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Blower switch resistor pack location?

6K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  taurus guy 
#1 · (Edited)
Blower fan didn't work - FIXED - solution included

After reading this thread: http://www.fordforums.com/showthread.php?t=107813&highlight=blower+switch

I figured this has got to be the problem on my wife's 2004 Taurus. It was only working on high, now it doesn't work at all. Little chilly here in NY too!

Is there anyone in here who can tell me where to find where the resistor pack is located? I plan to pick up a Chilton's manual today (I have them for all our cars) but I wasnt sure what that part is really called or if it would show where this part is located.

Thanks everyone, great forum!!!
 
#3 ·
Thanks. The parts department mentioned that once the resistors go it can cause complete failure of the fan control. For a while the fan was working on high but now not at all.

They also mentioned these cars had a problem with moisture leaking in shorting out the resistors AND the blower motor which could be my problem here too. He said to look for evidence of moisture or corrosion when I'm in there replacing the part.

This could be the beginning of a larger project if I need to fix the leakage problem too. He mentioned there is a Service Bulletin on it and could print off a copy for me showing how to reseal and fix the problem.

To make things worse, I can't find anyone who sells a service manual for this car either. I've always owned a Chilton's manual for all my vehicles except this one.
 
#4 ·
The resistor is located behind the glove compartment. You'll see a wire harness connected to it. Unplug that and it's held on by 2 bolts. I replaced mine by going through the glove compartment to remove the bolts. I had 2 resistor packs fail, then replaced the blower motor and all is fine. Your blower motor might have seized up. Check the fuse for it. I don't know where the fuse is located, either under the hood or under the steering wheel. If you replace the resistor pack and the blower still doesn't work, turn it off immediately or the resistor pack will fail again, unless you have a blown fuse. It gets extremely hot and needs the air from the blower, blowing on it to cool it down. If you need a new blower motor, you can get it for about $55 at rockauto.com. It's around $100 from the dealer.

Just thought of something.......if your car is still under warranty, let the dealer fix it!
 
#5 ·
No the car has 56,000 miles on it. No longer under warranty. :( Good news is I did manage to get it fixed. I'm posting the results incase someone comes in here looking for info just like I did. The info I got here was partly correct and did lead me on the right path.

What happened is there is a technical service bulletin out on this well known problem in the design (something I'm a little irritated at, Ford should have designed this better or recalled it as it's a VERY common problem). The parts department was able to provide me with a copy of the bulletin that showed what I needed to do.

DETAILS:
Water runs off the windshield and into the plastic vent below the wipers. This water then runs directly into the compartment where the blower motor and the resistor pack is. Once I pulled the resistor pack out I saw corrosion all over it and water inside the compartment... not good! Sure enough, the blower motor was bad too. It was corroded internally as well.

THE FIX: I picked up the new resistor pack ($18) and a new blower motor ($117) as well as the re-designed plastic panel that goes under the wipers ($38). The new design directs the water in a different path to help it not drip down behind the dash. Along with this new design there is a rubber drip tray ($25) you should also get (it's listed in the bulletin as well) which further helps redirect the water where it SHOULD go. Without the new plastic panel and rubber drip tray the problem is likely to occur again. The installation is easy, about a 30 minute job. You'll also need a tube of sylicone sealant to replace the crappy strip of foam Ford put in there to seal things up.

While I'm pleased it's fixed and my wife doesn't freeze in her early morning drive to dialysis in the mornings, I'm very irritated this type of design was used and CONTINUED to be used in a flagship vehicle like the Taurus. For a two year old car, this type of work shouldn't have been necessary. I worry what type of repairs will be needed in the future as well as my abilities to repair them without the avalability of the aformentioned service manual I can't buy.

Thanks for the help on my project everyone. I'm sorry I didn't take pictures when I did this to help others along but hopefully this write up will help someone in the future. Based on what the parts department guys told me, this is a VERY common problem on the 2000 - 2005 Taurus models. If your blower motor still works, get the plastic piece and the rubber drip tray replaced NOW to prevent needing to pay for the resistor and blower motor later on.

Oddly enough, I'm going to be doing the same job on my sister-in-laws car this weekend. Blower still works, just doing the panel and drip tray replacement to make sure it doesn't happen to hers.
 
#6 ·
In my previous post, I posted an attachment of the TSB if anyone needs it. I agree, this design flaw went on far too long, as have others. What types of repairs will you need in the future? If you haven't had your check engine light come on yet, it's almost a guarantee it will because of a failed DPFE sensor (aka EGR pressure sensor). Thats been happening since the '96 models. Then there's the dreaded transmission problems the Taurus has always been famous for.
 
#7 ·
Oh no! Are you SERIOUS? If so, are there TSB's available for these as well?

Is there something I can do now to prevent to delay tranny troubles?

As far as future repairs, I don't have any I've actually planned but I like to have a repair manual just incase.

Any info you can provide on the above would be great.
 
#8 ·
I don't know of any repair manuals available yet except for the service manual from the dealer. You could get a subscription at www.alldata.com for 24.95 with repair information and all TSB's and recalls for your car. There is a TSB for my '02 about the DPFE sensor but don't know about other years. Maybe they finally got that sensor right for the '04 model.

Transmission trouble has been a problem on Tauri for a while but it doesn't mean yours will go bad in an unacceptably short amount of time. Just change the fluid at the recommended intervals and cross your fingers.
 
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