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Need help with AAC Fan controller

7K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  mikko73 
#1 · (Edited)
Need help with AAC Fan controller **Updataed** fixed it!

Alright i need some help here guys from anybody who might know. I think I have a problem with my Auto Air Conditioning Fan controller on my 94 SE. About a year ago, my cabin blower stopped working. It stayed that way for a day or so and then started again. Then a few month ago, it happened again (during a road trip too!). It has now stopped working once more, and this time, I am hunting it down! I have a feeling that it is my Fan Controller that has gone bad. I did some searching and found this post, which leads me to believe it is faulty.

http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=36785&highlight=blower+motor

So here is my problem. Tonight I tore into the Saab attempting to remove the fan controller but I am not so sure I have gotten the right thing. I removed the glove box, and center console side cover and think that this is the right thing, but it doesent look like any of the pictures shown for the part on thesaabsite.com or eeuroparts.com. Pic number One and two is the part in question, and pic three is where I removed it from.

This is the picture that the saab site shows:


And eeuroparts is similar pic. But what it really looks like is what thesaabsite shows for a 9-3 controller:


Can anybody shed some light on this for me? Is there anyway to test this bugger? I have also seen a TSB from townsend on this but the pictures are missing so it is of little help. (http://www.townsendimports.com/Saab_TSB_Folder/Saab_TSB_pdfs/871_1847.PDF)

It seems from this TSB that a part change has occured in production, so maybe the one I have is old and ones shown online are new, or mine is new and ones shown are old!? I am hoping that somebody else (ASboy_genius)knows a little more than me here and can help me out!

Thanks in advance!

Tboy
 

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#2 · (Edited)
Tboy-

The part in the pictures you took seems to mount in the same location as the fan controller I found mounted (the one in the first/top picture). However your part seems to differ from the part found on later cars - maybe because your's was the first production year? That's definitely a resistor of sorts, and it has the same wires/connector as the "later" fan controller. I would think that a newer fan controller would be a direct fix/connection.

Since your fan seems to function randomly, I would first check the connection up on the fan side, under the black plastic piece the windshield wipers come through, as the connection up there isn't really sealed or anything.

Here is a pic of what mine was like...hope it helps, and best of luck.



As per 20Ted's and Munki's directions to test this part, but it wasn't too helpful for me, I just bought new parts one-by-one until it was fixed:cry: :


Simplified Saab WIS Procedure for "Fan doesn't work":

1) Check Fuse #3 and make sure it's live.

2) With key in ignition and ignition turned to ON, unplug the 8-pin connector from the rear of the control panel and check whether pin 2 of the connector is live.

3) Check the wiring from pin 2 to fuse 3 for continuity/shorting.

4) Unplug the fan's connector and leave control panel plugged in. Check (for ACC models):
-fan speed 1 should give a reading of 12 V on pin 1 (
-fan speed 2 should give a reading of 12 V on pin 7
-fan speed 3 should give a reading of 12 V on pin 6
-fan speed 4 should give 12 V on pin 3
-Change control panel if any reading is incorrect

5) Turn igniton back OFF. Check the leads for shorting/continuity if the last step gave all correct readings, but you got bad readings in the step before that.
 
#3 ·
ASboy_genius said:
Tboy-

The part in the pictures you took seems to mount in the same location as the fan controller I found mounted (the one in the first/top picture). However your part seems to differ from the part found on later cars - maybe because your's was the first production year? That's definitely a resistor of sorts, and it has the same wires/connector as the "later" fan controller. I would think that a newer fan controller would be a direct fix/connection.

Since your fan seems to function randomly, I would first check the connection up on the fan side, under the black plastic piece the windshield wipers come through, as the connection up there isn't really sealed or anything.

Here is a pic of what mine was like...hope it helps, and best of luck.



As per 20Ted's and Munki's directions to test this part, but it wasn't too helpful for me, I just bought new parts one-by-one until it was fixed:cry: :


Simplified Saab WIS Procedure for "Fan doesn't work":

1) Check Fuse #3 and make sure it's live.

2) With key in ignition and ignition turned to ON, unplug the 8-pin connector from the rear of the control panel and check whether pin 2 of the connector is live.

3) Check the wiring from pin 2 to fuse 3 for continuity/shorting.

4) Unplug the fan's connector and leave control panel plugged in. Check (for ACC models):
-fan speed 1 should give a reading of 12 V on pin 1 (
-fan speed 2 should give a reading of 12 V on pin 7
-fan speed 3 should give a reading of 12 V on pin 6
-fan speed 4 should give 12 V on pin 3
-Change control panel if any reading is incorrect

5) Turn igniton back OFF. Check the leads for shorting/continuity if the last step gave all correct readings, but you got bad readings in the step before that.
Well I am glad I have found the right part at least! I will double check the fan connections but I had that out a couple of weeks ago to clean the filter and made sure the connections were good. funny thing is that this is not intermitent in terms of days, but months! it will work for months before stopping, but this time hasn't started up again.

