Rear AC blower not working.

[sidneyhop]

Im having an issue where Im not getting any air flow from the rear ac vents. The front works fine though. Any info or insight would be much appreciated!
BTW I searched for a fix on this issue but couldn't find anything definitively so figured Id start a new thread
Thanks!

 

[sidneyhop]

Anyone have any info on the rear blower motor, location, etc?
I pulled the rear air switch but not sure how to troubleshoot it.
Thanks

 

[bobflood]

There is a separate blower motor for the rear. I'm pretty sure it is in the back of the center console between the front buckets. Good luck.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

Had this same type of issue... In my case, the original fan unit itself was no longer functioning. Obtained a complete replacement center console from local salvage yard, then pulled my original center console out and mixed and matched components until I got a fully working rear blower. It is wired through a resistor, and the wiring harnesses for the fan units seem specific to the different models of Explorers. You will probably need to use the wiring harness for the working fan.

The consoles seem like they are constructed around the fan motors, located in the rear of the console, so you will need to completely disassemble the consoles. There did not seem to be a simple, single easy fix. Time consuming... but it was interesting and the salvage parts are cheap.

Good luck with the project.

 

[sidneyhop]

The consoles seem like they are constructed around the fan motors

It certainly does seem that way! I cant get that blower out.

I managed to remove the center console with some serious pounding with a hammer to move it backwards. (What did the trick more than anything was positioning a long 10" rod against the mounting bolt holes and pounding it backwards from there. The upper metal bracket started to bend and not move it so much.)

But now the three bolts holding the blower in place dont go down far enough for clearance to remove the motor. There has to be a simpler way.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

It has been a while since I did this..... does the console sort of "split" at the back?

 

[sidneyhop]

does the console sort of "split" at the back?

Sort of, so the vent can come through, but theres a metal frame around the blower motor that doesnt allow it to come free.

It doesnt matter though. I put some current to the blower and it works so thats a relief not having to replace it. I pulled the relay but not sure how to test it. Any idea how to do that? I hate to keep throwing parts at it. Already replaced the switch.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

IF the fan motor works, and IF you are getting 12v power from the main harness that connects near the front of the console, the relay seems like the only remaining component in the line. Especially with your new switch.

Are you getting 12v power at the main harness?

Good luck with this project

 

[J_C]

I pulled the relay but not sure how to test it. Any idea how to do that? I hate to keep throwing parts at it. Already replaced the switch.

The easiest way to test a relay is if the vehicle has another of the same type relay in a different location, then just swap the two.

The other way is use a multimeter, consult the diagram for its pinout. There are two wires going to the coil, one you would connect to a 12V power source and the other to ground, which causes (multimeter continuity or resistance measurement) two other pins to conduct.

The other, other way is determine the output pin to the blower, have one multimeter lead on chassis ground, and an insulation piercing probe tip on the other multimeter lead and insert it into the output wire to the blower, which should read 12V when the blower should be on.

If you provide the relay part # I could probably be more specific about which pin is which. The pinout "might" be:
86 - 12V in, coil positive
85 - Coil Ground
30 - 12V from battery junction box
87 - 12V output pin to fan, only conducting from #30 when #86 also reads 12V and if 85 is a good ground.

#30 won't have 12V if the upstream fuse is blown.

Another test you can do is continuity between the output pin socket contact and the blower positive pin, to determine if there's a break in the wire between the two.