Ventilation not working - NOW REPAIRED!

[Shude]

Originally posted by Steve_Perry
I take it that no amount of oiling, cleaning carbon bushes etc, coaxed the old one back into life?

I've not even started cleaning or oiling it, but that IS an option and would save me a small fortune. I need to find out exactly what's coming down those wires that plug into it, make sure that it's not really a controller that died and the fan is in fact working perfectly.

 

[Shude]

I took the fan apart, and used a glass fibre brush to clean the brushes and the commutator (spun it around in my hand with the fg brush inside). The insides were all shiny after that, all the dirt was gone from the contacts. I blew all the dust out and found a small LEAF behind one of the brushes! No wonder it wasn't working, the leaf was breaking the connection!

Powered it up in my hand, attached to the fan controller. Oh boy does that fan put some air out when on the top setting! Now I just need to put my car interior back together again!

Next time a fan breaks and you think about getting a new one, remember it could just be something stuck inside the motor! That's just saved me the £165 retail price of the fan!

 

[Shude]

Check this baby out! Makes a sound like a jet turbine when on the top fan setting! No wonder this is £165, it's VERY powerful!

 

[Ian B Walker]

Congrats on a good repair tutorial

 

[fuzzer]

Originally posted by Steve_Perry
18% discount? that's a cool gesture from the parts dept.
S.

Its only fair ... Thats the bulk discount for all the stuff he buys

 

[jimmy]

I said to clean it didn't I.

Have you taken the brushes out too? It's worth doing, take them out and rub the ends lightly with a piece of fine emery cloth then clean the whole motor with brake cleaner or meths, make sure it is dry before using it..........otherwise it could be nasty!!

 

[Brian WH]

Well done Nick.:bannana: :bannana:

We will make a Mechanic out of you yet.

 

[Shude]

Originally posted by jimmy
I said to clean it didn't I.

Yep, good advice

Originally posted by jimmy
Have you taken the brushes out too? It's worth doing, take them out and rub the ends lightly with a piece of fine emery cloth then clean the whole motor with brake cleaner or meths, make sure it is dry before using it..........otherwise it could be nasty!!

I took the brushes out (managed to find the springs after they fired out ) and cleaned them with the glass fibre brush. The rest of the motor was just a little dusty so I gave it a blow, coughed for 5 minutes and then blew at it again until no more dust came out, that's all I'm going to bother with for the time being. I think it's rare that a motor like that will actually "burn out", it seems to be a well designed, well constructed motor. Powerful too

 

[Koolvin]

wicked news!!!

Nothing like satisfaction of doing a job like that!!!!

 

[Steve_Perry]

Excellent!! Well done Nick :bannana: :bannana: :bannana:

I've heard of leaves on the line but leaves in the motor? LOL

S.

 

[Aswall]

Nice one, it's a great feeling knowing that you've kept the money in your pocket and done it yourself :bannana: I did a similar thing a few years back on my XJ6, that had 2 of the damn things. When one went I managed with the other one but when the second one went I had to do something. Replaced two relays and capacitors (was walked through it by a fantastically knowledgeable American guy on a Jag newsgroup), replaced the brushes with new ones, bought for a couple of quid, meant for power tools and cleaned and lubricated the insides of them. Absolute swine to get in and out though, had no skin on my hands afterwards so don't envy you getting all the gubbins back in again.

Cheers
Andy