new blower not getting the job done

lifes2short

New member
Hi--my jeep is '03 GC Ltd. 2 wks ago the blower stopped working; I went to my auto repair guy since no one in my house knows which end of a screwdriver to use.[ if you keep this fact in mind ,you may be less tempted to lol at my eventual question ] He found burned out resistor, which seems to be a common issue. Apparently Chrysler re-designed it recently,due to so many complaints,and the wiring harness for the new one was backordered. .Had to wait almost 2 wks.

Now to my point: had the new blower assy installed 3 days ago and it is terrible.Hardly any circulation at all, even on high--most of what comes out is from the center vents, nothing to speak of on the sides. I complained to my repair guy before even leaving his place, but he says everything was installed properly. To me, it's almost as if speed/volume of air have all been downgraded with the new unit, so as not to burn out so quickly in future. Is this possible ?

Whatever the reason--I am not much better off than when fan was completely dead. This blower will never be sufficient here in FL for short hops and day-to-day driving around town.

I’ve done some searching, found plenty of posts and answers about blower probs, but none specifically mentioning issues with the newly-designed ones. Any ideas on getting optimum air circulation from the new blower assy ? Is there anything else that should be checked----voltages, settings, etc ? While I trust our mechanic, it would be helpful if I had a leg to stand on with him, apart from insisting that it’s just not right.

Thanks for letting me "vent" <<groan>>....and for any advice you may have...
 

Does this GC have an AZC(auto zone control) or manual HVAC control?
 
Believe it's auto, SteelHeadz, as it has the whole dual-control set-up and an auto option on selector knob.

Sorry, thought I replied much earlier but guess I didn't submit properly. OTOH, my apologies if this one turns out to be a dupe.
 
Perform a diagnostic self test and see if there's any fault codes on the system.
The AZC control module is capable of three different types of self-diagnostic tests, as follows:
  • Fault Code Tests
  • Input Circuit Tests
  • Output Circuit/Actuator Tests
The information that follows describes:
  • How to read the self-diagnostic display
  • How to enter the AZC control module self-diagnostic test mode
  • How to select the self-diagnostic test types
  • How to perform the different tests
ENTERING THE AZC SELF-DIAGNOSTIC MODE

To enter the AZC self-diagnostic mode, perform the following:
  1. Depress the a/c and recirc buttons at the same time and hold. Rotate the left temperature control knob clockwise (CW) one detent.
  2. If you continue to keep the a/c and recirc buttons depressed, the AZC control module will perform a Segment Test of the Vacuum Fluorescent (VF) display. In the Segment Test you should see all of the display segments illuminate as long as both buttons are held. If a display segment fails to illuminate, the vacuum fluorescent display is faulty and the a/c heater control must be replaced.
  3. After viewing the Segment Test, release the A/C and Recirc buttons and the display will clear momentarily. If a 0 is displayed, then no faults are set in the system.</B> Should there be any faults, either "current" or "historical", all fault codes will be displayed in ascending numerical sequence (note no effort is made to display fault codes in chronological order). Each fault code is displayed for one second before the next code is displayed. Once all fault codes have been displayed, the system will then repeat the fault code numbers. This will continue until the left side set temperature control is moved at least one detent position in the CW direction or the ignition is turned "OFF".
FAULT CODE TESTS

