Why does my blower resistor keep going bad
Have replaced my blower resistor 3 times already in the past 2 weeks. What could be the reason it keeps going bad?
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Hi,
Does the blower motor run with the switch in the OFF position? If you leave the blower motor switched continually on you may not notice this.
If so I suspect that there is an earth fault on one of the wires connected to either pin 4 or 5 of the resistor.
If not then it may be a faulty blower switch
Here is a the blower circuit for a 2002 Dodge Dakota. Hopefully it is the same for your particular year model.
With a DMM (Digital Multimeter - Ohmmeter function) remove the blower resistor and measure the resistance readings on the blower resistor module between pin 2 and pin 1 (should read 0 Ohms) then between pin 1 and pin 3 then 3 & 4 then 4 & 5 and see what they are reading to find out which one has failed.
I suspect that there will be no reading between pins 1 & 3. This is because this is the resistor which carries all the current when the switch is in positions low thru med 2.
However I am suggesting that if for example you had an wiring earth fault on pin 4 and the switch was on Med 2 then not only would you have the normal current flowing through the resistor connected between pins 1 & 3 BUT you would also have more current because of the circuit path available thru pin 4 (which shouldn't be there). This scenario is the same for pin 5 with the Med 1 position.
It could also be an internal blower switch fault and that there is a short circuit connection between either the low and Med 1 setting or between the Med 1 and Med 2 setting. Hi should not affect it as it is a short circuit through the resistor anyway. With the plug disconnected from the resistor measure back toward the switch between the wires for pin 3 & 4 (light blue and light green/yellow) and 4 & 5 (light green/yellow and tan). and rotate the switch. There should never be a reading between the wires with the switch in any position.
Hopefully I have not confused you with all this.
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I had mine replaced in May 2017 on my 2005 Chevy Impala. It has since conked out 3 different times. The warranty covered the initial replacement but otherwise I am getting nowhere.
Even if you use 100% OEM parts it still fails:
The reason is………….For your 2001 to 2011 vehicle MOPAR didn’t make your replacement part. Oh sure it will say MOPAR on the box and say factory original OEM part, BUT IT’S NOT!!!!! It’s made buy a number of after market companys, mostly NAPA. My Chrysler Dodge repair shop by me says they open up Mopar brake pad boxes, and the brake pads say NAPA on them.
Just the way it is today. Noboys makes their own parts anymore, mostly China crap. So no matter what you buy, your blower motor and resister will never be 100% compatible and WILL eventually fail.
Go to a salvage yard, find a low mileage Durango or Dakota and pull the motor and resister and then you will be good to go.
OR:
Only use high speed fan setting for heat and AC. Then there’s nothing to resist and damper down voltage and it never gets hot. You can even use cheap eBay parts etc.
Sorry, not the perfect fix but it is the truth, I’ve spent 2 years figuring this out
2004 Dakota with 4.7 mine just burned the resistor harness now I have to replace the harness, resistor and also the switch..i took the switch apart and the circuit board is burned out the fuse itself is good so the circuit board failed
Hi @terrywoodward74,
If you've read the comments in the answer below, since you have to replace the harness etc, perhaps you should consider connecting an inline fuse on the power supply feed to the blower circuit as well so as to protect the harness etc in the event of the blower motor going low resistance (shorting out between motor windings) in the future and burning out everything before the designated fuse can operate.
Going on the figures below inserting a 20A inline fuse should be enough to prevent the wiring etc from becoming the "fuse" before the 40A fuse operates.
Just a thought.
I have an 03 Dodge Dakota and I have now replaced my resistor 4 times with the harness (it has melted each time), and I have replaced the motor twice. It is always the second pin on the harness that melts (tan wire). Any suggestions on what may be the cause?
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Trent, one of the biggest reasons for blower motor resistors to have shorten life is actually because of faulty blower motor drawing too many amps, some times melting wires/plugs, heating up resistors shortening their life. Many Dodge forums tell of this problem. Good luck.
I hope this helped you out, if so let me know by pressing the helpful button.
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Hi @lpfaff1
You're probably right but it doesn't say much about the appropriate fuse rating (or should that be inappropriate) of the power supply for the blower motor does it? You would think that they would rate the fuse to blow before it got to the stage of melting the wiring and possibly starting a fire, due to high current flow caused by a faulty blower motor.
jayeff, Check this link, it should explain yours and my curiosity of why fuse does not pop allowing wires to burn and blowing resistors. Thanks for the interest, I wondered why also.
