A/C Fan Question

Buicksforever

New Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2003
The A/C fan on my 87 GN works on the first three settings, but when you move to the top postion (high) it stops blowing. When you move it back to the other three slower speed positions it starts blowing again. Does it sound like the switch or is there a fuse somewhere that operates just the high fan speed? Also, after I take out the 4 screws that attach the A/C control panel to the dash, I cannot get the control panel out from the dash far enough to disconnect the wires and cables. Am I doing somethng wrong or is there a trick to taking out the control panel to remove the fan switch? Thanks!
 
Two things to check.

1. Metal relay out near the blower motor for high speed fan operation. Key on test car not running, have someone in the car put it on vents and turn the fan from pos. 2 to high speed back and forth once a second while you listen to the relay up close or put your finger on it lightly and see if the coil pulls in and it clicks to signal it's operating.

2. If that appears to be working follow the fat red wire from it over near the power antenna wiring there should be a connector over there with the fat red wire in it, sometimes it's corroded or badly connected and needs splicing bypassing that poor connection.

High speed fan is a direct sort of hot wire setup via a relay and bypasses the blower resistor networks.

These tests are easier than pulling the heater controls out and checking the switch since that rarely is the problem anyway.

Search the topic in tech. also it can perhaps give you better instructions as to where exactly in the fenderwell area the thing is hidden, shouldn't be too hard to find however.
 
Fan Speed

I had the same problem, found that metal covered relay, took apart the relay and sanded the contact points. Have not had a problem since.
 
Theres umm, 5 wires on the metal relay, from memory, orange or red (depending on car), blue, purple, brown and black. Orange is the high speed power supply, some cars from the fusebox, others from a fuse link at the starter. Purply goes to the blower. Brown is the 12v feed from the dash switch on high, black is the relays coil ground. On the first 2 speeds, power comes from the dash switch, thru the resistor (depending which speed dictated which resistor) thru the blue wire, thru the normally closed contacts of the relay to the purple wire, giving you 3 speeds. On high, the brown should go to 12v which closes the relay and now the orange (or red) wire gets connected to the purple wire going to the blower, giving you high speed.

Since you have 3 speeds, go out to the relay, and with a helper have them flick the switch from med to high. You should hear/feel the relay click. If it does not, check the brown wire for 12v at high position. If not, check the dash switch for burned contacts (very common), if the relay clicks, check the orange (or red) wire for 12v, and if you have 12v there, throw a new relay at it as the contacts inside are most likely charred from arcing. The relay is kinda behind the accumulator, under the high side AC line orifice tube joint if memory serves me. Kinda between the AC line and the blower case.
 
Top