blower motor inop

[steppjohn]

Hi

Problem with 95 Lesabre Liminted climate control system.

Just noticed that the heat-a/c blower motor does not blow on either heat or ac. Some heat trickles out of the system so I am assuming that the problem is just the motor.

I checked under the hood and see what I assume to be is the motor,, Delco part no 5049767,, on the firewall just behind the engine. I disconnected its electrical plug and tested for power. The plug is powered up, (and the motor is not running)..

I would assume that I should get blower action immediately especially if the car is already warm and operating.

Any thought? Do I just get a motor or there there more to the system to consider.?

Also, I notice a rubber hose-like connection from the bottom of the motor housing to the firewall. Looks kinda like an A/c drip connection. What would that be on a motor..?

Thanks John

 

[dcraig1000]

have you tried on the high speed setting also?

 

[journeyforce]

A drip connection is exactly what it is. water can get into that space too so therefore there is a drain tube.

Remove the motor from the housing and see if it is clogged with crap like leaves. Then try to spin the motor by hand(it should spin easy), if it is hard to turn then the motor is seized or is in the process of it. If it spins freely get a pin out schematic and apply power to it and see if it spins

 

[imidazol97]

Also, I notice a rubber hose-like connection from the bottom of the motor housing to the firewall. Looks kinda like an A/c drip connection. What would that be on a motor.


That tube carries air from the ducts after the blower back to the motor housing to cool the armature.

Is it a digital dual control system? If so you likely have a failure in the blower control module which does the work of the resistors on the standard system. Or a bad connector or a bad blower motor.

If you have the standard AC system, and the fan does NOT work on HIGH, then you have either a resistor pack failed, a connector bad-corroded, or a failed blower motor.

Tapping on the blower motor housing under the hood with the key and AC ON, may cause it to start up.

If not, you're into trouble shooting. Take off two screws that hold the Relay Center above the blower housing. You can lift it up some with slack in the wires. Then you have access to the connector for the blower control module or the resistor unit, whichever your car has.

If you don't get a connection there by checking and cleaning the contacts, you can apply power from the battery through a FUSED wire and apply a ground wire to the blower motor's wire. If it runs then, the bloower motor is good (aged, worn, but good).

Blower control modules and resistors are available from your box parts stores. Do some shopping on their web sites. Check Rockauto.com and gmpartsgiant.com also.

 

[steppjohn]

Thanks for the responses concerning the heat problem,

I am checking the owners book for the name of the heat/a-c system.
It is what I think is the standard system for this year (95), and is called Dual Automatic ComfortTemp Climate Control.

This system has no sliders for High Med or Low for fan speeds, You press "higher" to rise the fan speed "display bar". So I assume this is not the older standard system, but the digital system??.

The control display for the system is directly below the radio, all electronic buttons.

imidazol97
You mentioned a Blower Control Module as a possible problem thing i might check, Is that in the engine compt on the firewall? hidden by the Relay box?
You seem to be saying that I should have to move the large Fuse/Relay plastic box out of the way some to be able to get to it?
What is it going to look like?

Also a little more heater stuff

I do have the Passenger Heat Control system, which can be used to adjust the heat at the passenger side. This does not and has not worked since I have had the car. The unit tends to glow Red and/or Blue when touched, but not seem to adjust the heat in any way..
But I have acquired a used passenger door control unit which I intend to install at some time when I have the need to take the door panel off.

Low priority, but is changing the door unit likely to be a fix for the faliure of the passenger system.?


Thanks to all....l
I really want to thank all who contribute on this Buick Forum
I am able to get tons of good mechanical info, proper names of parts, and other Buick hints, and when combined with a little research at parts stores, get to see the pictures of the parts and prices. This really makes being your own mechanic nice.
Thanks

 

[imidazol97]

imidazol97
You mentioned a Blower Control Module as a possible problem thing i might check, Is that in the engine compt on the firewall? hidden by the Relay box?
You seem to be saying that I should have to move the large Fuse/Relay plastic box out of the way some to be able to get to it?
What is it going to look like?

