How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Technical info on the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix including do-it-yourself info
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moonstonemike
Posts: 157
Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:12 am

How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by moonstonemike »

I had to change these two items on my g/f car so I figured might as well do a short how to with a couple pictures. The pictures arn't the best because I was using my phone and some of the pictures were taken at night with a flashlight.Step 1 Remove Ground from batteryStep 2 Remove philips screw from glove box door then remove door by lifting up and out.Step 3 Remove two black push-in clips from under the glove box areaStep 4 Remove two screws holding PCM in place. There is a screw in the back but it does not have to be removed to slid the pcm out. It is attached to a guide clip (see picture) There is also a black clip holding the main wiring on the passanger side of the pcm, unclip this with a flat screw driver. Now you can pull down the pcm. You can disconnect the wiring if you want to get it out of the way, I just left mine there and worked around it..Step 5 Remove The Blower motor. Disconnect wiring harnes on bottom, Disconnect rubber drain tube and remove three 5.5mm screws. Now just lower out.Step 6 Blower Motor reisistorRemove Wiring harnessRemove 2 5.5mm screws and lower out. The rear screw is at an akward angle If you have a swival head extension it will be usefull here. I ended up using a 7/32 bit on the rear screw because it is a little bigger and it let me angle the extension i had.Now just re-install everything in reverse order and while you have the glove box out check you cabin air filter.FYI Canadian pricesPontiac wanted $260.00 for the motor and $57.00 for the resistorToyota wanted $185.00 but didn't have in stock so I couldn't compare if it was the sameVaughn Automotive was $120.00 for aftermarket motor and $40.00 for delco resistorIf I missed anything please let me know. I should also add before i get sued, this is a help how to if you screw up anything on you car while changing out these pieces I am not responsible, you are
omarq
Posts: 43
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2004 6:56 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor (moonstonemike)

Post by omarq »

Blower motor is not the same between MAtrix and vibe. Who knows why? I tried to put a motor in from an 04 vibe into and 05 matrix. No such luck.
moonstonemike
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Joined: Thu Jul 27, 2006 11:12 am

Post by moonstonemike »

Good to know, does anyone know is the resistor is the same?
DRL
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor (moonstonemike)

Post by DRL »

Thanks so much for so accurately describing blower motor replacement. With your descriptions it was a 20 minute job. My wife's 2005 Vibe's fan was running intermittently. I figured that was a pretty sure sign it was the blower and not the resistor. I found an aftermarket blower on go-part.com for $43.95 USD ($9.90 shipping) and got it shipped from CA to MA in under a week. Good deal. It fit perfectly, works great, wife's happy, all is good! Thanks again for the installation procedure.
jasonvibe
Posts: 544
Joined: Sat Oct 08, 2005 4:00 am

Post by jasonvibe »

my resistor just went on my '05 w/50k. But mine clearly says "made in japan" on it. The replacement also says this. I got the resistor from a great local independent parts store, for just$43+tx. Just a few $$ more than GM parts direct wants with their silly shipping costs. And I got it next day, no extra charge.Local independent guy can get anything that AutoZone or Advance can't. These resistor units are basically a junk design. Using a semiconductor tracing. That runs very hot...they just burn out. BAD DESIGN. Someone said the Toyota resistor unit is different.Maybe better. If the Toyota unit is better...I am sure I could modify it to work...next time.Oh and the rear screw for the resistor. Use a 1/4" drive w/1/4 universal join and 7/32 sckt. Super easy this way. I have bookmarker this page. I suspect the fan is next on" future things" to repair list...
2005 AWD PlatinumAlloys, Moon & TunesPower group...just enough to be fun
MikeReilly
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Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 2:56 pm

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor (moonstonemike)

Post by MikeReilly »

Thanks for posting this howto - really makes this a trivial job in a lot of ways. I got my blower motor out and opened it up to find it was fouled up with dust from the brushes. Didn't think they'd wear that fast (car's just under 5 years old with around 125k kilometers on it). Anyway, I cleaned it up and put it back in and we're up and running, but I'm going to order a replacement because the brushes were looking a bit short on wear. Guess I could rebuild with new brushes if I knew where to get them, but really might as well just get a new motor.Compared to replacing the heater core in my Volvo 1990 740 Turbo this job was a complete piece of cake (under half an hour compared to two long afternoons). Besides, this job taught me where the cabin filter is so I can clean or replace it in the future. Oh, and I never got quite ALL the screws back in that Volvo, some of them were placed in ridiculous places.
SublimeVibe
Posts: 63
Joined: Sun Apr 27, 2003 3:01 am

Post by SublimeVibe »

