I recall this replacement had you cut a few wires and use crimp connections to bypass one of the failure points. Those crimp connections looked fine. I probably have the original fan controller in a box somewhere in the garage still??

While the fans can fail in these vehicles, mine is 20 years old and still has the original fan, usually the fan controllers fail or the wires get hot due to poor connections and too much thermal cycling and expansion and contraction. Often the connections can be repaired like what I did. I would say failed fans are far more uncommon than the fan controller. I would also suspect before the fan controller connections finally fail, the fan speed may be a bit erratic or not blow and times before if finally fails.

Thanks, great write up. I will check mine out for sure. With summer coming I need my blower back.