TheSamba.com :: View topic

Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:04 pm

The front heater blower does not run when I switch it on (86 weekender wolfsburg edition). What can I test to determine whether I need to take the dash out and replace the motor.

Thanks for any help.

c

Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:19 pm

Not sure if this is the best test, but when mine went, I knew it because I replaced the fuse and every time I turned the blower motor on, the fuse would blow.

Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:35 pm

same boat with my 85 weekender. I have good fuses but don't know if it's the switch or the motor.

Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:58 pm

The rear heater fan switch is the same part. Switch them around, and you'll know if the switch is good or not.

That is, unless your rear heater switch/fan is broken too.....

Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:42 pm

McVanagon wrote: The rear heater fan switch is the same part. Switch them around, and you'll know if the switch is good or not.

That is, unless your rear heater switch/fan is broken too.....

What he said. If your rear heater fan switch is working take that out, put it in the front motor switch slot and if that works order a new one for the rear heater. Simple, easy and cheap, that is id it is in fact the switch.

Wed Jul 02, 2008 7:50 pm

I know what I'm doing after wrok...thanks

Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:53 am

If the switch is bad, it's because the blower is shot. They are all shot. Last fall, I bought a late vanagon with 37k original miles. the blower quit in a thousand miles. They just need lube. Unfortunately it's a 6-8 hour job on a good day. If it hasn't been taken apart and both bearings lubed, it needs to be.
Al

Thu Jul 03, 2008 7:27 am

69doublecab wrote: the blower quit in a thousand miles. They just need lube. Unfortunately it's a 6-8 hour job on a good day. If it hasn't been taken apart and both bearings lubed, it needs to be.

The "lube or replace" debate has been started. Allow me to be the first to share the other side of the coin.

Motors are $100, and it is worth it to me to replace it in order to increase dash removal intervals.

I have heard of successfully lubing bearings, but it is too much of a temporary fix for me. Something I would do to an oscillating floor fan (to stretch my oscillating floor fan dollar) not something that's a PITA to access......

Thu Jul 03, 2008 8:25 am

The debate has begun! I'm pretty much with McVanagon on this one, although I respect Al's experience and expertise with VW vans and such. The way I see it, if we had been getting in there and lubing the fan every few years I would probably trust it with just a lube, but it's such a PITA to remove the dash and dismantle the heater box that I would rather just put a new blower in.

I bought a blower for the '88 last December from the local NAPA. My memory is not the best, but I think I paid about $50. The previous blower I bought for my '85 was about $80 or so from an online vendor. I wasn't that impressed with the quality "appearance" of the $80 unit, but the $50 part looks as good as the originals That I've pulled out so hopefully that says something about the electrics, bearings, and balance of that blower. In either case, for the amount of work it takes to get to the thing I would rather know I've got a new blower in the front heater and reserve the lube jobs for the rear heater.

I think Al's got a good point, though, that a burned up heater blower switch is a likely indication that the blower is drawing too much current, just as a blown fuse is.

Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:43 pm

Yeah last one I took out and lubed failed after only 11 years. Let's see.... built 1982, took apart and lubed the fan and put in a new core in 1996, but the car was off the roads for a couple of years before I bought it, So, I guess you could say the original new motor lasted 12 years, yup, 11 is not as good as 12.
I have a new one in a box, but I'd drill a hole in the fan hub and lube it with fresh lube before I put it in anything.
But I'm a crusty old tightwad, sometime it is bound to bite me.
But definitely flush out the heater core while it is apart. Last time I did it I used a dilute mix of Actibrite. I tried to catch some of the crud that came out of the core, but it was a lot of crusty stuff. And I renewed the foam gaskets on the heater doors. I found some thin weather strip stuff.
Al

Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:10 am

Maybe I could figure it out if from Bentley but anybody know where I should start looking for trouble when my 3 speed dash heater fan works on low and medium but not on high?

Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:12 pm

jimbelmont wrote: Maybe I could figure it out if from Bentley but anybody know where I should start looking for trouble when my 3 speed dash heater fan works on low and medium but not on high?

The lower speeds run through the resistor, and the high-speed runs directly to the fan. My guess is the switch (or the wiring to the motor from the switch).

Switch your front and rear fan switches around to check it out.