Hi @lpfaff1
Thanks for the link. Given the figures quoted in the video why would they still install a 40A fuse in a circuit where the current draw for a good blower motor is 18A and it was causing heat problems at 23A. They are turning the wiring into fuse wires. The wires will burn out before the fuse will. It will only operate on a full s/c. I am amazed that they allow such a large tolerance.
Hi jayeff, Definite design flaw. The 40A fuse is to be the circuit fuse, Items in this circuit should be fused separately and should not add up to more then 40A circuit fuse. Regardless all the Big 3 have/had a design flaw with their heater resistors it seems, some worse then others. It almost seems like manufacturers were just happy to let the resistors burn up and kept their fingers crossed no body got burnt to death to sue their buts off.
Does anyone know the current draw specs for these motors? My motor works but keeps melting the connector to the fuse. I would like to test it to see if it is out of spec before I replace it.
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When your Dakota or Durango left the factory, it had a Mopar motor and voltage resister that were compatible with each other. After 10-15 years the motor wears out , begins to draws more amps burns up the resister. Most people replace the wiring harness and the resister with. cheap replacement from Autozone / Advanced etc. Then a couple days later it’s melted again. Then they buy a aftermarket blower motor and again it keeps burning up.
FINALLY they buy all three components from the dealer or at least MOPAR OEM factory original parts. And then it works, but only for a year and then it burns up again and you say what the F#*@!!!
Even if you use 100% OEM parts it still fails:
The reason is………….For your 2001 to 2011 vehicle MOPAR didn’t make your replacement part. Oh sure it will say MOPAR on the box and say factory original OEM part, BUT IT’S NOT!!!!! It’s made buy a number of after market companys, mostly NAPA. My Chrysler Dodge repair shop by me says they open up Mopar brake pad boxes, and the brake pads say NAPA on them.
Just the way it is today. Noboys makes their own parts anymore, mostly China crap. So no matter what you buy, your blower motor and resister will never be 100% compatible and WILL eventually fail.
Go to a salvage yard, find a low mileage Durango or Dakota and pull the motor and resister and then you will be good to go.
OR:
Only use high speed fan setting for heat and AC. Then there’s nothing to resist and damper down voltage and it never gets hot. You can even use cheap eBay parts etc.
Sorry, not the perfect fix but it is the truth, I’ve spent 2 years figuring this out
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Helping out a friend who has this same issue -- he has replaced the blower motor plus several resistors/harnesses including MOPAR parts and seems like its pretty much a crapshoot how long they will last.
I'm wondering if it is good/feasible solution to just bypass the resistor/harness and run power directly from the fan switch to the motor, through a fuse -- like this: https://ibb.co/iBC7qV
I realize this will limit the fan to only one speed, full blast, but its worth it to him to not have to keep screwing around with this. Does anyone see any issues/downsides to this workaround?
Wow. Am i glad i ran into this online.
So leaving my setting for heat or ac on MAX AIR "only" does bypass filter resistor & saves me from having to buy a really expensive $86 fuse--- which is all the filter resistor is. Ive done that 3 times now & when i was directed to motor it was definitely a scrap yard replacement part. I put in new motor new filter
Res. And just like all the other times, my heater stopped blowing after i turned off the car. Turning back on results no heat. 4 filter resistors later all i need to do is keep the heat at max on my "climate control automatic system" and it will stop blowing expensive fuses the part dealer calls it a filter Resistor. Yeah right. It resists nothing! Ive replaced right actuator too but it probably wasnt bad. And motor was a cheap fix for the used car dealer, Expensive For me!
Also... read the reply from Frank Sinatra about ground cables causing these things to fail. As an electronics technician i should have considered this first but did not. I have seen people spend $1,000 when a bad ground or corrosion on a cable connection or a few strands if wire broken on a connection was all it took to cause the failure. 3 months later the new part cant handle all the extra heat it gets from a bad connection & it fails too. Allways make sure your ground is connected to a clean uncorrosive surface at 2
Points not just one point. Especially on older cars cables are not built to withstand 20 years of weather or their connectors. The parts usually are! Always check the connection, clean it sand it even inside the connector connections. Ive seen 20 year old relays magically come back to life. Mechanics are too quick to call it $@$* & throw away because they arent paying for it.
My filter resistor problem was caused by a failed display module.
I bought a brand new replacement from autozone & it blew out my ignition. I had car towed to dealer & they told me never to buy crap made in china. Where else can i since GM no longer makes that part. They said Ebay, buy an original gm part not one stamped china. So i did just that & installed just as i did before & it all works wonderfully.
4 filter resistors, blower motor, right side actuator, and 2 displays only to find out it was all that crap from china causing my problems. My gm original part is stamped Mexico. It works.
