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Blower motor resistor and relay keep burning out.

4K views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  kekaye56 
#1 ·
I have a 97 Taurus. The blower stopped working one day and found out the relay melted down. I replaced the relay and the blower ran for about 10 min before that burned out too. I replaced the resistor (had a little rust on it) and the relay again. Now it intermittently goes out for a second before coming back on and it appears that the new relay is starting to melt again. Plus, I can run the fan on all speeds but when I go to any speed other than high there is an instant burning smell so I shut it off completely. I know this is because on high the current bypasses the resistor and any other speed applies resistance to the circuit, but why is it burning the resistor and relay? I tested the blower motor for resistance and its 0.2 ohms. I dont know what is drawing too much current to be burning up the relay and resistor. Please help!!!
 
#4 ·
Yes, any extra friction in the bearings due to rust lack of lube will increase amp draw and blow fuses, circuit breakers, blower resistors, etc. You can measure blower amp draw and compare it to specs, but on high the blower amp draw can be 15+ amps which is out of the range on most DMMs.
 
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#6 ·
The fuse box in the engine compartment is burned/melted at the relay pin that supplies power to the blower motor. I put some dielectric grease in there and bent the prong on the new relay to make better contact. I also replaced the blower motor itself and all seems to be working. I can go through all speeds without the burning smell from the resistor. The old motor seemed to spin as easily as the new one so I dont know if the motor was ever the issue. I may have to replace the fuse box if I experience any more problems.
215237
 
#7 ·
Rare, but motor windings can short internally resulting in increased current draw, but the motor will still run. .
 
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