Heater fan problem - resistor?
Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2010 5:05 pm
Hi all
The heater fan stopped working all of a sudden - working one trip, not the next. I found lots of info on the forum etc for which I am most grateful, but so far have been unable to sort the issue. If anyone could share some helpful thoughts they would be much appreciated.
I checked the fuse and that seemed OK. Checked the fan moved freely and found it moved OK, although it doesn't spin freely as such, it stops quite quickly once you give it a shove with a finger. Took out the resistor and found a couple of the connections off so soldered them back. With resistor back in place, the fan worked so I thought I had fixed the problem and put everything back. Next day, started the bus, no fan again. Took out resistor and found another connection off so soldered it back and once again, the fan worked. And then, you guessed it, next time I used the bus, no fan again! Now I'm wondering if the resistor needs to be replaced with a new one rather than repaired (it says on the body not to repair it), but also wonder if the reason it keeps failing is down to being overloaded in some way. Is the fan supposed to rotate more freely than it does, and is the fact that it doesn't adding load to the resistor causing it to overheat enough for the connections to pop their soldered joints? I assume the relay in the circuit must be OK or the fan wouldn't work, albeit temporarily, when I re-solder the resistor connections? Obviously I don't really want install to a new resistor if there's a risk of blowing it due to a problem elsewhere.
Meanwhile, it's a bit blinking nippy in our bus right now!
(not applause in this instance, I'm trying to keep warm!)
The heater fan stopped working all of a sudden - working one trip, not the next. I found lots of info on the forum etc for which I am most grateful, but so far have been unable to sort the issue. If anyone could share some helpful thoughts they would be much appreciated.
I checked the fuse and that seemed OK. Checked the fan moved freely and found it moved OK, although it doesn't spin freely as such, it stops quite quickly once you give it a shove with a finger. Took out the resistor and found a couple of the connections off so soldered them back. With resistor back in place, the fan worked so I thought I had fixed the problem and put everything back. Next day, started the bus, no fan again. Took out resistor and found another connection off so soldered it back and once again, the fan worked. And then, you guessed it, next time I used the bus, no fan again! Now I'm wondering if the resistor needs to be replaced with a new one rather than repaired (it says on the body not to repair it), but also wonder if the reason it keeps failing is down to being overloaded in some way. Is the fan supposed to rotate more freely than it does, and is the fact that it doesn't adding load to the resistor causing it to overheat enough for the connections to pop their soldered joints? I assume the relay in the circuit must be OK or the fan wouldn't work, albeit temporarily, when I re-solder the resistor connections? Obviously I don't really want install to a new resistor if there's a risk of blowing it due to a problem elsewhere.
Meanwhile, it's a bit blinking nippy in our bus right now!
(not applause in this instance, I'm trying to keep warm!)
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