Just a quick question.Do you have to change the resistor when you replace the motor?
2003 VibeAWD Envy(sublime)wCharcoalPower pkg.Enkei EVO5 Hyper Black 07/08Vibe floor matsMud flaps Hood DeflectorLimo tint on rear and side windowsstainless steel insterts
djkeev
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Re: (SublimeVibe)

Post by djkeev »

Quote, originally posted by SublimeVibe »Just a quick question.Do you have to change the resistor when you replace the motor?No you don't HAVE to but seeing as it is an item that burns out over time and you are already in there, why not?I'd change it without hesitation UNLESS I was financially strapped at the time. Penny wise dollar foolish. Why repeat a task later?Dave
(o ! /o) (o)=I=(o)
liquidsteel
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor (moonstonemike)

Post by liquidsteel »

Had to stop and say thanks for the detailed info on changing this out. Took me about 30 minutes to change mine out. Ordered it from NAPA, paid $114, and waited eight days for it to get here.Weather has been totally (insert explative) here but now I got great heat!
techdoz
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Joined: Thu Dec 10, 2009 2:23 am

Post by techdoz »

Just wanted to give my two thumbs up to this DIY guide....saved me from paying the high price of the dealership to see what was wrong with my blower..With this tutorial was able to do it myself and found out it was nothing more then leaves that fell in when replacing the cabin filter.
sam9696
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Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2010 9:01 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor (moonstonemike)

Post by sam9696 »

thank you for this useful post. made the job pretty simple.
Splitter
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Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 5:56 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor (moonstonemike)

Post by Splitter »

I know this topic is older, but THANK YOU ALL for the info on changing the blower motor.I am a white collar, tie and suit wearing kind of guy, and while I am handy around the house, I know very little about cars and I do not work on them. Just not a car guy.Replacing my blower motor took about 2 hours because I did not have the right extension to get to the nuts on the bottom of the blower. I could probably do it again in 45 minutes with the right tools and experience.The motor itself cost me just over $41 from Amazon and of course my labor was free. A former Pontiac dealer wanted $450 for the whole job IF it turned out to be the blower motor. So doing it myself saved about $400.Again, THANK YOU!Splitter
cptnsolo77
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Post by cptnsolo77 »

Another happy member....!
* 2003 Vibe Auto Satellite Silver w / Moons & Tunes
* Kenwood Excelon KDC-X597
* Polk DB651-Speakers
* Soundproofcow Roadblock R sound deadening in all doors
* Drop In K & N Filter
* NGK Iridium IX Plugs
* 27 MPG City/Highway with AC on
Oldrice
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Joined: Sat Jul 25, 2009 12:32 pm

Blower Motor Resistor Part Number?

Post by Oldrice »

Can anyone confirm the actual part numbers to the resistor? Specifically for the 06 Vibe if that makes any difference. Oldrice-
ojelaj
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Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2011 5:54 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor (moonstonemike)

Post by ojelaj »

Thank you so much for posting your instructions with pics---space is very cramped to work in--& I am not a large woman--thank goodness. My father did have to help a bit---as I had a few screws that were giving me problems. For my 2004 Vibe--it used a 6MM ratchet. It took about 45 minutes...btw, got the part from Amazon was $40 plus s/h ordered it on 2/14-11 & it was delivered on 2/17/11 with the 5-8 day option so...all is good http://www.amazon.com/TYC-7001...r=1-1
mclark2112
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Post by mclark2112 »

Going to attack this job tomorrow, thanks for the how to!!
Empire1300
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Joined: Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:21 am

Post by Empire1300 »

Thanks moonstonemike for the great how-to. I first used this post a year back to get in to my fan motor and forgot to show my gratitude then. I've been troubleshooting a squeaking/whine in the motor shaft and associated bearings (have lubed it with a few different types and nothing lasts) and this post made getting to it trivial.
moonstonemike
Posts: 157
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Post by moonstonemike »

Wow, I havent looked at this post in a while. You are all very welcome. I'm glad to see its been helping so many people. I'm even more happy that its helped people who would have ordinarily never attempt it, successfully do it.I've found that doing something you, or someone else didn't think you could do is one of the most rewarding things in life. I kinda feeling bad now because I have been meaning to do more how to's with pictures I took when I added heated seats, changed the intake manifold gasket, and fixed rust running from the rear door handle. I will have to find those pictures again and start doing the write ups in my spare time.
mvparent0
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Joined: Sun Mar 18, 2012 5:45 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor (moonstonemike)

Post by mvparent0 »

Thanks for this! It saved me hundreds. I did the resistor, motor, and fixed the gear in the mixing flap thing all in about an hour.It looks like my resistor was fine, so if anybody wants the old one let me know and I'll send it for the cost of postage. I hate to throw it out.
canazuela
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Joined: Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:27 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by canazuela »

