Greetings everyone!
I'm new to the board and I'm trying to help a friend at work fix their 2000 Ford Contour. The A/C blower fan switch supposedly operates on all levels except high....with a little jiggling of the switch. I searched the archives and found the switch and resistor pack were common trouble areas for this model. There's a nice photo of the resistor pack location and removal instructions but none on the switch itself.
Can someone outline the replacement procedure for the fan switch? Does the switch pull straight out or do I need to remove any panels for access?
Thanks!
BenP
Atlanta, GA
Thanks Tony!
I was talking about the fan switch that supposedly has 3 or 4 speed settings. The procedure looks pretty straight forward on the Autozone website.
Thanks again!
Ben
Err.., the only glitch might be removal of the radio. You need two of U-shaped "pins" to release the latch on the inside. The autoparts stores which sell radios usually have them or you could try a dealer.
I've just finished part of this procedure...a few points:
1. Removal of the dash bezel thingy around the radio and climate control is a little tricky but all you really have to do is get the radio out, get your fingers behind the area that's got the dimmer wheel in it, and pry from the bottom side out. It pops loose and in my case, shed one of the springy steel clips in the process. Startling, because you'll think you broke it, but most likely not.
2. Each plug into the climate control panel has a different way of fastening in. You'll pry, press, and pop them loose, but luckily it seems like it'll be really easy to reattach everything.
3. Getting the knob off the switch is a PAIN. I literally ended up having to use locking pliers, a t-shirt to protect the plastic, and a ton of leverage. I don't know how else you could do it, since you really don't want to pry off the knob. Downside...removing the knob seems to have broken the little retaining tab in the knob itself that had it so stoutly fastened to the shaft, but on the upside, it seems to stay on well enough anyway.
The TSB calls for replacing the wire plug as well as the switch, which means cutting and crimping and heat-wrapping wires, but I'm going to try just the switch to see if that gets my A/C back in the game. If it does, I may leave the wires for later when it's not so hot/humid out.
And it works! Installed and tested it this morning, sweet, sweet cold A/C is back!
BIG HEADS-UP...*triple* check your fuses. Your owner manual will describe the exact location, but there's a big yellow boxy one in the interior fusebox that I discovered, after installing the switch, to be loose! When I went back out to my car to go to work, the fan didn't come on, and on a hunch I just tapped the bottom of my fusebox and it came on, so that fuse definitely is suspect.
For all I know, it was the problem all along.
Non-issue, although I bought the part anyway. Not sure if I'm going to try to return it (locally), sell it, or hold it in reserve.
If you decide to sell it, PM me. I know mine will go out one month after 10 years (in 10 months). And even if it goes out now, it would be faster and cheaper (time off from work to drop off) to replace it myself and the hassle of having to convince them it is the resistor.
And the switch is good for at least another 100K miles (or more).