Blower Motor Resistor DIY w/pics

[nsxmatt]

Got tired of having no heat with it getting down to 17 degrees and the Elise being my daily, had to break down today and tackle the project. Took about 5 hours, 4 of actual work. 1 hour was devoted to making fun of Milli Vanilli and other bands on the XM when it came on. Could do it again in 3 maybe..

Clam off is straight forward, nothing real difficult just take your time and have 2 people. Mine is a a/c car which means the A/C high side line, reciever dryer must be removed. Also the low side needs to be unhooked from the a/c heater unit and moved out of the way. This of course means you must EVAC the system of the R134. Heater hoses also need to be removed off the unit from one end. Brake booster line needs to be unhooked and moved to the side. Unhook all plugs from wire harness in that area. Unbolt the fuse block and move out of the way also, along with the vent hose from the box to the cabin.

Once all that is out of the way you can access the two clamps the hold the blower motor to the heater a/c unit. Break them free by prying inbetween with a big flat head screwdriver. I can't describe how to pull the unit out other than tell you to pull from the blower motor side, rotating it out and pulling it out at a 90 degree angle from how it sits. You'll see once you are there. You can then pull out the blower motor which houses the resistor. When everything is out be sure and drill holes to drain the water that gets in the tub there. That simple mod is the main key to keeping the floating water from killing the resistor.

The rest is basicly reverse but with more cuss words and bloody knuckles. Mine was a little different since the wire from the blower motor to the resistor had actually caught fire and burnt completely off from such a poor connection.

Here is some pics of the process..

Clam off and placed like a trophy for everyone to see in the front yard..



Lotus's great idea for a fish pond complete with mold and dirt. Great place to locate a hot electrical item!!



One wire caused me to have to do all this. And of course it burnt completely off so we had to rewire and solder it all.



New resistor installed with soldered connections, and silicone covering the connections to keep moisture off.



Going back together..





Yes I know I didn't use the updated kit and yes I put it right back where it was before but after looking it all over and the mods we did, I think this will be fine for a long time, or as long as I plan on keeping it a daily.

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by nsxmatt

When everything is out be sure and drill holes to drain the water that gets in the tub there. That simple mod is the main key to keeping the floating water from killing the resistor.

Good write up!

There was a Service Bulletin out there for this - The Dealer should (would) have drilled the four holes in the proper locations to create the drains under warranty. Of course you had to have it done when the car was still under warranty. For everyone else, get the Bulletin and drill the holes to try to stave off the problem from happening...

[nsxmatt]

Yes, if it's under warranty or even if it's not drill the holes for sure!! There is zero drainage in that tub and the a/c drain goes right back into the tub! Poor design!

Mine is a 05 with almost 50k miles and had been in a accident before so i'm going to do all the work on it and find ways to improve on the design.

Next up is the clutch..... grrrrrrrr.

[TheViper]

If I was doing this job I would relocate the resistor pack to an accessible location because they will fail over a period of time even if they don't corrode.
Michael

[ACE51]

what else is there to get done with the front clam removed?

[nsxmatt]

The resistor will need the airflow over the heat sink to not burn up premature, that is why I decided to not relocate it and instead modify it to be sealed and vented instead. The original lasted 50k, even if I got another 50k it's worth it to me.

There are a ton of things to do with the clam off. Since mine sits outside I cleaned the leaves and debri from the radiator and other areas. Checked the suspension, inspected the wiring and connectors, and other little things.

[Wexler]

I just got back from a ride and found that the blower was dead...nothing coming out of the vents - no difference between setting #1 and setting #3, heat is coming out of the vents (slightly) when setting on heat and car is in motion...I am assuming this is the same problem?

Other "symptoms":

AC light will not turn on - button is dead
Internal / external air circulation button is dead

Car is under cover but outside.

Not that I use the AC or the Heat, but while the car is still under warranty I want to make sure that this is something that the dealership will take care of and would not effect the performance of the car.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated!

[TheViper]

Sounds like a SPM (Switch Pack Module) issue.
Michael

Originally Posted by Wexler

I just got back from a ride and found that the blower was dead...nothing coming out of the vents - no difference between setting #1 and setting #3, heat is coming out of the vents (slightly) when setting on heat and car is in motion...I am assuming this is the same problem?

Other "symptoms":

AC light will not turn on - button is dead
Internal / external air circulation button is dead

Car is under cover but outside.

Not that I use the AC or the Heat, but while the car is still under warranty I want to make sure that this is something that the dealership will take care of and would not effect the performance of the car.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated!

[Wexler]

Originally Posted by TheViper

Sounds like a SPM (Switch Pack Module) issue.
Michael

Hey Michael!

Thank you...I tried searching on the site for "switch pack module", but it didn't come up...

Is this something typically covered under warranty, and could it effect anything else on the car?

Car ran fine yesterday, I did not notice any other issues with the electrical.

Thanks for the help!

[TheViper]

The SPM is located behind the instrument cluster and mainly controls the lighting, however another function is the two switches you mentioned. Certainly it is covered by the warranty.
Michael

Originally Posted by Wexler

Hey Michael!

Thank you...I tried searching on the site for "switch pack module", but it didn't come up...

Is this something typically covered under warranty, and could it effect anything else on the car?

Car ran fine yesterday, I did not notice any other issues with the electrical.

Thanks for the help!

[Wexler]

Originally Posted by TheViper

The SPM is located behind the instrument cluster and mainly controls the lighting, however another function is the two switches you mentioned. Certainly it is covered by the warranty.
Michael

Thanks Michael!

Matt - sorry for the hijack.

[Wexler]

Follow up...

I took the car in for the 7500 mile service...they found the problem - while trying to fit one of my hockey sticks in the car past my hockey bag I must have knocked a connection loose. Problem solved, not the switch pack module...and I felt rather silly.

[atlantaelise]

Can anyone tell me in depth how to pull the blower motor? Do I need to remove the a/c box or what.. HELP..I am stuck at the moment.

[TheViper]

The whole HVAC system in the nose has to be evacuated and pulled.
Michael

Originally Posted by atlantaelise

Can anyone tell me in depth how to pull the blower motor? Do I need to remove the a/c box or what.. HELP..I am stuck at the moment.

[atlantaelise]

Thanks Viper got that accomplished this morninig.

[normjortiz]

Hi guys I need help. This mornig I got in my 05 elise turned on my heater it didnt work at first but then came on and after a few minutes started to smell like something was burnig. Wat can it be Im out of warranty. HELP

[TheViper]

Sounds like it could be the resistor pack, does it happen in every fan speed position?
Michael

Originally Posted by normjortiz

Hi guys I need help. This mornig I got in my 05 elise turned on my heater it didnt work at first but then came on and after a few minutes started to smell like something was burnig. Wat can it be Im out of warranty. HELP

[normjortiz]

now its not even turnig on .

[TheViper]

You might want to check fuse C1 under the passenger side dash.
Michael

[British_Marques]

I replaced by mine with out evacuating the HVAC or pulling the box. It is like trying to squeeze a St. Bernard though a cat door but I got the blower motor out, relocated the resistor pack and reinstalled into the same tight hole. And just scratched but not cut on.