Didn't Pass the Smoke Test

[oldgeek]

I started the pickup to warm it up, turning on the defroster with the blower on low. After a few minutes of shoveling snow, I opened the cab door and smoke rolled out. Don't you just love the smell of wires burning?

Now I have a blower that only runs on high. Before I launch into repairs, you think it's the blower, the climate control module or I just found out there is a blower resistor? And where would that resistor be located?

 

[franklin2]

Most likely the resistor. Leaves settle on the resistor and catch fire. Not sure where it is exactly on your model, but it's always mounted in the duct downstream from the blower, so air from the blower keeps the resistors cool. They get red hot, and that's what caught the leaves on fire.

Look for a square plate with a decent sized wiring plug on it bolted to the duct under the hood.

 

[RobbieD]

^^^ Agree.

I'd start at the blower resistor. In the engine compartment, mounted on the heater box around where the heater hoses are.

You'll almost certainly find leaves (and ashes it sounds like).

Pulling the blower motor and the heater core gives good access to brush and blow the debris out. This is not hard to do on a first generation.