AC blower / heater fan replacement : how-to

Sbeghan · July 13th, 2010, 11:37

Sorry guys, no pics because I didn't even think about it. This is a pretty easy swap for anyone without back problems or midgets. Instructions are for a left hand side drive vehicle

Inspect your replacement motor and fan assembly, notice that there are no apparent clips or screw holes. This is because it simply slides in vertically. Notice that it has a power plug on the top-left back and a wire clip on the bottom back. The AC /heater blower fan is behind the glove box and can be replaced in 15-30 minutes.

Tools: 1 flathead screwdriver, T20 torx screwdriver, 6mm hex socket

Step 1: unscrewing crap
Under the glove box is a dark grey foam cover. Unscrew the plastic flathead screw to the right (towards the door, in the middle of the foam cover). There are two plastic screws and you only need to remove one. Pull the foam cover all the way to the side. You will notice a socket with white green and yellow wires - this is the resistor pack IIRC. Unplug. There are 2 gold 6mm hex screws holding the resistor pack in, one of which is under the electric plug. Remove these and the panel will fall out.
At the bottom of the glove box are 3 T20 screws. Remove. Open the glove box and there are another 3 at the top and 2 in the rubber bumpers. Remove. Pull the glove box partially out (there is a hidden screw inside the shifter console so we can't remove it). Try to fit your hand behind the glove box, there is more grey padding behind it and behind the padding is the blower motor you want to remove. There are wires clipped into the back of the blower motor. Free these wires and pull them up out of the way.

Part 2: I'm a contortionist midget
I squat facing away from the car and roll my body backwards so that the door sill is supporting my lower back/butt and my head is under the glove box. Make sure that the replacement fan, resistor pack, 6mm wrench and screws are in reach.
Grab the old fan and pull down... it will hang on a plastic rail that the bottom of the glove box screwed into. Now you can bend the rail out with one hand so that the fan will drop out... and then hang by its plug. Unplug it and plug in the new fan (its hard to do because the plug can't maneuver well.
Slide the new fan up making sure that the groves in the back are sliding into place properly. If done correctly it will want to again fall down. Replace the resistor pack and screw it in. Don't forget both screws. Plug it in, bend the grey foam back and screw it in.

Part 3: finishing up
Test the fan to make sure it works. Now you just have to get the glove box back in and screw it in and you're done.

n_booth147 · September 12th, 2010, 14:17

I had this problem with my girlfriend's 2002 jetta TDI. 1st dealer visit - replace resistor for $180; 2nd visit - replace resistor again, n/c; 3rd visit - "your blower motor is the problem we can replace it for $425" my response "pound sand".

I followed the above post and took some pictures that I will add.

n_booth147 · September 12th, 2010, 14:40

Yeah... not sure on how to upload photo's. ahh well. I took same advice from member "Sevenjays" and bought a thermal resistor and soldered it in the resistor pack. I found the same pn 270-1321 for $4.99. Lubed up the fan, tested it out and works great! I'll post again if my five dollar fix fails and I burn out a 4th resistor pack.

I spent almost 2 hours to take it apart, solder, lube and put back together. (very simple solder job, as long as you don't overheat the thermal fuse and blow it).

In my opinion the cabin air filter caused the resistor pack to keep failing. I don't think it had ever been cleaned!!

*Okay, so my picture size is too big, and too many steps to add pictures for me. Sorry for not posting them.

OlyTDI · September 12th, 2010, 21:42

Would love to see the photos -- just about to take on the resistor pack and fan R/R.

mrGutWrench · September 13th, 2010, 10:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by OlyTDI

Would love to see the photos -- just about to take on the resistor pack and fan R/R.

__. Hey, Ol, I did the "conventional way (taking out the center console) and completely removing the glove box) but this way is MUCH simpler and should be easier and quicker. But the old way isn't bad -- and a bad fan *will* keep burning up the resisters.

mo_jt · September 13th, 2010, 10:21

I just did this last month on my 2003 Jetta. I followed the above instructions and I have only two comments.

1. Make sure that you have the glove box pulled out as far as it will go without doing any damage to the side console mount. Then, make sure to bend the bottom glove box support beam--the bottom of the dash out toward you as you pull the old fan out and put the new one in.

2. This is extremely important, Do not force the new fan in position! The squirrel cages on these fans break extremely easy--I speak from experience.

I found putting the resistor pack in to be extremely difficult based on the position your body must be in to put the back in to position. The fan will want to drop down, because once it's in correctly, it has a lot of horizontal movement. But, I used a screw driver as a pry bar though the glove box and wedged it on the bottom of the glove box support and held the fan in place--this made it easier for us non-contortionist....

This is, however, a great write up! I'm getting ready to do the same on a 2003 NB!

eats1963 · September 13th, 2010, 10:57

Question. Does a replacement fan come with the recirculating door? I ask because mine broke in the recirculating mode. I wedged a piece of wood to prop open the door, but it eventually just broke off. Now I have free flowing air not only into the fan, but also into the cabin. I've duct taped off the vent area below the glove box, but I would really like to get it fixed properly.

mo_jt · September 13th, 2010, 13:39

No, the fan itself just comes with the motor and attached squirrel cage.

4timechamp · October 29th, 2010, 19:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_booth147

I had this problem with my girlfriend's 2002 jetta TDI. 1st dealer visit - replace resistor for $180; 2nd visit - replace resistor again, n/c; 3rd visit - "your blower motor is the problem we can replace it for $425" my response "pound sand".

I followed the above post and took some pictures that I will add.

Try www.autoparts.ca for a blower motor. Thier $100+hst I also know another online site that sell them for $86.00+hst Try installing it yourself, and save $300+ Dealers are going to soak you everytime.