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Even if you use 100% OEM parts it still fails:
The reason is………….For your 2001 to 2011 vehicle MOPAR didn’t make your replacement part. Oh sure it will say MOPAR on the box and say factory original OEM part, BUT IT’S NOT!!!!! It’s made buy a number of after market companys, mostly NAPA. My Chrysler Dodge repair shop by me says they open up Mopar brake pad boxes, and the brake pads say NAPA on them.
Just the way it is today. Noboys makes their own parts anymore, mostly China crap. So no matter what you buy, your blower motor and resister will never be 100% compatible and WILL eventually fail.
Go to a salvage yard, find a low mileage Durango or Dakota and pull the motor and resister and then you will be good to go.
OR:
Only use high speed fan setting for heat and AC. Then there’s nothing to resist and damper down voltage and it never gets hot. You can even use cheap eBay parts etc.
Sorry, not the perfect fix but it is the truth, I’ve spent 2 years figuring this out
Helping out a friend who has this same issue -- he has replaced the blower motor plus several resistors/harnesses (including using MOPAR parts) and seems like its pretty much a crapshoot how long they will last.
I'm wondering if it is good/feasible solution to just bypass the resistor/harness and run power directly from the fan switch to the motor, through a fuse (see diagram below)
I realize this will limit the fan to only one speed, full blast, but its worth it to him to not have to keep screwing around with this. Does anyone see any issues/downsides to this workaround?
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Ok , think I figured it out . I got this truck from a previous owner if not more . It seems the blower it's from a junk yard . When I replaced the resistor connector and wires (melted) I took the blower off the truck . It seemed that it was a little hard to spin on it's own . Huuuuum ! I put lots of WD-40 aot both ends and that makes spin much easier . I did soldier each wire from the resistor plug . After a little while of A/C running , I check the wires and not hot . Still dealing with condensation discharge , as it keeps into the cabin , under the carpet .
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Mine quit and moving the connector caused it to make better contact and it would work for a while. Think I need to solder each wire. Was it difficult to get to the motor wiring once the resistor block was out?
Only mine to 05 Monte Carlo with a 3.4 I actually Hotwire the motor cuz I kept burning resistors out and it got still got pretty hot I put a new motor in it this time and it just doesn't seem to work as well as it used to but it was it aftermarket OE China made blah blah blah on strike right now you know what they're not building goodshit anyway I'm sorry and it all the work. Chevy it don't matter you know but I wish I understood the pain solution so I can figure that out cuz I am burning up in on the resistors which means it's getting too hot hi guys you did you doing a great job thanks a lot for a guy that you're working on 40 cars for 40 years
Yes , I had the same issue with the connector many times , it was getting hot and melting it self .
And yes , it was a little uncomfortable to solder the wires , but not impossible .
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Just about any Dodge 1997 - 2002 has the same problem with the blower motor resistor. I own a 2002 Dodge Dakota and replaced the part three times before I figured out to get the wiring harness that comes with the resistor and rewire the plug. It is located under the glove box, it takes about 15 minutes to fix and costs about 20 bucks. The one thing that caused mine to go bad was leaving the fan on when I shut the truck off, next time I started it, it blew the resistor.
Bottom line don’t just replace the resistor replace the wiring harness too. If you look into the female end of the plug you will see black in one of the holes where it blew out. Hope this helps someone with their problem . I was about fit to be tied before I figured it out!! It is a part that should have been recalled by Dodge the first year it came out. Thousands of people have the same problem with their dodge.
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Thank you for input totally appreciated it
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How did i end up with a dodge answer when i have a trailblazer? Whatever the fix is same.
