Blower Motor Works Briefly, Then Trips Off

[Big T]

Can you return the motor free shipping if it doesn't fit?

This is the type of wire repair I suggest. No crimp on this one. Aluminum foil catches drips.

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I see what you did. I would have split the wire bundles, laying half along side each other, then solder those. Then wrap the other halves around that joint and solder again. Oh and have adhesive shrink tube in place to slide over the joint and shrink. That's just what we do on boat electrical.

I ordered the AC Delco from Amazon. They have a good return policy. Thanks for all the help and I will post results after job is completed.

 

[Big T]

The blower motor has this soft plastic cover over it. How does that come off?

 

[WarWagon]

The blower motor has this soft plastic cover over it. How does that come off?

It keeps the noise down... Track the cover up. ECM tray holds the cover in. Not fun to get the tray out. Or cut it out and toss it. 1999 may be different?

 

[Big T]

Replaced the blower motor this AM. Not a hard job. Put in an AC Delco unit. Did have to remove the ECM tray to get the plastic cover off. The old blower motor would squeak when spun by hand. Napa did not have a replacement for the melted connector. I cut it out and connected it with an adhesive lined heat shrink butt splice. All is good and I have AC again.

 

[WarWagon]

A crimp on butt splice is a bad idea. Been there, done that, and it burned the butt splice before the summer was over. I caught it when the splice insulator plastic went from yellow to brown, but, before it caught fire. The wire is simply too small as it is. Drag out the 250 watt solder gun...

 

[Big T]

A crimp on butt splice is a bad idea. Been there, done that, and it burned the butt splice before the summer was over. I caught it when the splice insulator plastic went from yellow to brown, but, before it caught fire. The wire is simply too small as it is. Drag out the 250 watt solder gun...

Did you address the root cause: failing blower motor? The failing blower motor burned up the wiring at it's weakest link, the connecting plug. I tested it after installing the new motor and the failed connecting plug did not heat up. Still, I cut it out and used the butt connector. Still not heating up. Which is why you address the root cause.

 

[WarWagon]

I am merely sharing my bad experience in 2006 with a 1995 Yukon gasser we owned and a crimp on butt splice used for this connection. (It's blower motor and entire HVAC powered and grounded in 1995 through that connection.) Yes, new motor and resistor pack from dealer $Ouch$ before the bad connection was found. (Parts store blower motor didn't fix it so dealer quality was tried next.) I have been suggesting blower motors be replaced with the said wiring repair since. Record setting hot weather 121 degrees that summer. I used a propane torch to solder the wires as I didn't have a 250W gun at the time. 100W isn't enough. That repair held.

For the record what is the amp draw on the new motor?

To improve GM's skimp on the wire size design one would run a heavier gauge wire with bolt down connectors rather than just repairing it.

 

[Big T]

I am merely sharing my bad experience in 2006 with a 1995 Yukon gasser we owned and a crimp on butt splice used for this connection. (It's blower motor and entire HVAC powered and grounded in 1995 through that connection.) Yes, new motor and resistor pack from dealer $Ouch$ before the bad connection was found. (Parts store blower motor didn't fix it so dealer quality was tried next.) I have been suggesting blower motors be replaced with the said wiring repair since. Record setting hot weather 121 degrees that summer. I used a propane torch to solder the wires as I didn't have a 250W gun at the time. 100W isn't enough. That repair held.

For the record what is the amp draw on the new motor?

To improve GM's skimp on the wire size design one would run a heavier gauge wire with bolt down connectors rather than just repairing it.

I did not test the amp draw on the new blower motor. However, I did test the old one and it came in at 19.6 amps. It's a single wire plug and the wire is 14 gauge. Checking a chart for proper sized wire based on run, you can use 14 gauge wire for a 20 amp draw on a run up to 20' with a 10% voltage drop. They got it right on the wiring. The weak link is the plug in the face of a worn motor.

 

[Paveltolz]

Single wire... I would recommend a butt connector (only the heat shrink type) or a 'disconnect' connector. Of course, use the correct wire gauge sized units. Both are available at local NAPA/O'Reilly's/Car Quest stores or you can find them at the Waytek web site but, bulk orders only.

 

[Big T]

Single wire... I would recommend a butt connector (only the heat shrink type) or a 'disconnect' connector. Of course, use the correct wire gauge sized units. Both are available at local NAPA/O'Reilly's/Car Quest stores or you can find them at the Waytek web site but, bulk orders only.
View attachment 53058

I used an adhesive lined heat shrink butt connector and it has been working perfectly.

 

[Paveltolz]

That's good to know. I'm chasing blower motor/resistor issues on the truck but, that's for another thread.

 

[Big T]

Did a 200+ mile run in 100 degree heat, AC on full the entire time and.......no problems.