Jeep Fix Blower Motor on 2001 Jeep Wrangler

For the past 3-4 years I have been having a problem with my heater in my Jeep Wrangler.

On a cold morning in Colorado, and we do have a few of those, the heater will not turn on.   Turning the switches and trying this and that nothing works….  Eventually after driving for 10 minutes to as long as 2 hours the heater will come on.

I poked around the internet trying to find an answer.  I found some good ideas and made a few videos on the repairs I made.  Here is the sequence of repairs I made and how they turned out.

Your Heater Coil needs flushed!

A few people suggested that my heater core needed flushed.  The heater core is a small radiator that is hooked up to your main radiator and this is where you get your heat from.

The main idea in this problem is that heat is not flowing to the heater core.

I took my jeep to the local shop and I was going to get them to flush my radiator, probably was not going to fix the heater core but it’s a start.  They looked at it and my fluids were fine, but my cap was loose….   I thought aha maybe that is the issue.  The replaced it with a new one…

Next cold day… same thing … Nope, did not fix it…

So I decided to backflush the radiator.   I tried to take a video of me doing it, but it was not a good one.  Instead check out this video, of someone doing a backflush.

I did the flush, and not much came out… it looked very clean.

Next cold day… same thing … Nope, did not fix it…

So, in my case, it was not the radiator.

Replace the 3 way switch!

The contact points on your 3-speed switch could wear out.

I bought this guy for about ~$20 at http://www.jeep4x4center.com/switch-heater-blower-motor-5011214aa.html

Here is the video I made showing how to replace it.

I thought maybe the contacts wore off just enough so that when it is really cold it contracts just enough not to work?  Turns out it was worn and did need replacing, my wife noticed even on a hot day it sometimes did not make a contact, but wiggling it fixed this problem.

The new switch is solid and did need to be replaced, but ….

Next cold day… same thing … Nope, did not fix it…

Replace the Blower Motor Resistors

Some other people suggested replacing the Blower Motor Resistor.  This is what the 3-speed switch connects to and it is what adjust the amps going to the blower to adjust its speed.

Here is the videoI made showing how to replace it.

I bought it for ~ $30 at http://www.jeep4x4center.com/resistor-blower-motor-4864957.html

I believe the 2002 Jeep wrangler uses a solid state resistor that is completely different (still in the same location and replacement is identical)

The old one looked pretty clean, so I was pretty sure it was not the problem.

Next cold day… same thing … Nope, did not fix it…

Replace the Heater Vacuum Switch

This youtube video made me want to replace the Vacuum heater switch.

His plug was melted the wire coming into this guy can overheat and melt.   If your Jeep has the same symptoms mine did this may be your problem!  Watch the video to get an idea.

At any rate I bought a Air Conditioning and Heater Vacuum Switch For  ~ $40 @ http://www.jeep4x4center.com/switch-a-c-and-heater-vacuum-with-a-c-5013833aa.html

Here is the video of me replacing it.

Next cold day… same thing … Nope, did not fix it…

Replace the Heater Blower Motor

I finally decided the replace the Blower motor itself.   I thought it could not be the motor!  I thought it had to do with something further up the line?

Here is the video I made of me replacing the Blower Motor.

I bought the blower motor off amazon $50 at http://www.amazon.com/Four-Seasons-Trumark-75712-Blower/dp/B000C7MXTC/

Next cold day… It finally worked!! … But it was barely moving any air.

Plug the Blower motor in the right way

I had finally fixed this crazy Jeep, but it was barely moving any air.   I went and bought an anemometer (wind gauge) for ~ $30 @ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DF9VUC/

Air was coming out at < 4MPH when it should be > 13 MPH.

I took two hours and poked and prodded, I thought the new motor was a jip.  I put the old one in, on a warm day, and it was blowing slow too?   Finally I realized I had plugged in in backwards!   The motor was running backwards.

I reversed the plug and now it's working like it should!

Here is a video showing my stupidity, but also my mastery of reading a wind gauge!

That is the end of the story!  It was the blower motor!  I learned blower motors need to be plugged in correctly to work well. J