Blower still now working...wire schematics?

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

Hi group,

Here's the story:

1999 Ford Contour SE (yes its a v6...all SE's are v6). Garage kept all it's life & in Excellent condition. About 97,500 miles, 75% highway / freeway.

Blower motor quit last week with no warning. Here's the history of attempted fixes:
* 30 amp fuse from interior underdash location ok, but replaced anyway.
* Blower relay seemed ok, but switched out with another one...and that circuit continued to work...so blower relay must have been ok. Left switched like that.
* Blower motor runs with 12 volts applied directly.
* Blower motor resistor was ok, but replaced anyway (liked the better design of the new one)
* Blower Switch replaced. Not sure if it was bad, but replaced anyway. After replacement, seemed like liquid was inside the old switch. Clueless on how it got there.
* Underhood "maxi fuse" in power distribution box looks ok.
* No indication of shorting or burning in any of the connectors involved with this repair. All wiring seems solid, flexible, and appears as new.

I need a wiring diagram for this specific vehicle, and advice on where & how to find what is probably a wiring issue.

Any help?

Thanks,

And to answer your other question.

From the Forum FAQ.
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Originally posted by SetiRich:

(yes its a v6...all SE's are v6).

This is off topic, but not all SE's have the v6(Duratec). All 95-97 SE's have it, but not all 98-00 SE's have it.

I think it's 95-98 se's have v6's...but not all 98.5-00's have them

Well folks,

Your right and I'm wrong...

Just looked at my 98 & 99 Catalogs and both have the Z as the standard engine. Guess it's been a long time since I looked at those...and every time I see an SE it seems to have the 2.5 thing on it...so it must be a popular option...

Anyway...I learned two things today...

Thanks also to Tony for ... uh ... adjusting my vision!

Hi, I'm the guy with the same blower problem like you do.
No problem on the fuse and relay or resistor.
Ordered a switch and will give it a try.

But, before that I want to know how I get the panel on the switch off?
The panel is different from the instrustion on autozone.
Do I need to take the panel with the cup holder on the bottom too?

I have the exact same issue as SetiRich. Tried everything. However after I checked the switch and changed the resistor, I let the fuse box down in the car and the fan started working. It worked for a day or so then quit again. Fuse is fine so I replaced the relay, still no fan. Any help for SetiRich and I would be greatly appreciated.

Originally posted by Sivart:
I have the exact same issue as SetiRich. Tried everything. However after I checked the switch and changed the resistor, I let the fuse box down in the car and the fan started working. It worked for a day or so then quit again. Fuse is fine so I replaced the relay, still no fan. Any help for SetiRich and I would be greatly appreciated.

Check out this thread and pay particular attention to Jeb Hoge's posts. He mentions the fuses too. You may want to check if the connections to the relay and fuses are clean and tight.

http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=1003884&Forum=trouble&Words=jeb%20hoge&Match=Entire%20Phrase&Searchpage=0&Limit=25&Old=3months&Main=1002191&Search=true#Post1003884

Hang in there guys...I found the issue...at least with my Contie...and its either easy or hard to fix...but I've got to do some stuff right now...and for a few hours...I'll post the story with pic's later tonight...(Saturday).

Found the issue...It was not any of the things we've been talking about:

Found some instructions on diagnosis of this issue...followed the instructions...ended up taking out the central distribution box...the fusebox by the clutch (for those of you with mtx).

It was a wire / connector set going into the dist. box...would be the top of the box as it's normally latched up into its proper location. You can take it completely out of the car by doing these things:

Disconnect your battery first...you'll be messing with lots of hot wires & connectors

1.) Swing the inside fuse box down by releasing the latch on the right side of the box...as if you were just going to change a fuse.

2.) Looking at the way it's attached, you can see it pivots on two large posts sticking out from the black part of it. By pushing/pulling the whole dist. box toward the rear of the car, you can snap the large pivots out of their holders.

***Before you take the long connectors outâ�?�¦write down which side each goes into! One is white & one is black on the endâ�?�¦youâ�?��?�ll see what I meanâ�?�¦***

3.) Lots of wire harness's to disconnect...two large long ones on the fuse side first...there is a push tab on the fuse end of each long connector...push this in and the whole long connector pivots up with the other end still attached. Get it far enough out so it's not connected electrically, and you can move the long block pivots towards the fuses, and the whole long connector will come away from the white section of the box...sorry if it seems like I'm rambling...

4.) After both of these are clear, you have to get the connectors free on the other side. Spend a little time studying each one and carefully push the tab for each, and work the connector out of the box.

5.) There are 5 connectors going into this box. One is a single wire. One is a two wire with really big wires...it's the main stuff from the battery. There are two more with multiple (more than 4) wires. The one that I burnt out is on the corner of the box, has 3 pins in the socket on the box, but only two of them are used, at least in my model, a very early 1999.

Hereâ�?��?�s some picâ�?��?�s of the stuff:

The spot with missing fuse box. Note the two slots where the boxâ�?��?�s mounting posts came out of.

Note the ears that make the hinge of the fusebox. You can also see the corrosion in the box socket:

Not the box with its long connectors missing. You can see the hinge points of those connectors by my thumb here.

Here are a couple of shots to show you the long connectors hinge points. Phewâ�?�¦looks like I better get the leaves vacuumed out of my car!

This connector looks like its toast!

So anyway, I needed to use the car, so I put it back together (no dealers open in Detroit on Saturday). Thought Iâ�?��?�d leave the nasty connector unplugged (Iâ�?��?�d do an acoustic set) until I replaced it, but the car wouldnâ�?��?�t start, so I plugged it in and the car started up ok.