Is this fan check procedure any good for an ACC system? I don't think it is since we don't have 4 defined fan speeds. I think this would only be OK for the manual controlled models. The rear of my ACC unit has far more than 8 pins, its more like 24 or so!

Do you know how this should work? Is it some kind of resistor? I checked for continuity with an ohm meter and the side with three pins is all connected internally, and the other side is not, except for the center two pins. Don't know if that means anything though.

Thanks for your help!

Tboy
 
#4 ·
I think the answer to which one to use is on the EPC CD. That part changed in mid-96, and BOTH the old and the new versions are NLS (no longer sold). Either way, the part you order will not look exactly like the one you have.

The replacement for the newer one is the same as the part for the 9-3. I looked it up to make sure, eEuroparts has the corresponding VIN numbers and models.

From the Saab EPC:

1994 - mid 1996:
Article : Control unit
PartNo : 4230645
Usage : ACC, NLS-USE 7495930
Order Quantity : 1

mid 1996 - 1998:
Article : Control unit
PartNo : 4758173
Usage : ACC, NLS-USE 5045158
Ch. T2032251--
Ch. T7006162--
Order Quantity : 1

1998-2002:
Article : Control unit
PartNo : 5045158
Usage : ACC
Order Quantity : 1

From eEuroparts:

Part Code: 7495930
Part Name: Fan Speed Controller
Part Brand: Genuine Saab
Part Cost: $82.40
Part Description:
Fan speed controller for any 94- mid 96 900 w/ACC (SE models) to VIN# T2032250(3dr/5dr), T7006161 (conv). Genuine Saab.
 
#5 ·
OK well everybody thanks for the help. Turned out to not be the fan speed controller after all! I should have pulled off the cowl to look at the fan first thing, but since I had just been in there a few weeks ago, I didn't really see anything out of place then.

After mulling around, I figured I'd better take a look at the fan before ordering any parts. Look what I found!!


This is the little connector that connects the fan motor to power. The black plastic is the plug, and the rest is the receptacle. What had happened is that the power wire got so corroded that the resistance went up, and it started to get very hot! Eventually burnt out the plug as you see here! I had smelled a slight burning for some time, but could not track it down.

I fixed it by removing the whole part, and hooking up the wires directly. This part for an ACC car is nothing more than a plug, and it looks like the part where the resistor pack would plug in on a manually controlled car. Got it all put back together tonight and it is working great once again!!!

Just goes to show, check the obvious stuff first! I found this in minutes once the cowl was off because I tugged on the wires and one came right out!

At least I didn't loose much more than my time pulling out the fan speed controller!

Tboy
 
#6 ·
Intermittent Fan performance when A/C is on

I'm not sure if my problem is related, but my 1999 Saab 9-3 does the following:

If I have the A/C on for more than 10-15 minutes, the airflow seems to cut out (though I still hear the fan blowing nice and hard). Even under these low flow conditions, the air is still nice and cold. At some point later (5 minutes - 25 minutes), it magically comes back on at the designated fan speed. This happens when driving on highways or 'city' street. This happens when I turn off the A/C, turn it back on, adjust vents, air speed, etc.

After reading posts on "air conditioning" I can't seem to find anyone with the same problem. This problem doesn't happen when the heat is on, so I believe it's related to A/C.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
 
#7 ·
Voltage control for the fan motor?

Tboy said:
OK well everybody thanks for the help. Turned out to not be the fan speed controller after all! I should have pulled off the cowl to look at the fan first thing, but since I had just been in there a few weeks ago, I didn't really see anything out of place then.

After mulling around, I figured I'd better take a look at the fan before ordering any parts. Look what I found!!


This is the little connector that connects the fan motor to power. The black plastic is the plug, and the rest is the receptacle. What had happened is that the power wire got so corroded that the resistance went up, and it started to get very hot! Eventually burnt out the plug as you see here! I had smelled a slight burning for some time, but could not track it down.

I fixed it by removing the whole part, and hooking up the wires directly. This part for an ACC car is nothing more than a plug, and it looks like the part where the resistor pack would plug in on a manually controlled car. Got it all put back together tonight and it is working great once again!!!

Just goes to show, check the obvious stuff first! I found this in minutes once the cowl was off because I tugged on the wires and one came right out!

At least I didn't loose much more than my time pulling out the fan speed controller!

Tboy
In my 1994 Saab 900S 2.3i with ACC, the fan motor is not rolling at all, at any speed setting. I took the covers off for the same voltage plug, and measured the voltage: about 7 volts DC, independent on the user control setting for the fan speed. When I took the ACC OFF, the voltage dropped to zero (as assumed). When I connected directly the battery plus and minus poles into the fan motor voltage pins, the motor started (with full power).

Do you know, what should the voltage control values (in volts) be with minimum and maximum fan speed settings? If the values begin lower than 7 volts, why doesn't my fan roll with this measured 7 volts? If they begin over 7 volts, my fan speed controller is probably broken? Any other possible causes for this fault? How can I test if the fan speed controller is working correctly?

Thanks a lot!
 
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