98 Heater blower smoked - Allpar Forums for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth, and more

98 Heater blower smoked New motor, DOA

#1 Guest_screamintrashcan_*

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Posted 15 January 2008 - 09:51 PM

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98 1500 Sport, Enroute to work, cab filled with smoke, thick acrid electrical smoke. smoke came from ducting, turned blower off, opened windows, checked motor, super hot. installed new motor, no action from motor, checked 10A fuse, looked ok, swapped anyhow, no help... pulled instrument panel cover, unscrewed HVAC control panel, all LOOKS good, Any experience out there with this problem, short of running blower with toggle switch?? thanks in advance!! I haven't yet attempted to power up the new chinese motor up direct, I guess the new motor being worthless is a possibility!!

#2 zrxkawboy

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Posted 16 January 2008 - 07:37 AM

The new motor could be bad, or more likely, the switch or resistor is smoked.

#3 86ahb

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Posted 19 January 2008 - 08:07 PM

In place of the motor, connect a voltmeter and put the fan motor switch through all its settings. I bet something else opened up after the motor had been that hot. If you can make some jumper leads, have a helper hold the motor for you and connect it across the battery. Hold it tightly as those motors can be torquey Anything else more than this, a manual and voltmeter will be handy.

#4 radar

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Posted 21 January 2008 - 06:24 PM

Thats not good but kinda funny in the same way my 1990 dakota did that..filled the cab with smoke, my problem was my cd player..started a short, burned all my wires, it was consider a right off but me and a friend of the family rewire the whole truck from a wiring harness at the wreckers, i suggest check wires..if only recently been played with.

#5 Guest_screamintrashcan_*

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Posted 25 January 2008 - 08:23 PM

Well, update on this heat problem, funny how they always fail when it's really cold out. The new motor works, only when alternate power is made available to it, took an old spotlight power cord cigar lighter plug in and adapted it to the two wide blade terminal ends inside the standard motor plug. (they are wider than standard blade connectors) I now have high speed blower courtesy of my lighter socket. More troubleshooting to take place if it ever warms up outdoors again... One nice thing about this HVAC system, it may fail when you really need it, but it sure is easy to replace the motor, 3 nuts and an easy access plug in.. Kudos to who designed this motor installation, too bad they didn't make it chipmunk proof, failure seems to be due to stored acorns and sunflower seeds, had to vaccum the heater core, musta been a quart of them in there.

#6 gtrdave

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Posted 26 January 2008 - 07:53 AM

Be careful that your temporary wiring is of a durable enough gauge to handle the current draw of your new motor...lest you'll be facing another smoke-filled cabin in the future and hopefully nothing more.

#7 azjohn

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Posted 20 February 2008 - 10:51 PM

Check your fuses again.Blower motor is 30amp. Power is supplied to the motor at key on. Blower switch supplies ground through resistor.

#8 Guest_screamintrashcan_*

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Posted 29 February 2008 - 09:05 PM

Well, updating this little problem of mine, I have r&r'd the switch panel with a known good one, no help, and installed a new resistor, found upon pulling the old resistor out, that it was in pretty tough shape, several cracks, and the solder joint which appears to be a thermal disconnect (permanent type) was melted. great, I said to myself upon seeing that. found the problem... Wrong... still nothing... There is a 10 amp fuse in the block on the left end of the instrument panel, # 7 I believe, there has to be heavier circuit protection somewhere on this circuit, anyone know whether or not Dodge still loves their little fusible links beneath the hood? I suspect there must be one somewhere, Would have been nice if they used those gargantuan fuses that GM has become so fond of on the heavy circuits, a circuit breaker that is resettable would really be too much to ask for, I guess. Under the hood I go, tomorrow, supposed to reach 30 deg. Perhaps there lies the answer...

#9 Guest_screamintrashcan_*

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Posted 02 March 2008 - 01:23 PM

If you were a registered user, you would not be seeing this!

Learned something today, that being, that thank goodness Chrysler corp. has done away with fusible links, aparently, in favor of what are known as maxi fuses, a bit pricey, but nicer than their old way of doing things, just to the rear of the battery beneath the hood, there is a 6"x12" black box containing all the big circuitry control and protection on the vehicle, the blower motor, a 40 amp maxi fuse, is swappable with the trailer towing maxi- fuse, nice to have a spare at the ready. Auto Value gets 4$ for the fuse after taxes. All is well now with the blower in this vehicle. So, should anyone out there have the problem which I did, that being critters making a pantry out of their blower cage, and it seizing, you may want to change the motor, 2 minute job, the resistor, held on by 2 more #2 crosspoint screws, just to the left of the blower motor screws, is another 2 minute job, will require a stubby screwdriver, though, and the maxi fuse, just aft of the battery beneath the black cover. I R2'd the switch assembly, as well, money wasted, at least in my case. only remaining problem is the lingering burnt wiring odor, which is still mildly apparent in the vehicle...

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