Fault codes are two-digit numbers that identify a circuit that is malfunctioning. There are two different kinds of fault codes.
  1. Current Fault Codes</B> - Current means the fault is present right now. There are two types of current faults: input faults, and system faults.
  2. Historical Fault Codes</B> - Historical or stored means that the fault occurred previously, but is not present right now. A majority of historical fault codes are caused by intermittent wire harness or wire harness connector problems.
    CURRENT FAULT CODES Input faults 01 = IR thermister circuit open 02 = IR thermister circuit shorted 03 = Fan pot shorted 04 = Fan pot open 05 = Mode pot shorted 06 = Mode pot open 07 = IR sensor delta too large 08 = Reserved 09 = Reserved 10 = One of four motor drivers has drive "A" shorted to ground 11 = Engine air intake temperature Buss message missing 12 = Country code Buss message missing System Faults 13 = Mode motor not responding 14 = AI (Recirc) motor not responding 15 = Left temperature door not responding 16 = Right temperature door not responding 17 = Mode door travel range too small 18 = Mode door travel range too large 19 = AI (Recirc) door travel too small 20 = AI (Recirc) door travel too large 21 = Left temperature door travel too small 22 = Left temperature door travel too large 23 = Right temperature door travel too small 24 = Right temperature door travel too large 25 = Calibration check sum error 26 = Engine coolant temp bus message missing 27 = Vehicle speed bus message missing 28 = Engine RPM bus message missing 29 = OAT bus message missing 30 = Display intensity bus message missing 31 = VIN number bus message missing 32 = Raw OAT bus message missing
    HISTORICAL FAULT CODES Input faults 33 = IR thermister circuit was open 34 = IR thermister circuit was shorted 35 = Fan pot was shorted 36 = Fan pot was open 37 = Mode pot was shorted 38 = Mode pot was open 39 = IR sensor delta was too large 40 = Reserved 41 = Reserved 42 = One of four motor drivers had drive "A" shorted to ground 43 = Engine air intake temperature Buss message missing 44 = Country code Buss message missing System Faults 45 = Mode motor was not responding 46 = AI (Recirc) motor was not responding 47 = Left temperature door was not responding 48 = Right temperature door was not responding 49 = Mode door travel range too small 50 = Mode door travel range too large 51 = AI (Recirc) door travel range too small 52 = AI (Recirc) door travel range too large 53 = Left temperature door travel too small 54 = Left temperature door travel too large 55 = Right temperature door travel too small 56 = Right temperature door travel too large 57 = Calibration check sum error 58 = Engine coolant temp bus message missing 59 = Vehicle speed bus message missing 60 = Engine RPM bus message missing 61 = OAT bus message missing 62 = Display intensity bus message missing 63 = VIN number bus message missing 64 = Raw OAT bus message was missing 65 = Reserved 66 = Reserved 67 = Reserved
    NOTE: A battery disconnect will erase all faults stored in Random Access Memory (RAM) of the AZC control module. It is recommended that all faults be recorded before they are erased.
    RETRIEVING FAULT CODES
    1. To begin the fault code tests, depress the A/C and Recirc buttons at the same time and rotate the left temperature control knob clockwise (CW) one detent, then release the push-button.
    2. If there are no fault codes, the “00” display value will remain in the VF window.</B> Should there be any codes, each will be displayed for one second in ascending numerical sequence (note: no effort is made to display faults in the order they occurred). The left side set temperature display will be blanked and the right side set temperature display will indicate current and historical codes (8 historical max) presently active. Once all codes have been displayed, the system will repeat the fault code numbers. This will continue until the left side set temperature control is moved at least one detent position in either direction, by pressing both the A/C and Recirc buttons at the same time, or the ignition is turned off. Record all of the fault codes, then see the Current and Historical Fault Code charts for the descriptions.
    CLEARING FAULT CODES

    Current faults cannot be electronically cleared. Repair must be made to the system to eliminate the fault causing code. Historical fault codes can be cleared manually, or automatically. To clear a historical fault manually, depress and hold either the A/C or Recirc button for at least three seconds while the display is in the fault code mode of operation. Historical fault codes are cleared automatically when the corresponding current fault code has been cleared, and has remained cleared for a number of ignition cycles. The faults have been cleared when two horizontal bars appear in the Test Selector display.
    EXITING SELF-DIAGNOSTIC MODE

    The self-diagnostic mode can be exited by pressing both the A/C and Recirc buttons at the same time, or turning off the ignition.
    MONITOR CURRENT PARAMETERS