WTH!!!!The darn blower started working!!! Jeezâ�?�¦.I must have scrapped some of the stuff off somewhere in that connectionâ�?�¦enough to complete a circuit and it works.

Still have to replace that connector & clean up the stuff on / in the box socket. But itâ�?��?�s clearly at fault for all of this nonsense in my caseâ�?�¦

Iâ�?��?�d have a look at this boxâ�?�¦and itâ�?��?�s connectors in yoursâ�?�¦if youâ�?��?�ve got the problem or notâ�?�¦you might someday, and itâ�?��?�s always easier to clean up electrical connections on a nice 65 degree fall dayâ�?�¦that sometime this winter when itâ�?��?�s really cold. I can only guess why this connector would go on me like this. Maybe itâ�?��?�s the material that is in either the connector or the spade in the box socket (itâ�?��?�s a male socket). Maybe they just didnâ�?��?�t like each other electricallyâ�?�¦sometimes trace amounts of a metal in a product can cause this. Whatever it is, I guess I might be good for another 100,000 miles or soâ�?�¦

Originally posted by SetiRich:
Found the issue...It was not any of the things we've been talking about:

Ok. Are you like an electrical engineer of what?

Thanks for posting your solution.

if thats not a problem it could just be a bad ground check the voltage from the power leading in to the frame , or just do a voltage drop test , no need to replce parts when thats likely not the problem.

What are you talking about? the prob was fixed.. lol

not reading the whole thread, I see!

Ray

Continuing with the saga of the fuseboxâ�?�¦.

Yesterday, Sunday, I realized that the connector that I had bought previously for the blower motor resistor was very similar, if not identical to the one that needed replacement going into the fusebox. But I didnâ�?��?�t get around to it yesterday, so today I checked, and yep, itâ�?��?�s the same connector. Good thing too, as I checked at the dealer, and you canâ�?��?�t buy a repair kit for this connection. If anything goes, the book says to replace the entire wire harnessâ�?�¦the one that runs throughout the whole dashboard. Didnâ�?��?�t sound like something I wanted to get intoâ�?�¦so I opted to do a bit of splice-and-patch with the connector for the resistor. It fit like it was made for itâ�?�¦

I took the fuse box out of the car and brought it to my workbench, my kitchen table. (Itâ�?��?�s a bummer living on a slab foundation and not having a basement or some place to work on stuff like thisâ�?�¦) I took the box apart, because I wanted to see what was inside. Just a bunch of circuit plates made of plastic and metal. I found a bit of melting there, and might have some trouble in the future, but if I do, Iâ�?��?�ll know where to start looking. Below you can see pics of the box dissasembled, some closeups of the nasty corrosion and where the plates melted a bit, and some of the cleaned up stuff & the parts kit that fits this connection. Cleaned this up with a bit of the olâ�?��?� Dremel, some dental picks & scrapers, and some mini files

Just for grins, and for anyone looking at this someday after I broom those pics off my server, the part number for the kit is F5RZ-14A411-CA Itâ�?��?�s about $14.

If your freaked out by this level of dis-assembly, then just donâ�?��?�t do it! Otherwise, have fun, but youâ�?��?�re on your own if you screw something upâ�?�¦

Hereâ�?��?�s that one edge with the nasty connector pins and the bit of melting. I didnâ�?��?�t really take it apart, since there was not any other circuits in the area. Iâ�?��?�m hoping that the heat was caused by the bad connectionâ�?�¦which made for poor conductivity, which heated things up. I guess if it blows again, Iâ�?��?�d better replace the whole box, but it looks like an expensive part, so Iâ�?��?�ll hold off on that.

The inside of the case, where the pins went through also need some work. Lotâ�?��?�s of corrosive stuff here to be removed. Be careful not to enlarge the pin holes too much.

And finally, all cleaned up and ready to go! Now I just have to put everything back together, splice the new connector into place (nice thick wires on the new connector), and plug everything back together.

Be sure you know what fuse goes into what slot when you put this back togetherâ�?�¦or it could get real sparky down thereâ�?�¦

So now Iâ�?��?�m off to put things back together, clean up the interior, and just forget about car repairs for a whileâ�?�¦I hope. If there are any further developments, or things I find out, Iâ�?��?�ll post back in this string to keep things together for future searchs

there was a blower motor switch recall for these cars issued by ford. i took mine in for it a long time ago. think too much resistance caused over heating and corrosion or something. maybe it s related.

4bangand5spd

Originally posted by Ray:
What are you talking about? the prob was fixed.. lol

not reading the whole thread, I see!

Ray

Originally posted by Tony2005:
4bangand5spd
Originally posted by Ray:
What are you talking about? the prob was fixed.. lol

not reading the whole thread, I see!

Ray

i know he said that he replaced the switch, just didnt know what else the dealer does to fix the problem and whether ford would remedy the situation after something had already gone wrong such as in his case. possibly reimbursing him.

maybe i missed the answer to that too. sorry.

Originally posted by 4banganda5spd:
... just didnt know what else the dealer does to fix the problem and whether ford would remedy the situation after something had already gone wrong such as in his case. possibly reimbursing him.

maybe i missed the answer to that too. sorry.

Apology not necessary.

I posted in jest. But as a follow up to your statement, no, I doubt Ford would remedy the situation (or reimburse you) unless it eventually turns out to be a safety-related recall.