This Blows. Or Doesn’t.

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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