    While in the display fault code mode of operation, current system parameters can also be monitored and/or forced. Rotating the left side set temperature control clockwise will increase the pointer number while rotating the control counter clockwise will decrease the pointer number. Rotating the right set temperature control will have no impact on pointer value or the value of the parameter being monitored. Once the desired pointer number has been selected, pressing either the AC or Recirc buttons will display the current value of the selected parameter. The right side set temperature display is only capable of displaying only values ranging from 0 to 99, the left side set temperature display is used for values greater than 99. If the value is less than 99, the left side set temperature display remains blanked. </B>While a parameter is being overridden, the system will continue to function normally except for the parameter which is being manually controlled.
    For values < 0, the "G" segment in the left side set temperature Most Significant Digit (MSD)(or left-most number in the pair) will be used to indicate a negative number. For values between -01 to -99 the Least Significant Digit (LSD)(or right-most number of the pair) in the left side set temperature will remain blank. System control of parameter being displayed can be overridden by rotating the right set temperature control in either direction. Rotating the right temperature control in the CW direction, the selected parameter value is overridden and incremented beginning at the value which was being displayed. Rotating the right temperature control in the CCW direction, the selected parameter value is overridden and decremented beginning at the value which was being displayed. The rate at which incrementing and decrement occurs is one unit value per set temperature detent position.
    HVAC SYSTEM POINTER Pointer Number DESCRIPTION Value Displayed 01 A/C Enable 0 or 1 0 = disabled 1 = enabled 02 Final fan PWM duty cycle 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 03 Left NPRG * 0 to 255 * NPRG equals a calculated number based on outside and in-vehicle conditions. This value is used by the AZC to position the Mode motor, Air Inlet motor, and control blower motor speed. While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 04 Right NPRG 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 05 Avg NPRG 0 TO 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 06 Primary control side 0 or 1 0 = left 1 = right 07 EE Check sum (calculated) 0 to 255 08 Target intensity (in % ON time) 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 09 Not Used 0 to 0 10 Not Used 0 to 0 11 Right NINC * 0 to 255 * NINC equals a calculated number based on the IR sensor and IR thermistor values used to calculate the NPRG. While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 12 Left NINC 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 13 Right NMIX * 0 to 255 * NMIX equals a calculated number based on outside and in-vehicle conditions used by the AZC to position the Temperature motors. While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 14 Left NMIX 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CW = decrease 15 Not Used 0 to 0 16 Not Used 0 to 0 17 Reserved 18 Reserved 19 Reserved
