Blower Fan Motor works when it feels like it

Well, I went out to push and probed and nothing. Decided I would pull the cover off the fan motor to see if maybe something was in there moving around that would periodically get jammed in the fan so it wouldn't turn. I closed the hood to move the truck into the garage and fan started running again. I guess maybe next weekend I can get to it.

rbrennec said:

Well, I went out to push and probed and nothing. Decided I would pull the cover off the fan motor to see if maybe something was in there moving around that would periodically get jammed in the fan so it wouldn't turn. I closed the hood to move the truck into the garage and fan started running again. I guess maybe next weekend I can get to it.

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That's sort of the reverse of what mine was doing...my last post describes it...if you see the rubber tabs on the back end of the motor, try pulling gently on the top one with the key on and the fan on...if it starts to work, you've got a bad connection INSIDE the fan motor case itself...

If so, you might be able to clean it up...but I just swapped mine with one that I tested at the junkyard...and this, apparently, is common because I tried two other fans before I found one that worked...

Mark_88 said:

That's sort of the reverse of what mine was doing...my last post describes it...if you see the rubber tabs on the back end of the motor, try pulling gently on the top one with the key on and the fan on...if it starts to work, you've got a bad connection INSIDE the fan motor case itself...

If so, you might be able to clean it up...but I just swapped mine with one that I tested at the junkyard...and this, apparently, is common because I tried two other fans before I found one that worked...

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Mark 88, Rubber tabs on the back end of the motor?

rbrennec said:

Mark 88, Rubber tabs on the back end of the motor?

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The heater blower motor...inside the engine bay...you'll see the fan motor sticking out...and the two wire power connector...right beside the power connector there should be a small square black rubber tab...that's about where the wires or brushes go to the fan motor...if you pull the tab as on mine, the motor started working...

If it doesn't then, oh well, it was a suggestion...sounds like yours was doing the same as mine...

Taking the motor apart was too complicated and required a workspace that I simply don't have (especially with cold wet weather like we'd been having)...

Well, after a week of driving in the Florida heat I broke down and bought a new motor at NAPA, $43. Plugged it in before I pulled the old one out and it ran. Old one would not run. Removed the old one. Had to use the old blower wheel as the motor did not come with one or the gasket and Napa doesn't stock them. A bit of a pain getting the old one off the shaft. Put it all back together and I am cool again. Now I go after the dash board bulb that's out and paint the cab top. It's down to the primer. Thanks to all for your help.

Cool~ I suppose...

$43 isn't too bad...the junkyard charged me $30 for a used one...

BTW, the fan motor is the same on most Rangers between 84 and 97...haven't checked the later models...and it's also the same on F-150s...so is the resistor...in case you happen to run into this again...

I was thinking a cross reference to interchangeable parts would be really nice...but I haven't checked the tech library recently...

Mark_88 was right!

My blower has been sluggish lately and has just about come to a halt. I read your post about wiggling the rubber tab on the blower motor and lo & behold it started speeding up. So my next step is to replace the blower motor. But I have a question about that... the old motor has the electrical connector on the rear of the motor, but the motors offered at Advance Auto and AutoZone don't. They simply have the positive & negative wire leads, as seen below. ALSO... I haven't pulled my old motor out yet, but there's some sort of rubber tube connected to the underside of the motor which comes out, makes a 90-degree turn and goes into something else. What the heck is that?

Blower Motor Fan

Hmmm. The one I got at NAPA had the connection on it. Are you sure its the right one? Do the mounting holes line up? I don't know what the rubber hose does either but the new motor housing had a hole on it just like the old one so I stuck the the hose back in. There is a lip on the hose the holds it to the housing. If the old one started when you wiggled it the connection just might be rusted or dirty. Hope this helps.

rbrennec said:

Hmmm. The one I got at NAPA had the connection on it. Are you sure its the right one? Do the mounting holes line up? I don't know what the rubber hose does either but the new motor housing had a hole on it just like the old one so I stuck the the hose back in. There is a lip on the hose the holds it to the housing. If the old one started when you wiggled it the connection just might be rusted or dirty. Hope this helps.

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Thanks for the info. I'll check on the NAPA motor. Was there anything in the tube... wires or anything? Or was it a tube for passing air?

rbrennec said:

Hmmm. The one I got at NAPA had the connection on it. Are you sure its the right one? Do the mounting holes line up? I don't know what the rubber hose does either but the new motor housing had a hole on it just like the old one so I stuck the the hose back in. There is a lip on the hose the holds it to the housing. If the old one started when you wiggled it the connection just might be rusted or dirty. Hope this helps.

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Actually, I just checked the NAPA motor & it's just like the ones at the other stores... no connector on the back, just two wire leads. Take a look.... https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?A=BK_6551884_0118476441&An=599001+101994+50028+2028044

I believe that tube is for draining the water out of the evaporator coil for A/C it is on the bottom right.

kimcrwbr1 said:

I believe that tube is for draining the water out of the evaporator coil for A/C it is on the bottom right.

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But why would it attach to the motor casing? Especially if it's carrying water?

sorry misunderstood maybe it is just a vent for cooling the motor and uses the cab air instead of the engine bay.

dorough said:

Actually, I just checked the NAPA motor & it's just like the ones at the other stores... no connector on the back, just two wire leads. Take a look.... https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?A=BK_6551884_0118476441&An=599001+101994+50028+2028044

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Just got your PM and will reply, but thought I'd post here first. The blowers in those pictures might work, but you would have to cut the wire and splice them to the input from the truck harness.

The black tube is for actually cooling the housing of the fan (from what I can figure) since it blows cool air back into the casing. I'd imagine that if you don't have that and there are no vent holes on the housing (shouldn't be since it needs to be protected from moisture) and without that black tube giving it some heat control it would probably do a melt-down under prolonged load.

I'd suggest going to the junkyard to try to find one. In all the years I've owned my Ranger (10 or so years) I've only had the fan fail once.

Other than the junk yard, you may consider drilling a hole in the new casing to fit the return air tube...if you feel up to a slight mod...or take it to someone you trust to do it right for you...that way you'd have a new fan that should last 20 years or so...

Solved!

All problems solved! I bought the blower motor at Advance Auto Parts. They had it for $19.99 vs. AutoZone at $39.99... exact same part number! The tube on the bottom of the motor is indeed a cooling tube. It's a rubber tube that's strapped around the body of the motor by a molded-in ring. The motor has knock-out holes, so the one on the bottom got knocked out and the tube fit right in. The other end connected to an air port at the bottom of the condenser coil case. I had to reuse the old motor gasket as the new motor did not come with one. As for the electrical connection, one reason I chose this motor was because the online image showed connector spades at the ends of the wires. Some motors just had bare wire ends. What the store website did not indicate was that the motor came with a connector housing that matches the connector that plugged into the old motor. So after checking polarity for the correct spin direction, I slid the two spades into the connector housing and that plugged right into the old connector in the truck. Put everything back together and it works great. Now.... to find that coolant leak so my new fan will actually be worth using!