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How to: Prevent Fire (clean blower resistors)


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every car is subjest to this problem i noticed this problem with my golf when i had smoke coming out throught the dash. had to getto rig the set up since i had to cut out the resistor after it melted into the plastic. so this was the first thig i do when i buy a car other then replace the t-belt. good to see a write up on this, since every one should be aware of the risk :aok:

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  • 7 months later...
  • 10 months later...

thanks for the post! it really was that easy. I will add a few pix.

1) the plastic hinges holding the lower part of the glove box

2) the metal piece, 4 10mm bolts and 2 screws to remove

3) suck out the debris

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Edited by jgt
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Probably!

Like several of us have mentioned, this is definitely NOT something unique to pathies. Pretty much all vehicles have ventilation systems, and the vast majority use resistor packs to provide multiple speeds.

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  • 2 months later...

Another bump to the top from this newbie.

 

Glad I read this, as today I took my heater apart and found not only a blocked heater core (leaves and pine needles), but the remnants of an old mouse nest. The nest had centrifuged within the fan basket, and made a heck of a lot of vibration and noise, especially in fan position 3 or 4. Now, no fire threat, no noise, no vibration, and a heck of a lot more heat! :aok:

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  • 4 weeks later...

What's funny is that I asked the service guy a number of years ago about hearing something like a leaf stem hitting the fan blades.

He said that he'd get the mechanic to take a look at it...I got back an estimate for $50 (or something insane like that) to replace the blower! Needless to say I didn't believe him and dealt with the noise.

 

So seeing this easy to do how-to, I did...man, I think I had leaves in there since '94!! :tongue:

 

Thanks for the write up! Simplest fix ever!

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  • 3 months later...

I've told my wife not to use the AC because it smells like a forest fire when you turn on the fan. Taking it apart and cleaning it is on my "to do" list. Of course, that list is long and there are more important things at the top. When is someone going to invent a machine that adds an extra 7 or 8 hours in a day?

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I've told my wife not to use the AC because it smells like a forest fire when you turn on the fan. Taking it apart and cleaning it is on my "to do" list. Of course, that list is long and there are more important things at the top. When is someone going to invent a machine that adds an extra 7 or 8 hours in a day?

someone did, its called energy drinks....helps you not sleep!

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.....

If you have never checked, or if it's been a while, this is important preventive maintenance. And it's a big safety issue! :togo:

Done. Thanks to mws and jgt for the narrative and photos.

 

Wasn't too bad. Just a few handfuls of flammable dirt. :crossedwires:

 

The micro brushes on the miele vacuum cleaner came in very handy. :)

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I pulled mine open the other evening... finally. Had been getting that burning smell so I was a bit concerned at what I would find. Pulled the resistor pack out and took a look inside. A few small bits of leaf and other assorted matter but nothing of any quantity. Then I looked at the resistors. Inside the 'cage' was a single maple tree seed that was charred black. I shook it out and put everything back together. The wife is happy that she can use the AC now when she takes the pathy. It's almost 90 and very humid today.

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  • 8 months later...

FYI- I went to Tap Plastics and bought a small black square of 1/16 thick ABS ($.99) and some glue. I have cut it into small strips that fit under the exterior vent covers (on the outside of the vehicle at the base of the windshield -91 WD21). I have glued them perpendicular to the existing parallel slits on the vent cover to create a checker pattern. I think it is helping a lot; leaves that previously would work their way through are not able to traverse the screen-like opening. I'll post a photo when the camera resurfaces (I have 4 kids- things tend to go on vacation alot).

Edited by Derrik
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  • 1 month later...

Could this be why my whole dash vibrates and makes a lot of noise when turned up to 3 or 4?

You have leaves in the blower motor squirrel cage. It sits upright like a bowl to catch everything that comes in. Pull your resistor and clean it and the box then drop the blower motor to the right of the resistor and clean it out. This happens to alot of vehicles.