    MODE VALUE POINTER Pointer Number DESCRIPTION Value Displayed 20 mode range in delta counts 0 to 9999 21 Current mode position (in counts) 0 to 9999 22 mode target position in ratio 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 23 mode target position in counts 0 to 9999 24 Not Used 0 to 0 25 number of valve moves since last index 0 to 9999 26 Not Used 0 to 0 27 Not Used 0 to 0 28 Not Used 0 to 0 29 mode motor state 0 to 5 0 = in position, 1 = moving toward panel, 2 = moving toward defrost, 3 = searching range, 4 = stalled moving toward panel, 5 = stalled moving toward defrost
    LEFT SIDE TEMPERATURE POINTER Pointer Number DESCRIPTION Value Displayed 30 Left side temp range in delta counts 0 to 9999 31 Current left side temp position (in counts) 0 to 9999 32 Left side temp target position (in ratio) 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 33 Left side temp target in counts 0 to 9999 34 Not used 0 to 0 35 number of valve moves since last index 0 to 9999 36 Not used 0 to 0 37 Not used 0 to 0 38 Not used 0 to 0 39 Left side temp motor state 0 to 5 0 = in position, 1 = moving toward panel, 2 = moving toward defrost, 3 = searching range, 4 = stalled moving toward panel, 5 = stalled moving toward defrost
    RIGHT SIDE TEMPERATURE POINTER Pointer Number DESCRIPTION Value Displayed 40 Right side temp range in delta counts 0 to 9999 41 Current right side temp position (in counts) 0 to 9999 42 Right side temp target position (in ratio) 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 43 Right side temp target in counts 0 to 9999 44 Not used 0 to 0 45 number of valve moves since last index 0 to 9999 46 Not used 0 to 0 47 Not used 0 to 0 48 Not used 0 to 0 49 Right side temp motor state 0 to 5 0 = in position, 1 = moving toward panel, 2 = moving toward defrost, 3 = searching range, 4 = stalled moving toward panel, 5 = stalled moving toward defrost
    AIR INLET POINTER Pointer Number DESCRIPTION Value Displayed 50 Air inlet range (in counts) 0 to 9999 51 Current air inlet position (in counts) 0 to 9999 52 Air inlet target position (in ratio) 0 to 255 While the value of this pointer is being displayed, turning the right set temperature control either direction will manually control the value. CW = increase; CCW = decrease 53 Air inlet target in counts 0 to 9999 54 Not used 0 to 0 55 number of motor moves since last index 0 to 9999 56 Not used 0 to 0 57 Not used 0 to 0 58 Not used 0 to 0 59 Air inlet motor state 0 to 5 0 = in position, 1 = moving toward panel, 2 = moving toward defrost, 3 = searching range, 4 = stalled moving toward panel, 5 = stalled moving toward defrost 60 Reserved 61 Actual Outside Air Temp (in degrees F) -40 to 215 62 Not used 0 to 0 63 Engine Intake Air Temperature (in degrees F) -40 to 215 64 Vehicle speed in MPH 0 to 255 65 Engine RPM/100 -0 to 82 66 Engine Coolant Temp - 40 (in degrees F) -40 to 215 67 Country Code 0 to 255 68 Not used 0 to 0 69 Not used 0 to 0
    IR SENSOR POINTER Pointer Number DESCRIPTION Value Displayed 70 Thermistor temp (in degrees) -40 to 215 71 Left side sensor A/D (filtered) 0 to 255 72 Right side sensor A/D (filtered) 0 to 255 73 Left side temp (in degrees F) -40 to 140 74 Right side temp (in degrees F) -40 to 140 75 Not used 0 to 0 76 Not used 0 to 0 77 Not used 0 to 0 78 Not used 0 to 0 79 Not used 0 to 0
    IDENTIFICATION POINTER Pointer Number DESCRIPTION Value Displayed 80 ROM bit pattern number (digits 1,2,3 & 4) 0 to 9999 81 ROM bit pattern number (digits 5,6,7 & 8) 0 to 9999 82 CAL bit pattern number (digits 1,2,3 & 4) 0 to 9999 83 CAL bit pattern number (digits 5,6,7 & 8) 0 to 9999 84 Not used 0 to 0 85 Not used 0 to 0 86 Not used 0 to 0 87 Not used 0 to 0 88 Not used 0 to 0 89 Not used 0 to 0
    OUTPUT CIRCUIT/ACTUATOR TESTS

