Hey all! Sorry for the "non Ford" question, but I am trying to avoid being raped by a Honda dealer. My wife has a 99 Honda Civic EX coupe. Yesterday, while on a short drive, air suddenly stopped coming out of the vents (A/C was cranked). I pulled over and checked to make sure that the A/C compressor was working (it was), when I got home checked appropriate fuses (looked fine), and tried switching the **** from on to off several times - nothing. In a weak moment of frustration, I smacked the **** - the fan now works only at its highest setting. My guess would be the switch has gone out, so I called the dealership to order a new one and was quoted $362.00. Apparently the the vent selector, temp selector, and fan speed selector are a one unit deal. Any other ideas before I replace the unit? I'm also trying to avoid the all day, $80 an hour, diagnostic process. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

The most likely scenario is that the blower resistor block has failed. It happens all the time and the symptoms are exactly what you are seeing. Expect to pay $15~25 for a new one.

 

yea i have the same problem, and im pretty sure that bob is right about the resistor....

 

Thanks for the responses guys! Bob, can you explain what a "blower resistor block" is, is it like a relay I can just replace? About where would it be?

 

i agree that its the blower motor resistor. should be on the passenger side under the dash in the air box. usually about 3 screws and an electrical connector.

 

It is a set of resistors that can be switched in different combinations to change the blower speed. It is completely bypassed in the highest speed setting. The resistance elements are coils of wire that fracture easily when they age.

The block should be easy to find near the blower motor in the HVAC plenum. The appearance varies from car to car but it will look similar to this when removed:

 

Bob, again thanks for the help. I found out (through my POS Haynes manual) that in 99 Civics and up, the blower resistor is replaced with a power transistor. I removed the plug from the installed transistor and plugged it into a new one (just had it hanging - not installed), and no dice. I wonder if the blower high relay could be the problem? I don't know because the fan only works at its highest setting. For brief periods the fan has worked normally over the past few days. Do you think it could be the switch? This is driving me up the wall !