The blower motor in my 1.9D Felicia seems to have an odd problem - it sometimes doesn't work at all then sometimes will work at 2 speeds (1 and 3) with the engine off.  When the engine is running regardless of the setting (apart from 0) it seems to run at full speed and changing the setting doesn't alter the speed (apart from turning it off)

Any ideas?  It's got me pretty stumped. 

 

This issue was solved numerous times in this forum.There are 2 possible causes:

1) bad contact between collector and brushes of the blower motor - from worn brushes or their spring broken or dirty/worn collector.

2) the plug/socket of the resistance box on the side of the blower case is/are badly corroded.

Do I need to remove the battery to access the resistor?

It's been a while since I did mine but if I recall you can withdraw the motor partially with the battery in place - just enough to clean the commutator and brushes. Sticking brushes was the fault on mine but the symptom was cutting out or no fan until you hit a bump in the road. Yours sounds more like the resistors or wiring to me - number 2 in adurer's post - and I've never had to get at that part.

Do I need to remove the battery to access the resistor?

 

Edited 30 July, 201312 yr by adurer

adurer... The series resistor pack for the blower motor is not in the place you show above on the diesel models, it's mounted inside the heater box..

however i do agree it's going to be something simple like the brushes worn or the resistor pack gone.

adurer... The series resistor pack for the blower motor is not in the place you show above on the diesel models, it's mounted inside the heater box..

Thank you for correcting me. I admit I don't have too many photos on 1.9D, so perhaps you could fill the gap on this topic.

petrol left, diesel right. They are very similar but the diesel version has no external wiring connections, all the wires to the series resistor etc are made internally

both these heater types are only connected to the central electrics dashboard loom by a 3 pin plug which contains a switched live, interior light feed, and ground.. And the rest of the wiring for the entire unit is dealt with by a small wiring loom which is self contained inside the heater unit. so in the op's case the fault must be local to the heater unit assembly itself because he's proven the switched live and ground work by the fact the motor works albeit erratically.

Removed the resistor pack and it's very corroded so I suspect it is at fault. 

A new one is ~£50 though! Is it worth trying to clean up the existing one?

Get one from a breakers yard, it will only be a couple of quid..

As a matter of interest what process did you use to remove it? Took the upper grille off?

Removed the upper grille and battery to get at it.  The resistor pack has 3 wires connecting it and looks like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-Felicia-Heater-Resistor-Element-Core-1994-2001-/181119522748?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a2b9097bc

One from a breakers on eBay is £12.50 as above  (more wallet friendly for sure) but I'd expect any used part to be on it's way to failure just like this one was, is it really worth buying used?

Edited 31 July, 201312 yr by gmrtn14

Try removing all corrosion with a fine file, then soak everything in WD40, let it do its job for 5 minutes, remove the excess, and it's good to go.

Try removing all corrosion with a fine file, then soak everything in WD40, let it do its job for 5 minutes, remove the excess, and it's good to go.

 

Thank you!  This is along the lines I was thinking so I will have a go tonight and report back!

Edited 31 July, 201312 yr by gmrtn14

Cleaned it up, refitted everything and I now have a 3 speed fan again   

Many thanks for your help everyone.

Did you take any pictures whilst you were fixing this? You could write up a guide on here, it's quite common for the series resistor to fail.

well done for having a go and fixing it yourself though.

I have in the past managed to use a petrol fan motor in a diesel.  I think that it required some alteration to the mountings.

Did you take any pictures whilst you were fixing this? You could write up a guide on here, it's quite common for the series resistor to fail.

well done for having a go and fixing it yourself though.

 

I didn't however I'll see what I can do with regards to a guide, might just whip the battery out again to take some photos

Hi Guys, I've have two 1.9D on the road and both had exactly the same symptims as described. Problem is the contacts not seperating. I physically opened them up so that they were not making contact, about 2mm apart. Then refit and the problem should be solved. This is fairly common on the diesel models because the board that the resistors are mounted on is not strong or ridgid enough to stay flat and warps slightly with age.

James

skoda survivor

Your message doesn't make sense. First you say "Problem is the contacts not seperating (sic)", then "they were not making contact, about 2mm apart"... It's a mess. A little more clarity would be good.

Hi adurer, Just read my posting and realise that it is not totally clear. I bent the contacts so that they are seperated and not making contact under normal curcumstances. They are designed as a safty measure. When the resistors get too hot the contact closes giving the full voltage to the fan which will then run at the fastest speed which also cools down the resistor wire. The board that the resistors and contacts are mounted on is fairly thin and slightly flexible. I think that with time it deforms/bends slightly with the heat causing the contacts to close. I have attached 2 pictures of the resistor board. One photo shows the board with the contacts open & the second shows what happens when the base board is slightly bent - contacts closing. Hope this makes it a little clearer.

Heater resistor diesel.bmp

heater resistor bent.bmp

Are you saying that in parallel with each resistor and located below them there is one bimetallic contact normally open? (see photos I pulled from the Internet then annotated)

Because Skoda Felicia wiring is showing otherwise, a series bimetallic contact.

 

 

 

Edited 5 August, 201312 yr by adurer