    In the Output Circuit/Actuator Test mode, the output circuits can be viewed, monitored, overridden, and tested. If a failure occurs in an output circuit, test the circuit by overriding the system. Test the actuator through its full range of operation.
    1. To begin the Output Circuit/Actuator Tests you must be in the Select Test mode.
    2. With a “00” value displayed in the Test Selector and no stick man, turn the rotary temperature control knob until the test number you are looking for appears in the Test Selector display. See the Circuit Testing charts for a listing of the test numbers, test items, test types, system tested, and displayed values.
    3. To see the output value, depress the a/c or recirc button. The values displayed will represent the output from the AZC control module.
    4. To enter the actuator test, depress the a/c or recirc button. Then, rotate the right temperature set knob to the desired position.
 

Thnx, SteelHeadz---you've given me plenty to work with. Surely going thru one or all of these will tell us what is going on.

Thnx again !
 
I just had the same problem. Almost a week ago, my wife's blower finally went out completely on her '03 Grand Cherokee Ltd. with AZC. Anyway, ordered the parts because they were backordered of course. Well, yesterday the parts come in to my "new" dealer that's about 40 minutes away than my "old" and closed down dealer due to Chrysler's CEO's greed:x.

Anyway, about 20 minutes later the new parts are installed. Go inside and get a beer(tradition after a repair before testing), go back outside to test my work and voila, on high I could barely feel the air coming out of the vents:x:x . Sooooo, after 6 HOURS of verifying each door is working properly and checking codes, recalibrating the doors etc etc. Not long after that, I ran out of patience and I went to bed before I found my cutting torch:shock:

Called the stealer today and he advises me that one of his mechanics had the same problem and found that the blower was running backwards:idea: Ok, that makes sense in a weird way??? So, I call my wife and told her to meet me at home for lunch and I removed the 2-wire harness that connects between the blower module and blower motor, remove the cap on the end of the connector on one side(doesn't matter which one), remove the pins on the wires, swapped locations to reverse polarity, plug it back in, then I wish I was off of work so I could do the traditional beer drink so I skip that part and crank her up, turn on the blower very nervously and VOILA!!! It's done:D:D:D!!!!!

Give it a shot, might be the thing you're looking for. I found this post after searching keywords such as blower, blower not blowing hard etc. and thought that I owe it to you guys to at least post what I found to be the issue (at least for mine) so I signed up. Good Luck! Please let me know if this works for you.

Here's the part number's I was sold:
5096255-aa Blower Motor $130
5179985-aa Blower Module $75.60
68052436-aa Wire Harness $28.85

Jon
 
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jm_obrien, I think you may be on to something ! Our stories sure do sound the same, don't they ? I much appreciate SteelHeadz' recs, and had planned to devote time this weekend to running the diags. You may just have saved me the trouble ! (though I would be missing the post-test beer )

I am printing out both yours and SteelHeadz messages and taking to my mechanic. Before flapping the pages in his face, though, I will gently ask if the blower could possibly be running backwards. From that point, I'll know whether he needs your nicely detailed instructions.

I'm really grateful that you took the time to post, jm. One way or the other, with your suggestions and SteelHeadz', I know I'll be riding cool before long. Thnx again to you both---I'll report back.
 

Update--I called my mechanic and said I would like for him to take another look at the jeep, since the blower isn't working properly. I mentioned "being in touch" with someone who had the same issue and then I went on to outline the fix as reported by jm_obrien. Guess I didn't describe it just right, since what I got back from him, was "No, ma'am, that wouldn't work since orange goes to orange, green to green, etc. I think the part he missed was swapping pins on the wires.....not swapping the wires. AT least that's how my fuzzy brain sees it.

Anyway, this is what I meant by needing a leg to stand on when speaking to the mechanic, lol. So, he's expecting me to bring it back in this afternoon, and I'll be armed with all my good info from tis forum.

To be continued.....not for too long, I hope !
 
All he has to do is unplug the harness either at the blower OR the module, swap the wires in the connector by removing the pins and swapping their location in the connector and plug it back in. If he'd rather cut the wires and splice them back up backwards it would be the same thing. All he's doing is reversing the polarity of the motor. It's easier than it sounds and took me about 5 minutes from opening the door to closing it shut being fixed. The dealer I spoke to said it's a common problem and is either the module or the motor being wired backwards from the factory.
 
jon---direct quote from Eddie the mechanic: "You were right, I was wrong." Yes, it was a very quick job, and it was indeed the fix for my issue. What a relief----and I mean that literally !

Seems not all dealers know about it, though---Eddie called our local place while I was en route, and was told the only thing it could be was a broken vent. Um, ok.

Thanks again, jon, for taking the time to register on this forum, just to let me know about your case That's the beauty of an online community like this one--but it doesn't work if ppl don't share their knowledge and experience. Oh, and SteelHeadz---I'm saving my printout of the diags for future reference !
Thanks again to you both, and to Jeepz.com.
 

That's what these forums are for! Like I said previously, this is where I went to look for ideas so I just owed it to you and everyone else to relay my own experience. Mechanics aren't cheap and it could have taken one a really long time to figure it out on his own. Who would have thought it would have been so simple?? You made my day, thanks for letting me know!

