Dead heater blower motor on 99 Astra

The heater/blower motor on my Astra had finally given up, it had been
temperamental for sometime. Is it likely to be the Blower motor resistor or
the motor itself that has gone ?

According to the Haynes manual the motor may be either a Delphi type or a
Behr type. Does anyone know which type I'm likely to have ?

And probably the worse question of all, does anyone know how much I'm likely
to have to pay ?

Regards

Microbe

 

more likely the speed controller,
though the brushes on the motor do go with debris in them.
pop it out & put a 12v across the two large spade terminals.

that will tell u.

the brushes r easy to get hold of

the speed controller is better replaced from a scrappy one
new (if u can get them separately) will cost more than a complete scrappy
mike

 

It all depends on what the symptoms have been.

If you tell us this we will tray and help you.

With regards to price I would ask a Vauxhall dealer although it would be a
good idea to do some diagnosis first.

--

Alan


New & used Vauxhall cars & vans, servicing, repairs & parts
www.steeles.co.uk

Vauxhall CD players & handbooks
http://www.stores.ebay.co.uk/vauxhallradiosales

 

Many thanks Mike I will try that.
Replacing the motor seems easy enough, but your right, I don't want to end
up replacing a motor that is still working.

Priced up the parts today, Motor £78 + VAT, Resistor £22 + VAT.

I will ask at my local scrappy for the Speed Controller.

Regards

Microbe

 

Thanks Alan

The problem started when the fan would only run for a short time (10 mins)
before stopping and refusing to start again, whichever speed setting it was
on.

More recently, (particularly if the weather was cold < 5C) the fan wouldn't
run at all, unless the engine was running for about 5 minutes before turning
the fan on. Then the fan would run for about 10 minutes before stopping. If
during the 10 minutes the fan was switched off, it would refuse to start
again, even if the ignition was switch off and then on again.

Now the fan refuses to work at all.

Could it be the Speed Controller, as suggested by Mike, and can these be
purchased individually if required.
I have asked a local dealer £78 + VAT for the motor, £22 for the resistor.

I should add that the car has air conditioning which I have also had
problems with. I took it to a local dealer, but have now had the AC
recharged 3 times in 12 months (the last time it only lasted 2 weeks before
failing again), but they say that they can't find a leak. I don't know if
this is related to the fan problem.
I'd like to get the AC working again, but I have little faith in my local
dealer, as the last time the car was in worse shape when it came out than
when it went in. They had broken the heater control selector, so that it is
now locked in the "windscreen" position. Does anyone know of a good Vauxhall
dealer in the Birmingham area, or even an independant Air Conditioning
engineer ?

Regards

Microbe

 

having read your email here.
i'd plumb for the brushes or the commutator myself
easy to do yourself.

as for the A/C TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER & complain
sadly not all dealers r good in vauxhall circles

i have had problems with one of them & thanks to Alan.
i went back with my motor & after them trying twice to fix it properly
they sent it to another dealer, & it was fixed (not your type of problem
though)

mike

 

Mike

Looks like you could be right about the motor. I connected 12V to it while
it was still in place and nothing happened. I then took it out, tried 12V
again and it worked.
Connected it back to the car wiring and switched it on and initially
nothing. Then I tapped it and it started working, so it looks like an
intermittent fault and so could be the brushes.

On a seperate issue the Recirculation flap servo motor doesn't move when
switched on/off and the indicator light doesn't come on either. I'm not sure
if this is a servo or switch problem. Would I be right in assuming that
provided the ignition is on, it's a direct off/on switch and that it's not
dependent upon the A/C or a timing or other mechanism ?

Wish that Alan was nearer. Sussex is quite a long way from Birmingham.

Thanks for the advice

Microbe

 

I would go for the motor too. It shouldn't be too difficult to repair
although secondhand ones may be cheap.

I cannot help you with Birmingham Vauxhall dealers but if you have given up
on your local dealer I would look in Yellow Pages for an AirCon specialist.

--

Alan


New & used Vauxhall cars & vans, servicing, repairs & parts
www.steeles.co.uk

Vauxhall CD players & handbooks
http://www.stores.ebay.co.uk/vauxhallradiosales

 

or it could be the riveted transistors on the speedcontroller (if your type
has them.)

if actually look at the feeds to the fan motor itself, not the multiway to
the speed controler, u should be able to work out where the 12v feed is for
going direct to the motor, not via the speed controller (if yours is one
with the s/c as part of the fan body)

l cannot answer this with confidence, but i think it will be direct on/off.
there is a delayed flat on the hot/cold & front /side outlets.

my thinking is that maybe with a 'jam-in' which is what the the garage
appears to of done, but without alining it properly, they could have pulled
some wires??


as i said TAKE IT BACK!! they did...they should fix it.

mike

 

I'll get my voltmeter out at the weekend and compare the wiring with that in
Haynes, although I've already noticed some differences.
There are several feeds from the s/c that lead to the Resistor block. From
there the 12V and return leads go to the motor. I will need to take the
front panel off the s/c panel to sort out the "jam" so I can look for any
transistors at the same time.

Once I have the fan sorted I will take it back for them to fix the A/C.

Many thanks for your advice

Microbe

 

ok OM.
what happens with the riveted tranny is that it is normally thru tranny body
then heatsink then into plastic.

as the heat (under a fault condition) builds up, the plastic melts a bit
the rivet becomes loose & the tranny no longer gets connection to the
pcb/heatsink.
a good test is to see if you can 'wiggle' them by holding their case.

if u can it's odds on a bad joint.
sadly, as with alot of modern day tronics in cars it's a push fit & not
soldered.
a self tapper in place of the rivet or a nut & bolt does the trick.
don't try to solder as it is invariably nickel plated so won't.
u just melt more plastic.

as for the resistor variety, it is pretty obvious if one has gone
esp as u have a meter!!

mike

 

I replaced the motor in the end and it's now working fine.

Many thanks Mike for your help and advice

Regards

Microbe