JettaTdiSport · October 30th, 2010, 00:29

I just bought a new fan from my local parts store, $140 + taxes. My fan started making squealing noises a couple months ago but totally random. A couple days ago, it actually stopped working on 1-3 and only works on 4 at full blast. Sounds like this is gonna be an "easy" fix.

ecarnell · January 20th, 2011, 17:41

Thanks for posting. I was having some noise for the last little while from our fan - and after I fixed the divers side window this evening (which fell on my wife this morning) decided to look into this. Everything went well for me except during the re-instalation of the fan (I found a small pcs of foam in the cage - and WD 40'd it up). For some reason I was trying to push it back in with the tabs in-behind the grooves (making the cage sit closer/flush with the box) - took me a while to realize that it fits up smoothly in the "tracks" on the side.

bamatdi · September 5th, 2011, 11:43

FYI. I have a 2000 Jetta TDI (332,000 miles) and just replaced my fan. I had to remove the end cap to the dash to access a screw to partially remove glove box. I did not have the hidden screws behind the rubber bumpers referenced earlier.

ninja97 · December 7th, 2011, 06:35

With the help from this very thread, I decided to replace the blower fan myself on my 2003 Jetta Tdi. I've gone since February without it (it is now December) because my mechanic told me it would cost $480 to replace.

I got a used fan for $35 off I don't even remember what website anymore because it was 2 months ago. It's been riding around in the back seat of my car since I bought it, while I worked up the courage to finally do this.

I thought you were being witty and funny about being a contortionist midget. I changed out the fan this past Saturday, and now I know that you REALLY ARE a contortionist midget.

I failed - well...in a way. It all went smooth until the "reach behind the glove box and disconnect the plug on the fan" part. I could get my hand back there, and I could feel the plug with the BACKs of my fingers, but there was no way to maneuver my hand in such a way that I could unplug it. No worries. There seemed to be enough "give" pulling the fan down from below that I could pull it down far enough to disconnect the plug from down there. Of course, actually DOING it was another story. To make this part of the story short (no pun intended) with the use of some pliers, and a bit of maniacal laughter/cursing, I finally got it unplugged and the old fan out. Woo hoo!

"I did it!" I thought to myself. "20-30 minutes my #%@ but hey, 45 minutes after starting, all I have to do is plug in the new fan and shove it back up where it belongs."

I did not yet know the meaning of suffering.

Listen, I am a small dude. I'm 5' 5" and I could not maneuver under that dash to save my life. I had my feet up wrapped around the headrest to help me maneuver a little bit so it wasn't ALL back muscles and I still faced an impossible task.

Anyway, I get this "new" fan down there, and into position and went through even MORE pain and suffering getting the plug back in, but I finally got it. Now all I have to do is slide this fan back up on the guides. After about 20 more minutes and about half a pint of my blood spattered all over the new fan and everything else behind that glove box (due to the cuts on the tips of my fingers, I have been unable to type until today, Wednesday), that $480 to my mechanic was starting to look pretty good. To make THIS long story short, I finally, after MUCH more maniacal laughter/cursing - and I mean I'm finally at wits end here (I'm a subdued calm and quiet person) I got out, reached back in, grabbed the glove box from the bottom back, and just ripped it out with all my strength. Clips flew, the long bracket that the bottom three T20 screws go into snapped and came out and there was crunching sounds and small pieces of metal and plastic flying everywhere. The glove box is now on the floor. Now there's a huge piece of insulated padding covering the fan area. It tore off easily and is now somewhere in my garage.

This repair just got a whole lot easier.

I cannot stress enough to all who read this how easy this fan is to replace with your glove box sitting on the floor of your garage next to your car. I slid the fan up into place and had to hold it there while putting the resistor pack back on. Simple Simon. Grabbed my key, stuck it in the ignition and turned, and heard the beautiful whirring of my new fan. Awesome.

Next I grabbed the glove box off the floor and decided to see if I could get it back in place. Believe it or not it snapped right into place on the console and I held it up as I replaced the T20's that go along the top of it. Now it's in place, but the bottom is hanging because the bracket that used to hold the bottom up is in two pieces in a box on the floor next to the car.

Two pieces of duct tape now hold up the bottom of my glove box, taped from the bottom of the box to the back side of the resistor pack. Everything looks good as new. The only way you'd know I have duct tape holding up the bottom of the box, is if you're a contortionist midget.

And now I WELCOME fan failure. I hope this one fails while I still own this car because now all I have to do is remove 3 screws and 2 pieces of duct tape and I can change out this fan like a normal human being in about 5 minutes.

Deadend · December 8th, 2011, 07:34

Did this last night and flkucered it.

An earlier post mentioned this so I'll underline.

THE SQUIRREL CAGE IS FRAGILE !!!! BEWARE

Actually there is a torx on the right hand side which holds the metal rail at the bottom. This NEEDS to come out to in order to make the required space for the new fan.

My problem is I tried to fix the new one by constructing a belt around the squirrel cage where it broke. It worked too! At least for the first ten minutes if operation...... I'm really hoping the loud bang that came after that didn't take out any plastic ductwork.

Mechtech73 · July 14th, 2012, 09:39

Excellent fourm thanks. I just changed out the blower and resistor pack and it only took about 30 mins. Followed the instructions to a T and all went well. The only problem I had was when I was folded up under the dash I found out just how hot those trouble lights can get especially when it burns into the side of your face. I think that these type of sites are an invaluable source of information,I am a golf course mechanic and have done a lot of things on all types of equipment and I'm pretty good at troubleshooting but that blower fan A/C problem really thru me for a loop. I just want to say thanks guys and keep it up. One more thing,it seems that all the problems stem from a dirty cabin air filter so I suggest that they get changed or at least cleaned often