Blower motor

[cicelyak]

Hey guys --

 

The fan for my vent/heat/defrost sounded like the world was going to end. It made this awful screeching and thumping sound. It was constant. It got to the point where I just couldn't stand turning on the heat because the sound was so terribly loud and annoying.

 

Anyway, I'm proud to report that my dad and I successfully replaced the blower motor today. I picked up a new blower motor and fan blade from Checker O'Reilly. The motor was $26 and the fan blade was maybe $10 or $12. Both were in stock. We used the Haynes instructions as our guide. The steps were easy, but it was difficult wiggling things around in the tight space of the engine compartment. We had to switch between multiple pliers and wrenches to find something right-sized for the small space. This was by far our most ambitious repair project -- but in the end, it was no big deal. I'd suggest this project for anyone. We're basically car repair newbies and we didn't really struggle at all. The only technical part of it was splicing the two new wires into the existing wiring harness. We just needed wire cutters and some electrical tape. No problem there.

 

If you're going to do it, I'd suggest replacing the fan blade while you're at it. It costs just a marginal amount more, and you don't have to futz around with unclipping the old blade from the old motor, cleaning it, or forgetting which direction the blades go when reattaching to the new motor.

 

Now when I use the air in my truck, I can't hear a thing when it's on the lowest setting. When I crank it up to high, I only hear a smooth whir. In the words of Chris Farley, "Jackpot!"

 

One question for you experienced folks out there -- When I use vent or bi-level, I get air out of the front vents. When I use heat or defrost, I only get air out of the vents above the dash, under the windshield. I've never had a working fan system. Is this what it's supposed to do?

 

Thanks!

[jimoshel]

One question for you experienced folks out there -- When I use vent or bi-level, I get air out of the front vents. When I use heat or defrost, I only get air out of the vents above the dash, under the windshield. I've never had a working fan system. Is this what it's supposed to do?

 

Thanks!

Yes it is.