It's the part that is a blower resistor or blower control module on top of heater air duct next to the fan under the hood.

http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/blowerresistor1hr5.jpg

Here's a blower control module.


http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k110/imidazol97/ru304gi2.jpg

Good luck.

 

[Bob393]

I don't want to steal this thread in any way shape or form but I have the same problem on the exact same car, a 2003 Celebration Limited. However on mine if your lucky and you hit the dash right above the radio, occasionally it will start and work. Is it a big deal to get to the heat/ac control module in the dash? And does this sound like a common problem as I had the push button controls on both my 1994 and 1995 go bad. Thanks for the help.

 

[steppjohn]

Hi again,

Just want to give a little follow up. I have done some exploritory work and research, and have learned a lot about the heater system. And I visited my favorite u pull it place and practiced on their cars. Learned this.

Getting to the heater control module on '95's is not hard. Just as imidazol97 said, it is right there below the fuse and circuit breaker area. If you have the standard heat system, the controller part (resistor) is not very expensive, If you have the other type (which I have) it is pretty expensive.

I found that a lot of them have been pulled in the yard, so there is a good demand for them. Also, a lot of the ones I looked at were not the correct type. I did not get one on that trip, had too much uncertainty at that time.

When I pulled mine I found that it was actually a "used part" and that the with ACDelco number on (16173860) it was really not correct for a 95 Buick. I researched and found it should be on things like Cadillac Jeep and Corvette. Don't know what that means, it obviously did work, but I am going to look for a more correctly numbered part..

I pulled my fan motor and checked it out. It worked and did not seem to be binding such as might happen from years of use. Do these fans run all the time? I recall back in the 70's they never turned off.

I have a 95 PA which has the same Heat system, so I will probably pull the part from it and try it out in the LeSabre to see it that part cures the problem If so, I will search out a decent used resistor unit. Seems to be ACDelco #12368389 interchange #158548.


I love a search like this, a really good excuse to go to the u pullit place.

Since it is not too cold in SC, I am not in too great a hurry to get this done, but I will give a followup when I get it worked out.

Have a good New Year everyone.

John

 

[TheWerkz]

The easiest thing to test is the blower motor connection.

After I replaced the blower motor on my '95 LeSabre (standard A/C controls) it worked for a couple of weeks and then became erratic, I back-probed the connector (without moving the wires) and there was a broken wire causing the problem.

I cut 4-inches of wire from the end of the old connector and then soldered a new connector on with shrink tubing on each wire and my problem was solved.

The old blower motor had a bad (noisy) bearing so that wasn't a bad purchase.

I've also had to replace the connectors for the VSS, MAF, TPS, and the alternator, now I believe my latest (intermittent) problem is either the crankshaft position sensor or the connector... I'm about to order both and replace them.

I cannot believe I've had this many wire-related failures on this car, the short always happens where the wires have a bend in them, I've used a pierce-probe to locate the short(s) and it's always been within 2 or 3 inches of the connector.

On a side note, if you do have to replace a connector, be sure to follow the wiring pattern of your old connector, I've purchased several that either had all white wires and then a couple of new connectors that had the exact same colors of wires but they were in a different position on the connector just to make it more fun.

Good luck!

 

[journeyforce]

Hi again,

Just want to give a little follow up. I have done some exploritory work and research, and have learned a lot about the heater system. And I visited my favorite u pull it place and practiced on their cars. Learned this.

Getting to the heater control module on '95's is not hard. Just as imidazol97 said, it is right there below the fuse and circuit breaker area. If you have the standard heat system, the controller part (resistor) is not very expensive, If you have the other type (which I have) it is pretty expensive.

I found that a lot of them have been pulled in the yard, so there is a good demand for them. Also, a lot of the ones I looked at were not the correct type. I did not get one on that trip, had too much uncertainty at that time.

When I pulled mine I found that it was actually a "used part" and that the with ACDelco number on (16173860) it was really not correct for a 95 Buick. I researched and found it should be on things like Cadillac Jeep and Corvette. Don't know what that means, it obviously did work, but I am going to look for a more correctly numbered part..