Rule #1) never have the blower motor on high & Never for extended periods of time. The parts, no matter where you buy them, are all made from the Peoples Blower Motor & Wewista Factory, located in China. Chevy has discontinued that brand for obvious reasons. Chevy has also redesigned wiring for the resistor in which a diagram is provided in a kit with a new cable assembly which you have to re-assemble yourself. Problem is the new wires are all colored the old wires are all purple. The diagram doesn't point out which colored wire will go to which purple wire you removed from the PCB (printed circuit board) YES a soldering iron, flux, ability to solder without Burning the $@$* out of the PCB components is required. Luckily there is a 800 number I believe to call for technical support. I never used it. The good news is you probably dont have to replace your resistor. Its the blower motor. They are cheap made in China & blow up every year because “where ya gonna go? What ya gonna do?” China makes the only replacement parts at the Peoples Blower Factory. American companies buy the same part and slap an American brand name on it. The dealer recommends you buy a used part off eBay, they will have a photo & just make sure the part u buy isnt from China or “PRC” -which theu are using now to make you think its not made in China prc=”peoples republic of China” . Time to replace is 15 minutes dont be shocked if job of replacing the resistor board takes you a day and a half. My advice replace the motor. The resistor i bet is fine. The motor replaces very easily. However considering this is my second time replacing it in one year, and God knows how many times it has been replaced in the last 15 years, the screw threads to hold it are damaged. Prepare for that possibility because it must be bolted if it isn't bolted with the three screws it will wobble and that will break it even faster not to mention a bad noise. Enjoy
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Blower motor resistor corroding and burning up is commonly due to MOISTURE in the airbox and wet heat cycles being that the vent system does not have a proper filter to atmosphere. Parking under trees dont help! These resistors burn out frequently if your alternator and battery sytem is overcharging aswell. When your blower motor resistor is melted you will probably have a wierd cold start aswell. Most of the time there will be a slow power draw coming from one of the last two pins, sapping your battery night after night and causing issues on coldstart like rpm hunting. Check yaself before ya wreck yaself and never spray bleach into the box either. This is going to make everything inside the box electrical components rust and corrode. Commonly causing your blower motor resistor to melt. Woo jesus chrystler
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7 commentaires
I had this problem reoccurring! I had to keep replacing the blower motor resister. I finally replaced the blower motor and was fine for about a year. Before I could tell when it blew, because it would only work on high. This time, it all went out without warning and wouldn't even work in high!! Checked other things first (since the blower motor was fairly new (fuses, relays, etc.), all seemed ok. Replaced the resister ONCE AGAIN, and it works!! Getting tired of replacing it!! Good thing it isn't very expensive!
par Susie Whitacre
When your Dakota or Durango left the factory, it had a Mopar motor and voltage resister that were compatible with each other. After 10-15 years the motor wears out , begins to draws more amps burns up the resister. Most people replace the wiring harness and the resister with. cheap replacement from Autozone / Advanced etc. Then a couple days later it’s melted again. Then they buy a aftermarket blower motor and again it keeps burning up.
FINALLY they buy all three components from the dealer or at least MOPAR OEM factory original parts. And then it works, but only for a year and then it burns up again and you say what the F#*@!!!
Even if you use 100% OEM parts it still fails:
par tasha1197
The reason is………….For your 2001 to 2011 vehicle MOPAR didn’t make your replacement part. Oh sure it will say MOPAR on the box and say factory original OEM part, BUT IT’S NOT!!!!! It’s made buy a number of after market companys, mostly NAPA. My Chrysler Dodge repair shop by me says they open up Mopar brake pad boxes, and the brake pads say NAPA on them.
Just the way it is today. Noboys makes their own parts anymore, mostly China crap. So no matter what you buy, your blower motor and resister will never be 100% compatible and WILL eventually fail.
Go to a salvage yard, find a low mileage Durango or Dakota and pull the motor and resister and then you will be good to go.
OR:
Only use high speed fan setting for heat and AC. Then there’s nothing to resist and damper down voltage and it never gets hot. You can even use cheap eBay parts etc.
Sorry, not the perfect fix but it is the truth, I’ve spent 2 years figuring this out
par tasha1197
Replaced blower motor, resistors, and plugs multiple times. Noticed moisture on blower cage. Next time water poured from the motor housing (worked 1 mo ). Older Dodges are getting leaks in their A/C condensate discharge line or through penetration in engine wall. My hose was cracked. Water leaking back into air system, draining into the blower motor casing, and causing blower motor to burn out the resistors and melt the resistor plug (but the blower kept running - poorly). It starts out slow and you figure there is something wrong with resistor, resistor connector (which melted) or the blower motor's old, or they-don't-make-these-blower-motors-like-they-used to. Replace everything or soldered wires to resistor to no avail. It happens again. Like I said, there are multiple videos and forums discussing this A/C condensate leak back into the vehicle and how to repair that. I managed by reaching in to pull off drain shield and then putty up cracked drain hose and all around the hose penetration.
par Edward Wong
For everyone who keeps having the blower motor wiring problem the most common cause is a deteriorated ground cables. I would recommend to replace and also add in extra ground cables from the battery to the engine and another from the battery to the body/chassis and that should solve the problem. Another common cause I've seen is when people replace the ground cable assembly with a single ground cable to the engine only and not another to the body so the blower motor wiring gets hot and starts melting. I've solved this problem in several dodge durangos and rams by replacing and/or adding grounds and replacing the blower motor, resistor and wiring harness with connector, all trucks were repaired with aftermarket parts and they all work fine to this day.
par Frank Sinatra
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