If you have been following along, I’ve had some issues with my car, specifically the heating/cooling system. Going way back, I had a dealership repair shop tell me once that I needed a new blower motor because that’s where the “hissing” sound was being caused. I knew that was bullshit because the hissing was the AC condenser (or evaporator, I can never get those two straight).
Somewhat recently, the blower fan started a ticking sound, that would speed up and slow down with the fan speed. I started to think, ok, this is where it needs to be replaced. But, I also knew it could be debris stuck in the fan. So before I actually ordered a new fan, I pulled out the blower motor. As far as replaceable parts in my micro-vehicle, this is one of the easiest. Crawl in the passenger footwell, unplug a wire harness, remove three screws and done. I wish it was all that easy.
When I did drop the motor out, it came with about half a dozen dried up leaves. No motor problems. That saved me a little money. A new OEM fan is about $150. A new aftermarket fan is $50-$75. But right now, it was unneeded.
Then, a couple days ago, I was out driving and upon starting up the car after a store visit, there was no AC. Not just no AC, there was no fan. This is worse. I clicked the fan switch on and off to no avail. I could hear the AC compressor kicking on when I turned the fan switch, it’s just the blower fan wasn’t moving. Ok, I’m no stranger to driving all day with no AC, especially this year, so I headed straight home for troubleshooting.
At home, I dropped the motor quickly and used a simple test light to see if power was getting to the motor. That would identify if it was a fuse or the motor. Yes, power was being sent. I plugged the fan back in and switched the fan on. No movement. I touched the fan blades and the slight bump I gave started the motor spinning. Ugh, so the motor just can’t get started. Oh well – replacement time.
I went straight to EBay and evaluated my options: the new OEM or the new aftermarket. Price was a concern, but speed of delivery was more paramount. The frontrunner was a $55 aftermarket, but it would take 2 weeks to arrive. I could pay $20 for priority shipping, with no guarantee it would get here more than a day earlier. The winner turned out to be option 3 – a used OEM part. $62 with guaranteed delivery in 3 days. It was a good balance of speed and quality. I usually don’t shy away from used parts on a used car, it’s almost more logical that way.
So, while I’m waiting for this fan part, things are a little more critical for me. Without AC, sure I was suffering, but without any ventilation at all, it’s a hazard. If it starts raining, I’ll have to roll up the windows and the glass will fog up immediately. I will have no way to defog the glass. The best I’ll be able to do is carry a towel with me and wipe the windshield when I can. That’s not something I’m interested in doing at 80mph on the state highway to hell. Seriously, it was ranked 2017’s deadliest highway in the US.
Please get delivered early…
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