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Re: heater blower

To: Pasanville@aol.com, alpines@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: heater blower
From: rgibbs@pacbell.net
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 2000 16:36:30 -0800
Pasanville@aol.com writes:
>Why does my heater motor run intermittently? I can turn it on high and
>low
>but it only operates for about 10-15 seconds. Anyone with ideas.

You want ideas?  Here are some ideas:

A motor runs when there is current flowing. The current path goes from 
battery through fuse, switch, wire, motor, then the return path is 
(maybe) through the chassis. 

Any problem anywhere in the chain can cause a malfunction.  However your 
description of it operates (always?) for about 10-15 seconds, (then 
stops completely?) would lead me to think:

most probably a thermally induced problem. Presumably you can switch the 
motor on and it runs for 10 seconds then shuts down because the wiring 
is heating and a flaw in the circuit is opening.  Maybe in the brush, 
maybe in the commutator, maybe in the windings.

I doubt that a switch, or wiring, would act like that.  A loose 
connection *might* operate like that, so don;t rule that out.  You could 
jiggle the wires at all connections that you might reach.  Ground 
connections have a shady reputation on British cars.

Good luck,

-Roger

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