Jon
 
Amazing timing, I had the exact same thing happen about a year ago. I replaced the wiring harness with the replacement kit about a year ago and had to use a dremel tool to cut the melted plastic away to get the new plug into the BCM. It must have done too much damage to the circuit board, because it started doing the same thing about a month ago. I took the BCM out, opened it and one of the stabs was very loose on the ciruit board. I tried to order the direct replacement but was told that was no longer available and they shipped me the 5179985AA plus adapter kit 68052436aa. I wired up the incoming connections (the directions don't tell you anything about the wiring) red to red, black to black and striped to stiped, which makes sense to me. I then plugged the blower moter connection up, reconnected the battery terminal, turned it on and whoa and behold it blew very little air, sounded like it was sucking and stopped (I still have not figured that out). I disconnected everthing, broke out the meter and tried to figure out how it was supposed to work. I also started worring that I had had fried the resistor or the motor. Turned out the wires on the replacement kit between the BCM and the blower motor are backwards. I'm thinking the new solution must have been designed by the same engineers that designed this entire vehicle. I popped the retaining clip out on the connector, switched the wire positions, plugged it back in and it works fine.
 
Thanks that is very informative. I am going to order the retrofit instead of a used original part. But please tell me which wires you switched to make it work. Dan
 

I have a Wrangler but this thread makes me very proud to be a member of the "Z"!!!!! Hope y'all get those blowers going!!!
 
Thanks that is very informative. I am going to order the retrofit instead of a used original part. But please tell me which wires you switched to make it work. Dan
The wires they are reffering to is the 2 that comes from the blower motor. Disconnect the connector from the blower motor wiring. Look for a prmirary retainer(a piece of plastic that has a different color than the connector), disengage that clip, then use a small pick and unlatch the connector pin from the connector housing. Take note of the wire positions. do the same for the other pin and swap the two positions and re-install everything then test it out..
 
I just wanted to thank you for posting this. I used the retrofit kit a few weeks ago and the blower had been weak ever since. I was contemplating installing a new motor, but it didn't make sense so I was trying to find an alternative solution. I switched the pins and now all in the world is good!
 

Hi, I just discovered the resistor problem along with the blend door problem on my 2001.

Does anyone know if the 2001 JGC uses the new 5179985AA and 68052436AA kit? Also I haven't had much luck finding the parts online, do they have to be ordered through the dealer only? Lastly is there anyone who can post a picture of the wire that needs to be reversed? I think I know which one it is but a picture would make me a lot more confident that I did it right. Thanks all for all your info and help.

pete
 
I had to get my part from the dealer.After you install the new part if it doesn't blow very hard then reverse the 2 wires going to the motor. You will be able to pop the pins out on the connector that plugs into the circuit board. I think the wires are red and black,if you trace them to the motor then you have the right ones! Have fun! The retrofit heat sink is much bigger so don't think you have the wrong one.
 
Hi, I just discovered the resistor problem along with the blend door problem on my 2001.

Does anyone know if the 2001 JGC uses the new 5179985AA and 68052436AA kit? Also I haven't had much luck finding the parts online, do they have to be ordered through the dealer only? Lastly is there anyone who can post a picture of the wire that needs to be reversed? I think I know which one it is but a picture would make me a lot more confident that I did it right. Thanks all for all your info and help.

pete
The kit your reffering to for the blend door is a revised design housing and actuator to prevent future premature failure. One more thing to take note , the previous manufacturer of the HVAC housing assemblies for all the Chrysler, Dodge and Jeeps filed for bankruptcy and all the tooling went with that banckruptcy. The new manufacturer has a similar but not exactly the same design although, it seems to be a better design than the old one, the housing sections would need to be swapped out if a component fails and with that, the kit is offered to repair that blend door failure.
 

Thanks for your replies. I compared the resistor I got from Napa with the dealers when I picked up the wiring and they are all the same size. I had them check for any newer version and those part numbers I listed above and they didn't show that resistor for my vehicle. Anyway I wired it up and it all worked well (at least for now). Now I just have to wait for the blend doors to come in.
Thanks again.

pete
 
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