Heater fan intermittant

[tercle]

This just seemed to start happening about when it got cold.
Usually, the fan works. Sometimes my feet get really cold and I realize the fan stopped working. Then I turn it off and on - nothing.
Put it on the Medium setting instead of High - nothing.
Later, after parking, the fan works.
Everything else electrical seems to be working.
What do you think it is?
Ground, switch, fan motor?

[rer233]

had the same problem with a former GF's car years back. naturally every time i had the car, the fan worked perfectly! wound up wiring an indicator bulb to the blower motor wires and told her to look at the bulb next time the blower's inop. turned out to be the motor itself --not a bad job to change. hope this helps!

[Petros]

sounds like something is marginal, when cold it works than it warms up and fails. could be the resistor or the motor. The resistor and motor both are common to all of the same style Tercels across the years ('83-86 2wd and '83-88 4wd), so it should be fairly easy to find used replacements. I also think Rockauto sells blower motors for the Tercel as well.

[tercle]

I think it was the blower relay.
I swapped blower relays with my old blue 86 wagon on Saturday, and over two days the fan motor has worked every time.
If I can go through the whole week, I will consider it fixed.

On the 86, it is behind and a little below the right speaker.
I thought the manual indicated it was behind the kick panel, but it is behind the passenger speaker cover.

[tercle]

It was the blower motor, after all.
The problem came back after I replaced the relay.

I noticed something that may have contributed to the old motor's troubles.
There is a pleated rubber hose that goes from the motor to the fan plenum or chamber.
A previous owner had a tie-wrap strapping some wires to it.
The tie-wrap was cinched pretty tight and the hose was practically pinched off.
So the motor wasn't getting the ventilation and cooling that it was supposed to.

[ARCHINSTL]

So that's what that little hose is for! I wondered - but electrical thingies, whether wires or appendages, are always a mystery.
Tom M.