Blower Motor FAQs in 2020

The car AC blower motor, also called AC fan blower, ensures the car air conditioning and heating system is working perfectly. But it’s a little known component, mostly due to its ‘out of sight location’ under the dash or engine compartment. Therefore, people are always looking to know more about it. Here, we answered the most popular of these questions. They will help you to understand the automotive blower fan.

Q1. What does a blower motor do in a car?

The blower motor in your car is tasked with rotating the AC and heater blower fan. It helps to push air through the system of ducts and evaporator or heater core, thereby controlling the car cabin climate. To achieve that, the blower motor assembly consists of a 12V DC motor and fan wheel. The motor receives current from the car battery, energizes, and spins together with the wheel. This helps to move air into the passenger cabin through the AC vents.

Q2. What type of motor is the car blower motor?

The HVAC blower motor in your car is either a brushed or brushless, DC (direct current) motor. The brushless types are common in news car models and the brushed versions older automobiles. Rated 12 volts, the motor runs off the car’s electric system. The blower motor is usually attached to a fan made of plastic blades. The motor itself comprises a metal housing for strength and often a coated to prevent corrosion.

Q3. How many blower motors does a car use?

Many cars use a single bower fan to operate the air conditioning and heating system. This is usually sufficient. However, some cars, especially SUVs, use an additional blower motor mounted in the rear. The two blower motors offer a more efficient HVAC system or cabin climate control. The front blower motor is usually located behind the glove box or under the dash. In some cars, it’s mounted in the engine bay.

Q4. What is a blower motor resistor?

Blower motor resistors help to vary the speed at which the motor rotates. This allows different speed settings for the AC system. The resistors work by controlling the amount of current that goes to the motor. A blower motor resistor is one of the components that go bad, mostly due to overheating or corrosion. When that happens, you may find that the blower motor only runs at the highest speed. At this speed, the motor’s power system bypasses all the resistors.

Q5. What are the types of blower motor resistors?

Blower fan resistors are mainly two types. One of them consists of physical resistors such as wire coils of varying thicknesses or ohm values. This provides the resistance differences that result in different amounts of current reaching the motor. These types of resistors are mostly found in older automobiles. Then there’s the modern kind of resistor that uses transistors. Transistor based blower motor resistors allow for gradual speed variation.

Q6. What causes a blower motor to fail?

Blower motor problems are either mechanical or electrical. Mechanical faults include wear, clogging by debris, and broken fan blades. Electrical issues involve the power circuit and include blown motor, bad wire harnesses or cables, and damaged resistors. The motor also develops problems if a fuse is blown, a relay faulty, or the control module bad. Worn parts of a blower motor such as motor brushes are replaceable, while cleaning the fan fixes jamming problems. Other parts that you can replace are fuses, relays, connectors and resistor.

Q7. Can you drive with a bad blower motor?

You could. However, you would find the journey uncomfortable, especially in extreme weather such as hot days or freezing temperatures. The window defroster would also stop working efficiently, leading to more problems. To avoid all these issues, it’s recommended to ensure your blower is always in good working condition. That means being on the look out for bad blower motor symptoms such as:

1. Your car AC fan making noise
2. Car AC fan not working
3. Weak airflow at the car AC vents
4. No air coming out of the AC vents
5. Your car blower motor only working at a single (high or low) speed
6. Window defroster becoming ineffective

Most of the time, a bad blower is replaced. You can also choose to fix it, especially if the problem involves a replaceable and inexpensive part.

Q8. How much is the blower motor repair cost?

Blower motor repair could cost you up to $150 at a repair facility. Most of the time, repair requires removing faulty parts such as worn brushes, bad resistors, and so on. You can also fix the motor yourself by disassembling and cleaning it. And if there are damaged parts, changing them. By fixing the blower yourself, you stand to save around $50 and higher. However, you should only consider the option if you understand the repair process. In some cases, you can only install a new blower motor assembly.

Q9. How much is a blower motor for a car?

The blower motors on the market today cost around $200-$500. The price variation is brought about by different factors such as the type of car the motor is meant for, quality, and brand. Blower motor price also varies across different auto parts sellers. When buying one, ensure you have information about the type and size of blower that fits your car type and model. Then, look out for the features that make the device superior. These include the materials used to make it, coatings, and more.

Q10. How much does it cost to replace blower motor in car or truck AC systems?

You are likely to spend between $250 and $500. This price includes both the cost to buy a blower and labor charges. You must have noticed the wide variation in the amount. That’s because the blower motor replacement cost depends on your type of car. Some motorists choose to replace their car blower motors. Although not advisable, it’s a fairly simple process if you have an idea of how to go about it

Conclusion

The car blower motor assembly serves an essential role in your car. It ensures air condition is right for both driver and passenger, which makes the car’s interior comfortable. In some vehicles, the blower offers more than that by operating the window defroster system. As you have seen for yourself, understanding the blower in detail can help you ensure an operational climate control system.