I thought the clicking noise that just started yesterday was coming from the blower motor but it turns out that it's the little box on the left hand side that appears to close the flap above the cabin air filter. How do I remove and replace or fix that? I think it's a problem with the gears clicking as mentioned by the previous poster (mvparent0).
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joatmon
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by joatmon »

canazuela wrote:I thought the clicking noise that just started yesterday was coming from the blower motor but it turns out that it's the little box on the left hand side that appears to close the flap above the cabin air filter. How do I remove and replace or fix that? I think it's a problem with the gears clicking as mentioned by the previous poster (mvparent0).
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Vibewagen
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by Vibewagen »

Just replaced my resistor. Very, and I mean VERY bad located back screw!
It's good I have one of those pivoting extensions.
So funny though - I bought it (the extension) with one of these $5 ratchet kits
from Kmart 5 years ago... :) Great investment - it's not the first time it saves the day.

Got my 07 this year and she has more than 120k miles.
It looks like I am not the first one replacing the resistor.
I bought ACDelco 15-80202 from amazon for $21 (free PRIME shipping)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000C9 ... 02_s00_i00
And the blown one is exactly the same.

Another important thing if you replace the blower resistor for the very first time:
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE GLOVE BOX OUT, OR ANY OTHER PARTS!!![/color]
Just clear the passenger footwell (valid for me) and passenger seat, get a 5.5mm or 7/32 socket,
shove yourself down there and "get 'er done"! ;)
ellemarie
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:38 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by ellemarie »

Great Post! Big money saver! I'm almost finished but I MUST say....that back screw for the resistor is giving me a huge headache :x ....not only is it at a weird place but mine is screw on super tight!!
nomastx
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Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:57 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by nomastx »

Thanks for posting the great directions. I replaced the blower motor this morning and, taking my time, only took 45 minutes. Now I actually get air when I turn the fan on! What a luxury! Thanks again. Great post! Great website!
Kokopelli8891
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by Kokopelli8891 »

Thank you very much for posting the how to and the photos, they were very helpful.
beermoney
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by beermoney »

Awesome! Thank moonstonemike for the how to. Got in the car this morning and headed to work and turned on the heat.....and to my surprise....I didn't hear the blower motor on. Little to no heat was blowing out. The engine would rev a little like normal when turning the blower on....but just wasn't blowing hardly any air out. I shut the radio off and listened to see if I could hear the blower on at all....and it sounds like its coming on a little.

So, I figure that its the resistor that died. Was wondering where the heck that was located and thanks to your DIY, I know right where it is. I have removed the blower motor a bunch of times, pretty much every time that change the cabin filter I end up pulling the blower motor out as well, since crap always seems to fall down into the fan when removing the filter.

So, as soon as I got to work this morning, I started checking Autozone and Advance Auto Parts.....of course, neither actually carry the item. So I had to special order it. Cost me $40 at Advance Auto Parts and they are supposed to have it in the morning. Hopefully that is what the problem is, otherwise I will be headed back to pick up a new blower motor as well for $110.

Going to have a 2-4 inches of snow on Thursday, would really like to have the heat working by then. It was a cold 35 min ride to work this morning.


EDIT: Installed the new blower motor resistor and it wasn't the culprit. Ended up being a bad blower motor. I went ahead and bought a new blower motor while picking up the ordered resistor. But, it is now working once again, and is nice a warm....just in time for the winter storm on Thursday.
rfrydryck
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Joined: Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:10 am

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by rfrydryck »

HELP!
I replaced my blower as described in the instructions. And it works fine. Unfortunately, I cant start my car now. When I turn the key it cranks and cranks but never starts. Also strange, as soon as I turn the key, the radiator fan turns on and stays on until I turn off the key. Is it possible that I messed up the wiring harnesses?
quondad
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by quondad »

Just some added info regarding the resistor. I recently changed the blower motor resistor on my 2006 Vibe FWD. Originally ordered replacement part BWD RU1072 from Advance Auto but with that part my low and med-low blower speeds seemed identical. Low speed was much higher than original. Went back to Advance Auto and exchanged the part, thinking it was bad. Second part worked exactly the same so I returned it. Bought the AC Delco part 15-80202 from Amazon, put it in and it works great. Low speed is just like the original. Watch out for replacement parts that aren't quite like the original! Also learned that it's easier to replace the resistor if you sit on the driver's seat and reach under the dash than if you lay on the floor of the passenger side. Used a 7/32 box end ignition wrench to get the screws off.
greendohn
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Location: S.E. Indiana

Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by greendohn »

Thanks for the write up. Gonna go out and give it shot.
My blower failed in western Iowa at 14 degrees outside temps, about 10 hours from home.
Thank goodness the beast has the Monsoon stereo!!!
Is this where I list my stuff??
98 XJ, "Ol' Blackie"
96 Beat-Rig Ram 1500 4x4
06 Vibe, The wife's car
1stime4evthing
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by 1stime4evthing »

