Dash AC Blower

[namvet]

Hello Everyone,
I've tried to research this topic on the forum but haven't located a post for a similar problem.
I have a 2001 Workhorse P32 and have had all of the problems with the chassis many others have mentioned (ignition switch meltdown-twice, parking brake solenoids, brake problems, etc.). I located, through this forum, a part number for the ignition protection kit(s) and have just finished installing them (two relays). All is well EXCEPT I have lost the high speed on my dash AC blower. Low and medium seem to be working. Since one relay shifts the blower from the ignition switch to a relay for operation, I suspect it is the source of the problem.
Anyone have any ideas on where to start checking or a possible solution?
Thanks

[namvet]

Hello Everyone,
I've tried to research this topic on the forum but haven't located a post for a similar problem.
I have a 2001 Workhorse P32 and have had all of the problems with the chassis many others have mentioned (ignition switch meltdown-twice, parking brake solenoids, brake problems, etc.). I located, through this forum, a part number for the ignition protection kit(s) and have just finished installing them (two relays). All is well EXCEPT I have lost the high speed on my dash AC blower. Low and medium seem to be working. Since one relay shifts the blower from the ignition switch to a relay for operation, I suspect it is the source of the problem.
Anyone have any ideas on where to start checking or a possible solution?
Thanks

[DriVer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by namvet:
I suspect it is the source of the problem.
Anyone have any ideas on where to start checking or a possible solution?
Thanks </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Namvet, Welcome Home!
Everytime I roll the dash up I usually wind up moving the modular plug on the back of the speed switch and I get nothing. If you got 12 volts there you should be able to get the blower motor to go hi-speed. It's gotta be a connection thing.

Thanks for joining us this evening please do come back to visit and please post often.

[TandW]

Sorry you've had same ignition and brake problems so many other p32 owners have had. Adding relays only invites more gremlins to take up residence. Others may find that simply lifting coach builder circuits off the ignition switch will suffice. This switch will never safely carry what Workhorse knew the coach builders were adding to it. And no one will admit it is an ongoing safety problem for the unaware. Good luck, comrade!!

[namvet]

Driver,
Thanks for the response and for the "Welcome Home"!
I checked for a lose connection and didn't find any. Called Workhorse and Winnebago
tech support and each pointed the finger at the other guy BUT the guy at Winnebago was willing to listen to a proposed fix I came up with after reviewing the wiring diagrams for the system (available at winnebagoind.com).
There are TWO blower power feeds - both are #10 wire; one handles the current for Low, Medium, and Medium-High blower speeds. The other handles the power for ONLY High blower speed. The Workhorse blower kit relay will accommodate ONLY one feed. The idea I bounced off Winnebago was to connect one of the feeds to a switch controlled "hot" source while running the other feed through the relay. He agreed that this was a viable approach as long as I included an in-line fuse. (I mention all of this because it may be of use to someone else in the same dilemma!) The problem with this "fix" is that either one or the other feed will remain switch controlled.
I would appreciate your thoughts on which feed would be preferable to run through the relay. (The technician at Winnebago didn't make a suggestion and Workhorse didn't know there are TWO blower feeds.) The wiring diagrams indicate that the "High" circuit is fed from the 30 amp overcurrent protection source (whatever that is!), which leads me to believe it has the potential of that much load. I don't know what the load on the other feed may be, but I'm guessing it would be less that 30 amps. It seems to me that the greater load should go through the relay and the smaller through the "hot" tap.
Again, thanks for your input - I'm already WAY out of my knowledge/comfort zone!
Guy

[Kazoo Tom]

When you look in from the front (through the "hood") in the upper left you will also see a resister pack. That resister pack controls the fan speeds and is a common failure point. It is an inexpensive part and easily replaced. I replaced that pack and another relay for the high speed fan and everything works as it should now. Go to the acme web site for a picture and listing of the parts. I was able to order both from Lichsten for under $30 including postage.