James

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You have leaves in the blower motor squirrel cage. It sits upright like a bowl to catch everything that comes in. Pull your resistor and clean it and the box then drop the blower motor to the right of the resistor and clean it out. This happens to alot of vehicles.

James

Sweet, I will do this when I get it back from the shop, hopefully I'll have it back this weekend...

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  • 1 month later...

Great information here. Both of my pathies' evaporator boxes were packed with leaves and stems and crap. The fan cages also had a fair amount of debris inside. I'd always hear it rattling around inside the old one, and in the car, too. Cleaned out several good handfuls; it's easier after dropping the blower to fit a few fingers inside. Never thought about the resistors being right there, but never had the smell either, fortunately.

 

New addition to the new vehicle checklist for sure.

 

Also plan to find some screen -preferrably stainless mesh- to go underneath the stock cowl grilles as we have an abundance of cottonwoods here. That should keep majority of crap out.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 month later...

I thought I would copy/paste this here from my truck thread so that it will maybe help others from having the same problem.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Well an interesting day to say the least.

 

Truck caught fire this morning. Was great fun to see white smoke coming out of the cab and the smell of burning plastic in the air :angry:

 

Had started it up and let the heater run as it was below freezing, and I wanted it to defrost before bringing it into the shop to work on it.

 

Guess you can say it is a pretty hot truck now.

 

After starting the truck, I went inside the shop to do other things while I waited for it to warm up. Well 15mins later I decided to go outside and bring the truck in. When I got outside I saw that the truck windows seemed to still be white and covered in frost. At first I thought I somehow had put the air controls on cold instead of hot. But when I got closer I could see that the windows had defrosted and that little wisps of smoke were coming from the doors.

 

Ran over, opened the door and the white smoke poured out of the cab. I turned off the truck and opened both doors so that I could see what was making the smoke. Inside of the truck was covered in ash, but there was a ton of it in front of the passengers seat. Once the smoke cleared, I looked closer and found there was now a hole melted through the blower box. I pulled the glove compartment door off to get a better look.

 

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Looked inside and using my finger I pulled out some smoldering embers. Behind it I found the problem.

 

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Brought the truck inside and started by cleaning the ash from the cab. The truck absolutely reeks of melted plastic inside. Then I went and unscrewed the temp resistor from the front of the box and found that there was a @!*% load of leaves and pine needles inside.

 

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Pulled the box open. Which is a pain in the ass, as there are little metal clips holding it together and some are located on the back of the box by the firewall. How in the hell are you suppose to get those clips when they are against the firewall?

 

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Lot of crap inside.

Edited by Northernpathy
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Evaporator core was full of it, and it took a lot of vacuuming from the shop vac to get it cleared out.

 

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Pulled out the blower while I was at it. Didn't have much in it, but was still worth pulling it out so that it was clean.

 

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Now with all that clean, and the melted plastic fumes making me dizzy, I now had to look at fixing the blower box.

 

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Fire had made a nice hole in it.

 

After cutting off the melted plastic on the outside, I got a piece of aluminum and cut it to size. I then used high temperature sealant and some self-tapping screws to hold it in place.

 

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Ready for re-install.

 

Have left the truck sitting with the windows open for a few days to try and air it out. Still stinks, but not as bad. I have to bring some febreeze or something to shoot in the truck to try and get rid of the smell. Also have to spray it in the blower box or else I will get the smell every time I start up the truck.

 

Lesson here: CLEAN YOUR BLOWER BOX OR YOUR TRUCK WILL CATCH FIRE.

 

I was VERY LUCKY the truck didn't completely catch fire. Could have also been really bad if it had happened while I was driving on the road and the cab filled with smoke.

 

The truck had always heated up very well, and I didn't have any problems with not enough heat. So I never thought it had that much crap in there. It only takes 5 minutes to check. Just pull off the glove compartment door and undo the two screws on the sensor so that it pops out and you can see inside.

Edited by Northernpathy
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