Date:         Mon, 29 May 2000 09:27:56 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Subject:      Re: What? You Wanted Heat?!?
Comments: To: Marc Perdue <marcperdue@ADELPHIA.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <3932017C.2375A8AA@adelphia.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 01:34 5/29/2000, Marc Perdue wrote:
>encountered the same problem as another one that I'm having.  The van
>keeps blowing (okay, blew two) fuses for the front heater/ventilation
>fan.  What seems the most likely culprit, and please correct me if you
>think I'm wrong, is that the bearings on the blower motor need to be
>cleaned up and lubricated.

That's much the likeliest.  The motor could be shorted, but I very much
doubt it.

But there's also a design problem: the motor should draw about 12 amps at
high speed -- this is too much for the switch and too much for the
circuit.  If your measured draw is about 12 amps, I wouldn't take things
apart unless it's squeaking.  What I *would* do is to run a separate
circuit for the high-speed fan position, and use the wire from the switch
to control a relay instead of driving the fan directly.  That will cure
fuse-blowing and switch-melting problems.  Low and medium speed still run
direct and from the old circuit.

>  If this is, indeed, the case, is there
>really no way to do this without taking off the dash and steering
>column?

Yes there is really no way unless you have access to the VW equivalent of
the remotely piloted submersibles that the salvage guys use... <g>

d
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"