Heater/blower fan speed

[tonygnu]

Hello,
On our Getz, the heater blower only works on full speed, you get nothing when you turn the switch to the first positions, but only on max, this means that when we want to demist the windscreen its going at full pelt, which is noisy. What we would rather, is the fan on slow speed demisting screen all the time quietly.
Cheers
Tonygnu

[RBURGOSS]

Originally Posted by tonygnu

Hello,
On our Getz, the heater blower only works on full speed, you get nothing when you turn the switch to the first positions, but only on max, this means that when we want to demist the windscreen its going at full pelt, which is noisy. What we would rather, is the fan on slow speed demisting screen all the time quietly.
Cheers
Tonygnu

It seems the blower resistor is blown. This is the most common situation when your blower works only at full speed.

See the attachment for reference of location and how to test, remove it and replace it.

[tonygnu]

Thanks Robert,
I havent had chance to look at car yet, is the fan easy to locate and remove ? This must be a common fault on a lot of cars, as my mate has the same problem on his Zafira, and that is down to the resister aswell.
cheers

[RBURGOSS]

Originally Posted by tonygnu

Thanks Robert,
I havent had chance to look at car yet, is the fan easy to locate and remove ? This must be a common fault on a lot of cars, as my mate has the same problem on his Zafira, and that is down to the resister aswell.
cheers

There is no need to remove the fan. Just need a short phillips screwdriver (a long one or normal may interfere with the floor carpeting) and reach under the dash panel, behind the glove box. There you will see the blower motor.

The resistor is held by two single screws and it has a 4 prong connector attached. Just unplug the connector and remove both screws. The resistor will come out and can be tested as per instructions on service manual, or replaced if needed.

[tonygnu]

Thanks Robert, will have a look.
Cheers
Tonygnu

[tonygnu]

Robert,
Took the resistor out, there is a soldered fuse on there that had blown, so I resoldered it and it works like a new one. Im a bit worried why it went though, wondering if the fan was getting hot, maybe the pollen filter blocked ?Where do I find the pollen filter, I havent had chance to look yet as Im in work?
Cheers
Tonygnu

[RBURGOSS]

Originally Posted by tonygnu

Robert,
Took the resistor out, there is a soldered fuse on there that had blown, so I resoldered it and it works like a new one. Im a bit worried why it went though, wondering if the fan was getting hot, maybe the pollen filter blocked ?Where do I find the pollen filter, I havent had chance to look yet as Im in work?
Cheers
Tonygnu

Hmm... The resistor gets "cooling" air from the blower motor itself, but I guess it would need a fully blocked filter to reduce the air flow significantly as to allow the resistor to heat up enough to blow the fuse.

If you are getting "normal" blower flow out of your vents, it means the pollen filter is not blocked, but anyway, you can clean it if there is no spare available.

Just remove the filter (both pieces). Soak them in warm water with some dishwasher detergent. Then rinse them with a stream of water (from the back) to remove all the debris and gunk. Don't be scared if lots of black stuff runs out of those filters. Pat dry and let them air dry for 1/2 hour then reinstall. If you instantly notice that your blower is coming significantly stronger through your vents, then the filter was indeed very clogged.

If you need instruction on how to remove the filters, check this thread: Air Conditioner Filter Cleaning and other service issues at post No. 6.

If that fuse blows again, it probably means the blower motor is near the end of its usable life. Probably the brushed (and commutator) are worn out. Unfortunately, this has no fix and you will need a new blower motor.

Some years ago, this happened to me on a Hyundai Galloper. First, the resistor blew out. Replaced the resistor and blew again in a couple of weeks. Had to get a new blower motor.