[BellaBo]

You didn't say how you looked for a loose connection but you might try leaving the ignition switch on with the fan in the on position and wriggle the wires under the dash. I had this exact same problem last week and by doing this the fan started blowing and that's how I found the loose connection.

Just a thought! Good luck!

[John-D]

Where as I do not know how Workhorse did it, they do most things like GM does, and on my towed (A 1992 Chevy Lumina APV) there are two relays that run the HVAC blower.. A "Low speed relay" sends power through the speed switch, some resistors and into the motor.. A "High speed relay" sends power direct to the motor.. Unless, of course, the connections on the motor are corroded yet again, then nothing sends power to the motor till I clean it,,, again... but that is another rant.

You may have lost the connection to the switch, or to the high speed relay

[max49]

There's an inline fuse in the engine compartment, right in front of the drivers feet. I think it is 20 amp, and it controls the Hi speed on the blower.

[namvet]

Thanks everyone for your input. I now have high speed air. Wound up running another fused power lead and all four blower speeds now work.
I only did that AFTER checking out all of the suggestions posted and made sure the problem wasn't one of them.
Thanks again!

[Phantomiz]

Just a little note to add to this thread for future reference.

My dash air just stopped working last week. Turned the blower on and it just didn't work. First thing I got to the computer and logged onto this site. Did a search for "blower fan" and came up with a few threads. Anyhow, the biggest task was to find the fuse that feeds this blower. Still haven't really found it, because of conflicting information between the Workhorse manual and the Holiday Rambler manual. I decided to check every single fuse for a blown one and couldn't find it; all were good. That's over 100 fuses in four different locations!!! Next, I decided to check the blower motor outside at the weather tight connector and there was no voltage. My first thought is there is a break between the fan adjustment speed switch under the dash and the fan motor under the hood. While the key was in run and the fan blower on medium, I stuck my hand up under the dash and started pushing the connectors on the back of the switch and still nothing. So, I proceeded to move my hand up along the wires that feed this switch and moved them around a little and there you have it the fan started. I started to pull ever so slightly on the wires and the fan was intermittently working. Out came the rear vision system (B&W monitor) to get a clear view of the wire harnesses and stuff. That is an understatement. The guys that wired this thing were definitely not tradesmen. Wires everywhere and low and behold a 4 pin molex type white plastic connector that was arching when the wires were moved.

This is what I've found. The two wires that feed the blower motor from the blower switch in the dash were placed in the pins which were installed in the molex connector. Upon further investigating the arching problem, it was discovered that the wires, two #10 AWG blue and red, were not crimped onto the pins. They were just sitting inside the pins waiting for vibration and movement and such to disconnect momentarily to kill the blower fan. I've put on approximately 28000 Kms and this problem decided to rear its ugly face one month before our yearly trip south and just after it was supposed to be put away (winterized) for a few months.

The fix was a little tricky. I have a pin extractor that I've used for some time now. It seems to work well for many pins of different sizes and shapes. The tricky part is that the tabs on the pins were not getting fully compressed to allow the pin the clearance to exit the rear of the white plastic 4 conductor connector. With a little gentile persuasion and much side to side movement, I was able to get them out. When I got them extracted the tabs were bent and squished. After fixing the tabs, I decided to solder the wires to the pins, as I don't have the proper proprietary pin crimping tool. Also, I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't need to extract these pins again as the tabs would probably break the next time around. A little side note: I prefer to solder most if not all connections; its not only easy, but makes for more of a permanent, 100 % connection. After soldering, I pushed the pins back into the connector, fired up the motor home, turned on the fan and started once again to pull/wiggle the wires under the dash. Blower/fan still working, job well done...


Total time monkeying with this problem, which includes searching this website, finding all fuse panels, checking the wiring diagram/fuses, finding the problem and soldering connections was qpproximately 4 hours. 4 hours is a lot of time, but the other option was to take it to the dealer in which a return trip would be 4 hours, 30 gallons of gas and it would sit there a month before they even would have a chance to look at it...Too close for my trip down south.

I hope this may help the next person who does a search on dash AC/heater blower fan not working.

L8r
PhanTomIz