[Healeys] 100 Heater motor or switch problem

Larry Wendland bighealey3k at aim.com
Fri Oct 26 12:16:54 MDT 2018


Well keep trying to fix it till it is good and broke. Some times those rheostats just need a little disturbance to get them to work properly. They get old and rub the winding in one place and need to be disturbed to get the wiper to rub on the winding in a different place on the winding. If it quiets again, shoot the money cannon and replace it. It may have more life in it still. 

Larry
'67 BJ8   


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Oritt <michael.oritt at gmail.com>
To: Austin Healey <healeys at autox.team.net>
Sent: Fri, Oct 26, 2018 11:53 am
Subject: [Healeys] 100 Heater motor or switch problem



About an hour ago I popped the spring clips off of the heater face-plate which gave me access to the back of the rheostat switch. I first verified that there was power to the switch and then jumped across the two posts with a screwdriver. The heater motor came on full blast, telling me that the problem was in the switch, which had felt a bit odd when I initially encountered the problem a few days ago as the "detent-like feel" when turning the fan on was missing. Though I assumed I had identified the problem as being in the switch I nevertheless turned the control knob just to see how it felt and--wonder of wonders--the fan motor immediately came on. What's more it responded perfectly to the rheostat, going from full blast to low just as it always had. 


I am 100% certain that I had the ignition switch on and the heater power lead connected with an intact fuse and I can only say that this is a typical Healey deal, and now that the car has my attention I am sure that should I simply close the heater up the switch will probably act up at some point in the future. I'm going to investigate whether I can source a replacement switch, either Lucas or not. I'll also take the opportunity to repaint the front plate in black crackle and I am going to close off the top opening that supplies heated air to the two vents in back of the windshield, which seems like a waste of hot air.

Thanks all for your patience and advise and I hope this gives some of you who have experienced similar situations a laugh.


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