I pulled my fan motor and checked it out. It worked and did not seem to be binding such as might happen from years of use. Do these fans run all the time? I recall back in the 70's they never turned off.

I have a 95 PA which has the same Heat system, so I will probably pull the part from it and try it out in the LeSabre to see it that part cures the problem If so, I will search out a decent used resistor unit. Seems to be ACDelco #12368389 interchange #158548.


I love a search like this, a really good excuse to go to the u pullit place.

Since it is not too cold in SC, I am not in too great a hurry to get this done, but I will give a followup when I get it worked out.

Have a good New Year everyone.

John

First off I hope you also have a Happy New Year too

You will learn to love those U pick it U pull it places. Many times I have gone there just to learn how to work on something on a junked car before I possibly wind up breaking something in my car.

I thought that if a blower motor resister goes south then it is always running on high? or that you can tell because it looks burnt?

Good luck in your quest

 

[dcraig1000]

both. if it only runs on high or if it looks crispy......

 

[imidazol97]

I have a 95 PA which has the same Heat system, so I will probably pull the part from it and try it out in the LeSabre to see it that part cures the problem If so, I will search out a decent used resistor unit. Seems to be ACDelco #12368389 interchange #158548.

These are all the years and models for the blower control module interchangeable with your leSabre! Of course the car has to have the digital control AC instead of the standard system...

BUICKLESABRE(1992 - 1996)B
UICKPARK AVENUE(1992 - 1996)
BUICKRIVIERA(1992 - 1993)
CADILLAC60 SPECIAL1993
CADILLACALLANTE(1992 - 1993)
CADILLACCOMMERCIAL CHASSIS1992
CADILLACDEVILLE(1992 - 1993)
CADILLACELDORADO(1992 - 1993)
CADILLACFLEETWOOD1992
CADILLACSEVILLE(1992 - 1993)
OLDSMOBILE88(1992 - 1996)
OLDSMOBILE98(1992 - 1996)
OLDSMOBILELSS1996
OLDSMOBILETORONADO1992
PONTIACBONNEVILLE(1992 - 1996)

 

[Bob393]

Happy New Year everyone!

After a bit of research I discovered mine to be the blower motor and not the control unit, good for me right.

 

[steppjohn]

Hi,

I just pulled the working resister unit from my 95 Park Ave to try in the LeSabre, which based on our knowledge, should be the same as should have been on my 95 LeSabre. Well, guess what, it is also different.

The one from the PA, which seems to be working fine, is a 12484912. My quick research indicates that this is a unit for older (85-93?) GM vehicles. But there is more. It is a 2 pin/4 pin unit. These '95's are 1pin/3pin cars.

So, what does this mean? Seems that GM is flexible with its parts??

Let me go and finish this test..


John

 

[steppjohn]

Hi,

I plugged the 2/4 pin version from the PA into the 1/3 pin LeSabre and the fan turned on in a very normal manner.

So, when I visit the u pull it place again I will have several part numbers to look for, since they all have seemed to work.

In summary, I would like to find 12368389, which should have been used, but 16173860 works since it was the one in use that failed, but also 12484912 (a 2/4 pin version) works.

Verrrry interesting research project. Is there any real logic here?

John

 

[steppjohn]

Hi,
This the follow up on my heater fan problem. I had said...

((So, when I visit the u pull it place again I will have several part numbers to look for, since they all have seemed to work.

In summary, I would like to find 12368389, which should have been used, but 16173860 works since it was the one in use that failed, but also 12484912 (a 2/4 pin version) works.))


Well,, I visited the u pull it place again and all I could find was a 2pin 4pin part 12484912 which I pulled from an Olds 88.

And the 88 had a 1 pin 3 pin harness like my LeSabre, so it looks like the older parts are ok to use. and
Someone posted somewhere that the extra pins were ground pins that were, at some point in time, made unnecessary in the newer cars.

Any way, I got the 2/4 pin version (12484912) and installed in the 95 LeSabre.
The fan now works fine,... it seems.

Hope this might be of use to someone sometime.

John