Venture blower switch replacement

NAPA part number HC138 AC HEATER SWITCH $22.49

Replaced it in the dark. 2 screws to pull off the console cover (under the ash tray and power socket covers. 2 screws to remove the panel the switch is mounted on and 2 more to remove the switch itself.

15 minutes, tops. All 5 positions work again, Yeah!

98 Chevy Venture HVAC blower adventure

My wife's car. The blower stopped blowing on setting 5 last year. Then it lost 3 a few months ago. Then 1. Then 2. Then 4 finally died. No blower. No front defrost. This is the Northeast. Autumn in the Northeast. Not recommended.

So I dove into it today. Without a manual... As Chris would say, I nuked it out. The blower is located at the front passenger's feet. It's easy to get to; there's a carpeted cardboard cover with several of those plastic 'pop' fasteners. A quick tug at the front ad it comes off. The courtesy light comes out after a quarter turn.

The normal cause of failure for these things is the resistor block. So I started looking for the resistor block. Of course, it's behind the motor, next to the firewall. Lovely. It turns out to be pretty easy to remove the blower. There's a two-wire connector. Push the top (it's one of thos prong types) and pull it out. Remove the 2 screws and the blower motor and squirrel cage comes out. It took a bit of twisting.

Now I can clearly see the resistor block. It has 3 screws, one of which is almost impossible to get out. Loosen the two nearest the firewall about 1-2 turns, then remove the one closest to the passenger's feet. Pull it down, toward the floor and then it should tip enough to pull it off the two screws toward you. Pull the black connector off and you're good to go.

So now I have in my hand one 12v squirrel cage and one resistor block. It occurs to me that I have a cellar full of 12v power supplies, so I go down to the lab to check it out. I hook up a 12v current limited supply and turn it on. It works! Very nice... the fan turn and churns. Well at least that's one thing that I don't have to buy.

I spent about a half hour trying to figure the pinout for the resistor block, but it remains a mystery. I couldn't tell if it was bad or good. So I turned my attention to the connector in the car. I tested every combination of voltage and continuity vs switch position and got nothing.

Nothing?

Is the switch bad? Feh. Time to burrow into the dash.

This turned out to be simple! Pull the ash tray out and you'll see a screw on the right side. There's a mate on the left under the power socket cover. Remove them and the console frame pulls out from the bottom. It becomes obvious what to remove next. All the switches are mounted to a single carrier. Two more screws and it comes out, revealing the blower switch.

Pulled the connector off of that and I see a burnt socket, with a burnt pin matching it in the switch. Hm. Turn on the key so the system is energised. I test the socket and find 12v in the middle of the 3 side. Short that to the socket opposite it on the 4 side and probe the other end - voltage! Crap, the switch is looking bad.

Lay the blower on the floor, hook up the resistor block (on the floor) and connect it. Short out the two sockets and the fan spins. Yep. Bad switch. So I put the resistor block back, put the blower back, put the courtesy light back, put the cardboard back. Short together the 12v side of the connector with the pin for speed 3, turn on the key and voila! Always on, but it won't leave the wife stranded without a blower. Electrical tape for safety and put the console back together sans switch.

Tomorrow I'll get a new switch. It should take less than 15 minutes to install.

Sterling and Francine Clark Institute

We went yesterday. They have an exhibit called the Unknown Monet: Pastels and Drawings. It's an interesting exhibit of his sketchbooks and pastels from early in his career. Although an Impressionist, it seems Monet used drafting techniques extensively in developing his paintings. Very evident in his series of paintings of London bridges (Charing Cross and Waterloo). An astonishing portrait of the Rouen Cathedral caught my eye.

The museum is located in the beautiful Berkshires of western Massachusetts, in Williamstown. Aside from the Monet exhibit (which closes Sept 16th) is a wonderful exhibit of Gainsborough, Constable and Turner as well as a permanent collection of a variety of art that caught the eye of Francine or Sterling Clark.

Having brought the 5 year old along, I didn't spend as much time as I would have liked. I'll probably be back soon to remedy that!

IBM Codestation Sentinel box 2

Take box 2, open it and get the LM. Go off to Straylight. Follow the signs to the garden. There are 4 flowers flashing in the order of Red, Blue, Green, Blue, Yellow, Green, Yellow. Put on the HUD and press the buttons in that order. Get the body and arms!

Save your current skin, etc and try everything on. Customise them and save them as a Sentinel outfit so you can go back and add on later.

Codestation Sentinel box 1

Start at the IBM Codestation. Collect the instructions at the clock. Take box 01. Open it and you get a message to look to the sea and a landmark for Laguna Beach. Go to the beach. Meet a gorgeous Argentinian woman :-) Touch the goodies on the table and wear them. If you don't the shark will chase you away! Wade into the water at the buoy and touch the arms. Yay!

Crazy week

It's been a crazy week or so. Trying to get ready to play radio with MGEF. Too much to do and not nearly enough time. I leave tomorrow and won't be back until Monday night. The weather is calling for rain Sunday and Monday. Figures. See ya when I get back!