Heater fan problem - resistor?

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The Wanderer
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Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by The Wanderer » 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! =D> (not applause in this instance, I'm trying to keep warm!)
Geoff
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by g8dhe » Sat Jan 09, 2010 5:15 pm

The resistors are meant "to unsolder" they act as fuses in the event of overload, which it sounds very much like what is happening. Kirsty is the expert on the heater fan motor and the amount of friction / spin there should be, but I would expect a bit of free spin at least.
Geoff
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by missfixit70 » Sat Jan 09, 2010 5:30 pm

FAQ here if you haven't found it already - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... 43&t=28727
If the resistor keeps going, the fan probably needs taking out, stripping & sorting (reasonably easy job if you have any mechanical competence :wink:) there's a factsheet in the members area (all links on the above FAQ) The fan should spin freely, if not it will keep happening as you have found.
Chances are the drain hole in the plastic casing under the fan has got blocked, so any moisture getting sucked in will just sit there & drown the fan motor. If this is the case, enlarge the hole to at least 10mm, Mazda have done this themselves on some models.
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by The Wanderer » Sat Jan 09, 2010 5:43 pm

Thanks for the replies. So it sounds like my fan should maybe spin more freely than it currently does. Should it rotate a good few times with a single push? If so, I will be out in the snow tomorrow to dismantle and clean up fan motor - and enlarge the hole in the fan housing. I did find and bookmark all the info already but thanks for the FAQ link, and reckon I can deal with the job. Not sure if I can replace bushes if it comes to it but one step at a time eh!

Cheers,

Geoff
Geoff
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by missfixit70 » Sat Jan 09, 2010 5:51 pm

Yep it should spin quite freely & continue to do so, you'll probably find the bushes are ok & will have a few years life left in them ( compare the length of the housing they have to slide in with whats left & you can roughly work out the rate quite easily) but the springs may well be shot, cheap biro springs do the job fine, you don't want too strong a spring in there.
While you've got the ducting off, carefully clean the evaporator matrix as it's probably fairly gummed up too, amazing how much difference it can make to the air flow :D
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by The Wanderer » Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:02 pm

Thanks Kirsty. Now I could search on this, but as we have a dialogue going here, would you mind describing briefly which bit the evaporator matrix is please? :?
Geoff
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by missfixit70 » Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:14 pm

The bit you'll see when you take the plastic ducting off that goes into the cabin, just looks like a small radiator, there're some piccies somewhere from a recent thread that Mikexgough & Mikeonb4c were involved in. Basically all the air has to go through it & all the crud gets stuck on it much as a rad gets gummed up.
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by The Wanderer » Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:17 pm

Ah, do you mean the bit the resistor sits in?
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by missfixit70 » Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:23 pm

Sounds about right :wink:
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Re: Heater fan problem - resistor?

Post by The Wanderer » Sat Jan 09, 2010 6:59 pm

Thanks :)
Geoff
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