1995 855 NA manual climate control, fan blower just stopped working after I turned off the car for less than 10 minutes. Recently, Boston is very HHH (Hazy, Hot & Humid), temperature got up to 100 F. I tried all fan speeds: 1, 2, 3 and 4. None of these speed was working at all. I had to open up all the windows and drove for about 1 mile, fan blower came on again with wind coming out of the vents.

Fan power resistor was replaced a couple years back due to fan speed 1, 2 and 3 were not working at all; only speed 4 (full speed) was working back then. Now, this was something new; speed 4 not working either.

Also, I noticed the fan speed variation this morning. Speed 3 was fast/strong this morning when I first started the car before going to work. I could hear the noise of the blower. After driving for about 10 miles, Speed 3 reduced a bit (no as loud/strong as earlier). When I got to work (40 miles of driving) and shut off the car, I tried to test the fan blower by turning key to II position. No noise from fan blower for all 4 speeds settings. I even started the car, same result.

One thing about the replacement fan power resistor, after I installed it a couple years back, I always feel that the fan speed was not as strong as before (with original power resistor).

Any comments, suggestion is apprecaited.

Ching-Ho Cheng
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

I checked the connector to fan motor and it was 12.1V at all 4 speed settings. Then I took out fan motor and connected the old Volvo fan motor. Old fan motor came out right away at different speed settings with different rpm. So the "new" (about 2 years old) motor was bad. I put in the lubed old Volvo fan motor for now. The "new" motor was from Behr. I should have bought the Volvo one instead back then.

Ching-Ho Cheng
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

Typically what happens to these fans is that the brushes wear down and start loosing contact with the motor armature. I believe thats the cause of your problem. If you're handy with a soldering iron you can remove the motor and take it apart. Unsolder and loosen the brush wire connections to allow more slack in the wires.

Thanks for this new information. The motor is about 2 years old. The previous motor (Volvo) was working for about 8 or 9 years and started to squeak. I lubed the squeaking motor 2 nights ago and tested it yesterday. It ran fine and no squeaks. So I will check the connection to fan blower and voltage at the connection to make sure Power resistor is working fine at different fan speed. Then I will look at the motor.
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

I've found that a motors with worn brushes can work when you connect it directly to a 12 volt battery but won't work well when you gradually step up the speed with the switch.

I had the fan motor out and looked at the 2 bushings, both were good and very close to the armature. How do I diagnose the motor ?
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

I see. But I am surprised that motor bushes wear out in about 2 years ?
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

Right..they should go at least ten. Could be one is stuck???

Where it quit and started again, it's unlikely a fuse
where all the speeds quit, it's unlikely the resistor pack,
since one setting bypasses the resistors direct to +12

That leaves a chance for a loose or corroded ground wire at the head of my list of suspects.

Maybe the connector to the fan is loose?

Where in Boston are you? I'm on the N shore.
Leave a phone nr or email, it might be easier to use the phone.

Bill

Bill,

I still have the squeaking fan motor from last time which I could try. At least, I could find out fan motor is good or bad. Both the power resistor and fan motor were replaced less than 2 years ago.

Thanks,

Ching-Ho Cheng
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

Ho,

I looked at the blower fan wiring.

Everything involved is just behind the glovebox to the right of the radio
and to the right A post, which needs the trim removed where the passengers
right knee and lower leg are.

You could expose the ground branch point there, and look for loose or fallen off black wires. Try wiggling the wires from the heater with the two wire connector.
see if the heater fires up when you tug on those wires.

A meter can verify that you have power at the motor connector.

Post back

Bill

Bill,

Will do. Thank you for the information.

Ching-Ho Cheng
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID

Please check the fuses first and also the cabin filter if you have one.

If the resistor and everything else seems ok, I will look at the blower if original to the car.

Power resistor was replaced about 2 years ago. Fan blowers was replaced a bit later due to squeaking noise at different speeds. I dissembled the squeaking blower and tried to lube the motor bearings last night. The bearing in the fan cage side was very difficult to get to without removing the fan cage. I just kept spraying white lithium grease to the bottom of the fan cage and hoped that some grease would get to the bearing. Bearing on the other end of the motor shaft was very easy to oil. I will try this old motor to see whether is the power resistor issue or motor issue.

Fan blower motor is not turning at all at any speed setting, at all time. Yesterday, when it started to work again (driving in highway for a while), I could hear the motor spin slowly first and then gradually speed up. I could also hear some kind of noise from fan motor while spinning. It sound like something was dragging the motor....

Ching-Ho Cheng
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1995 855 NA, Bilstein Strut & Shocks, Volvo Protective Grill, K&N Filter, E-Code Lens, ClearCorner Light, Alpine CD-Changer, AutoDim RearView Mirror, 6000K HID