This is great information, thanks so much for the post. I have managed to get through everything except for disconnecting the electrical connector from the motor. I have a 2008 vibe and for the life of me and can't get the sucker apart and I am afraid of breaking the piece so I won't be able to install it to the new part. Any help would be great. Do I need a special tool, or is there a trick? I am stumped.
SeattleJeremy
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by SeattleJeremy »

1stime4evthing wrote:This is great information, thanks so much for the post. I have managed to get through everything except for disconnecting the electrical connector from the motor. I have a 2008 vibe and for the life of me and can't get the sucker apart and I am afraid of breaking the piece so I won't be able to install it to the new part. Any help would be great. Do I need a special tool, or is there a trick? I am stumped.
For the one attached to the resistor pull the tab away from the resistor, and slide it off.
For the one attached to the motor push the tab in the center of the connector in, and slide it off.

I'm going from memory here. If one way doesn't work try the other.
*Sold* 06' Vibe Base - Mono Platinum - Manual
Turo'ing 15' BMW 328i Sport - Jet Black - Auto
Daily 19' Toyota Camry SE Hybrid - Galactic Aqua Mica - eCVT
airferret
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by airferret »

A quick thanks to everybody that posted above, esp moonstonemike and his pictures. Blower motor started going out a year ago, drove around with my glove compartment on the floor so I could reach over with a heavy piece of wire (about 1" diameter including insulation, 30" long) and whack it, it would start again, usually. Recently the actuator went, and was driving me nuts.

On Amazon, bought a new blower motor, resistor, filter, and actuator for about $70. Took about 2 hours, the actuator was the hardest part, thank you to the person who recommended going through the radio slot without taking off the dashboard, using an extension and universal socket joint, to accomplish that part.

Cars are not my strong suit, so this was the biggest repair I have ever tried alone.

-Chris

2005 Pontiac Vibe AWD, 197500 miles and counting (aiming for 250k) :mrgreen:
Kokopelli8891
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by Kokopelli8891 »

I replaced my blower motor with one I bought from go-parts.com. Works fine in summer but in cold weather it rubs and squeaks on low speed. I have tried loosening and tightening the 3 screws in different order but can not get rid of the squeaks. Anyone have similar problem? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
conair
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by conair »

Have to give a huge thanks to the OP. I replaced the blower and resister easily with the information. Saved me about $300!!!!!!

After 243,000 miles my Vibe is still going strong!
2004 Vibe GT
tpollauf
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by tpollauf »

conair wrote:Have to give a huge thanks to the OP. I replaced the blower and resister easily with the information. Saved me about $300!!!!!!

After 243,000 miles my Vibe is still going strong!

What took you so long to join us here ? Introduce yourself and upload pics of your Vibe. .... Welcome :D
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2009 Vibe GT (manual), 2009 G8Gt, 2009 Vibe GT (auto)
2014 Silverado, 2004 Vibe GT

"everything is modifiable"
Rolliet
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by Rolliet »

Great installation advice. Bought my blower motor on Amazon for $45. It took only 19 steps to remove. Most difficult part was installing new motor. One needs to simultaneously hold the motor UP while starting the screws. The cabin air filter was VERY dirty: clean or replace as needed.
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REN69
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by REN69 »

Just changed the wife's blower motor... this thread rocks, thanks guys!! :)
1984 Supra RWD - my beater -- 2004 Vibe AWD - wife's beater -- 2005 Corolla XRS - my daily
BustedVibe
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by BustedVibe »

Well it looks like I will be taking my blower motor out now, to hopefully just clean it out and anything else I can get access to.

I changed my cabin air filter today, but there was debris stuck inside, at first it seemed to go away, and worked fine. But later in the day the blower motor started making a low pitched growling noise (almost like bad bearings would sound) that changed pitch with blower speed. Also, if you turn off air recirculate the noise lessens somewhat.


Hopefully I just need to clean it out, but now I wish I hadn't touched the filter at all :cry:
I hope the humidity isn't bad tomorrow. Will be the only day I have free time to do it
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cthomasparr
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Re: How To change blower motor and blower motor resistor

Post by cthomasparr »

Just changed my blower motor resistor this past weekend. Did one years ago on another car. After struggling to create a tool to get the back bolt off the resistor, I came upon a perfect setup.

The bolt is a 5.5mm head, so I had a 1/4 drive socket that fit. I also have allen wrenches and a 6mm fit the square drive of the 1/4 socket. Other suggestion I have is to put duct tape across the top of the carpet so that you don't loose any bolts or socket parts under the carpet.
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