1993 Volvo 240 - blower fan problem - need help!

read some of old postings. the 240 starts w/ a blower on a pedestal. the car is then built around it. no e-motor lasts forever. replace it! if you are good w/ your hands, it will only take a day &

ps(i would also look @ the alt. a bad blower can be a big dra>

I would start there and with a general check of the charging system and electrical system. The symptoms you are describing suggest that the electrical system voltage is varying with engine speed- when it idles, the voltage drops and when the revs are up the voltage comes up. A slipping alternator belt, failing alternator, some other component that is failing, etc. would be worth checking for. Those things are a lot easier and a lot cheaper to fix that replacing the doggone blower motor in one of these cars.

Do the headlights get brighter and dim as the engine speed goes up and down?

It sounds to ME, as a mechanic, like the brushes in the motor are worn/sticking. Not familliar with your little Swede, but in MANY cases, where the blower motor is very difficult to REMOVE it is not hard to access - and in many cases it is POSSIBLE to remove the end-bell of the motor and access the brushes. Replacement brushes are generally available from small motor/appliance shops or auto electric rebuilders if they are not available from the manufacturer. Can be a trick to hold the brushes in position while re-installing the end bell but I've never found one that was impossible.

Clean things up real well while you are in there and the blower motor is usually good for another 10 years or so,

No change in the intensity of the headlights at higher rpm.

Thanks for the tip, but such work is above my ability. Some 8-9 years ago, I had the heater core replaced because it was leaking. So I know the necessary work to access the blower fan, and I simply do not have the space to do it. In the spring/summer, I could attempt to do it while the car is park in the driveway. It is winter where I live and outside temp is too cold to do so right now.

I honestly don't know what I'll do. When I had the heather core changed, I think it took the mechanic some 5-7(?) hours to take everything out and then put it back all together. Cost me ~ $1,500 at the dealer.

The car is 18 yeras old, I just spent $700 during the last 6 months and although everything is working except for the fuel gauge and the intermitent part of the wipers and in spite of the fact that I love the car, I am becoming reluctant at spending money on it. When I have time this coming week, I'll probably take few things out just to see how far I can go without removing the dashboard.

One more thing: I was wondering if the air coming out from the vent could be due to the speed of the car. As you know, right under the rear window of the 240, there are holes connected directy to the outside. Therefore at higher speed, air is being sucked out of the car. Just a thought.

Thanks to all for your advice. I really need it.

Nevertheless I find it strange that the blower and blower resistor (???) {I ask the independent garage I usually go to and they said they would have to change the blower as well as another part- not sure about the name - but it was associated to the blower} both died at the same time due to cold temp.

I'll remove a few pieces like the panel with all the controls in the middle (above the shifter) and see if there is anything that does not seem right.

Just a quick primer on how the heater motor/swith/resistor works on MOST cars. There are some that get more complex, using relays aetc - but this is pretty satandard.

On high the resistor is not in the circuit - so if it does not work on high and someone tries to blame the resistor, he's blowing smoke.

On low, the current to the motor goes through the entire resistor. On the medium speed(s) the power goes through PART of the resistor. On some cars the switch feeds the power to the resistor through different "taps" for each speed. On some it takes the power from the resistor from different "taps" for each speed, and on others the switch shorts out different sections of the resistor, one at a time, untill the whole resistor is bypassed for high.

Many of the systems using relays have a relay to short out the resistor for each speed.

So one thing you can be CERTAIN of - if it doesn't work on high - it is NOT the residtor's fault.

That said - if the blower motor is jammed by ice in the blower wheel, and the switch is left on low or medium - it WILL blow the resistor - leaving you with the possibility of needing to change both.

Some cars even have 2 fuses for the blower motor - one for high only, and one for the low speeds. I cannot remember right off hand WHAT car uses that system, but I HAVE seen it.

Given the situation where the motor slowed down while on high, either the resistance of the power feed went up (due to bad switc, burned wire connector, or bad connection) or something went bad in the motor

- my guess from decades of experience and the age of the car is warn/sticky motor brushes.

If it was a FORD - particularly an Aerostar or a Contour/Mystique my bet would be on a burnred connection on the blower switch - and that would likely be the first thing I would CHECK on the Volvo even though the most likely problem is the motor. The switch is the simplest to get to, the simplest to check, and the least expensive to fix (generally speaking - I haven't had to buy a VOLVO heater switch).

If getting to the switch is difficult, simply back-probe the power connector to the blower motor if it is easier to get to and check the voltage with the switch on high. If you have 11.5 volts or higher and the fan is not running at near full speed you have a motor problem. If the voltage is markedly lower, it is a switch/connector problem.

If ALL speeds are low and the voltage on high is low it is most likely a problem in the power feed to the switch. If high only, a problem from the switch to the motor.

That's what happens when the car is moving, yes. You need to be stationary to judge whether the blower motor really works.

If you had AC I think the process is just as described here (I think someone might have referred to it already):

If not the job is a little bit different. You'll need to remove the heater core, too, to replace the motor. The two are placed into the heater / blower box which I think is easier just to remove. That said, I haven't even tried it without removing the box.

Besides regular tools, a pair of special pliers to squeeze heater hoses shut are handy so you can skip draining the coolant --- you'll just get half a litre or so from the heater core inside the car. If the heater core has been accessed recently the hoses aren't vulcanised tightly to the heater core so they're easier to remove.

I've done that twice on cars without AC, and not being a mechanic, it took one and half full days the first time and one on second time for me. I didn't remove the dashboard but the driver's seat removal is mandatory.

Not perhaps something to do out of pure fun but perhaps saving some >1000 $ might be another motivator. :-) Here in Finland a heater fan costs just some 70 euros and likely it's around the same in USD.

So better to reserve a week-end for that or so. :-) And definitely, spring / summer is much better time to do it if you can live with it not working during the winter.

Cheers,

Definitely, that's what happened. Fascinating that there is so much air being pulled out of the cabin by the simple motion of the car.

Thanks for the priceless advice you have given me. The suggestion to remove the driver seat is priceless!!! Such a simple thing and I would have probably never thought of it. Some 10 years ago I removed all the interior seats in order to wash them with a pressure washer. Really nto a big deal, but one needs to think about doing it.

I'll see if I can find the time to have a look in there this week.

Thanks again.

Thanks for making my education :) I'll print everything you wrote and add it to my Haynes manual.

I'll keep you posted as soon as I can find the time to go play in there.

Again thanks a bunch :)

Don't forget to check the fuse panel early in your diagnosis, they can be problematic on 240's. Your problem could lie there.

Check that the fuse holding blades for the blower fuse apply good pressure to the fuse ends and check that those blades are not too tarnished, polish if they are. Check that the relevant fuse is not damaged from heat and is not mishapen. This can happen with non OEM plastic fuses and they can become high resistance in their contact with the fuse holders. Ceramic fuses are much better and I recently bought some from a US ebayer and replaced all of mine.

You will be able to find and get a lot of help here on the 200 series forum

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