Blower motor died, radio fuse stays hot.....

tre4s13

Member
Joined
Nov 8, 2010
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Ive googled my ass off and found little to no information about this subject...

i have a 89 jeep cherokee limited

the issue:

previous owner straight wired the stereo to a head unit.

the fix:

i got a factory plug from pullapart and put it back to OE spec, then used a harness to the headunit... like normal

the result:

stereo keeps popping fuses and blower motor no longer works...

what ive done:

removed all wiring back to where it was spliced (nothing connected or touching metal) and still getting the same symptoms...what the hell? can someone help....

i checked the fsm and it says there's a blue wire that powers the little dial on my climate control, should i try tapping into that? its damned cold in winston-salem right now...any help would be gratefully appreciated.
 
let me clarify....

1 radio fuse stays hot while the ignition is off.
2 blower fuse is intact, but blower isnt working.
3 rest of the climate control functions like normal (vent settings and heat/cold)
 
It sounds like something isn't wired right, even with that plug... I say.. un-install your CD player... Then rewire it.. the red wire on the cd player should splice into a wire that is hot all the time.. or just run a wire to your batt. then yellow wire should go to a wire that is only hot when the key is on. then the black.. ground... too easy.. I am sure if you where closer i would fix this problem for you. i have installed and fixed other ppl installs for a while now.
 
awww.cherokeeforum.com_attachments_f2_902d1228932809t_wiring_d5bd92aaaec204bd6694949993742d289.jpg


idk if this helps.. but its a wiring diagram for your radio.. If you want wire it right.
 
I've also seen and heard on the fan switch crapping out in Jeeps. Could just be a switch for the fan.
 
how did you fix your wires?

by hot do you mean as in 12v on it when ign is off?

unplug radio, recheck fuse,.if it fixes it, its the radio

if not recheck your wiring. you may have inadvertently tied live battery to radio fuse if you mean the fuse is got 12v, not as in its burning up hot.

if its burning up hot, check for pennies in the lighter outlet..


for blower motor, unplug it, run power into the connector. see if it works. if it doesnt, then your blower motor is bad. check for power on the connector for the harness side, turn blower motor on high and ignition on, you should have battery voltage or within .5v, if not check fuse, retry, if still no, check the fan resistor which is in the heater box next to the vacuum bulb on the passengers floor board. measure the resistance of each way, if any are open, thats one or all of the problems with the blower. I have a heat unit for a xj too if you test your switch and it is bad..
 
thx for the input fellas. but as clearly stated, i removed ALL wiring and the blower motor still isnt working, its not even registering on my multimeter in ohms or voltage... i understand, and know the concept of wiring a cd player.

what i was trying to accomplish was:

fix hacked (straight wired) wiring...back to the factory plug
and use the regular sosche harness thingy.

i've been reading about the blower resistor, is it possible to have just burnt that thing? from what youtube shows, they're friggin huge wound pieces of coils...surely i would have heard a POP sound if that went out, which i didnt.... once again thanks for the input.
 
tre4s13 said:
thx for the input fellas. i understand, and know the concept of wiring a cd player. what i was trying to accomplish was:
fix hacked (straight wired) wiring...back to the factory plug
and use the regular sosche harness thingy.
Click to expand...

yea, match the wire colors, assuming you got the same year harness as your heep and didn't change the wire colors (i've seen that)... what I was wondering as to what you meant by "radio fuse was "hot" " hot as in burning up or hot as in live? if its live with the ignition off, someone somewhere has jumped some wire to some where in the radio wiring ckt, in between ignition side and the radio.

tre4s13 said:
but as clearly stated, i removed ALL wiring and the blower motor still isn't working, its not even registering on my multimeter in ohms or voltage... i've been reading about the blower resistor, is it possible to have just burnt that thing? from what youtube shows, they're friggin huge wound pieces of coils...surely i would have heard a POP sound if that went out, which i didnt.... once again thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

if you have NO continuity across the blower motor, then its dead/burnt up. if you have no continuity across the blower resistor, then its blown/burnt up. failure of the blower resistor does not necessarily mean you will hear anything... vibration kills stuff too.. some things only can take so much flexing before they break, and stiff wire is one of them... it was unclear as to whether when you got the vehicle if it was working/not.
 
a_kelley said:
yea, match the wire colors, assuming you got the same year harness as your heep and didn't change the wire colors (i've seen that)... what I was wondering as to what you meant by "radio fuse was "hot" " hot as in burning up or hot as in live? if its live with the ignition off, someone somewhere has jumped some wire to some where in the radio wiring ckt, in between ignition side and the radio.

ignore the wiring part, that wasnt the issue....unless something shorted.

if you have NO continuity across the blower motor, then its dead/burnt up. if you have no continuity across the blower resistor, then its blown/burnt up. failure of the blower resistor does not necessarily mean you will hear anything... vibration kills stuff too.. some things only can take so much flexing before they break, and stiff wire is one of them... it was unclear as to whether when you got the vehicle if it was working/not.
Click to expand...

no, theres no continuity on the fuse side of the blower, ill check the actual blower in the morning.... thanks for posting ppl
 
ok, today i got the chance to pull the resistor thingy out... all coils have continuity and so does the little capacitor on it... now im completely lost. if everything is still intact then that means i have a power loss right?

on a side note, i did notice a relay with two plugs that go in it, half is black the other half is grey. the grey has the following colors:red/gold?, black, and grey. whereas the black plug has: white, green, and grey.

the black plug has two severed wires: green and grey....

Not sure if it was already like this but i cant even seem to locate the two wires that were severed other than whats on the plug.

man this sucks.
 
tre4s13 said:
ok, today i got the chance to pull the resistor thingy out... all coils have continuity and so does the little capacitor on it... now im completely lost. if everything is still intact then that means i have a power loss right?
Click to expand...
did you measure the voltage at the blower harness connector across the two terminals, under the hood in the passengers corner next to the firewall, under the shelf for the coolant reserve?
should have 12v there when the blower is set on. if not then you do have issues in the wiring.

tre4s13 said:
on a side note, i did notice a relay with two plugs that go in it, half is black the other half is grey. the grey has the following colors:red/gold?, black, and grey. whereas the black plug has: white, green, and grey.
the black plug has two severed wires: green and grey....
Not sure if it was already like this but i cant even seem to locate the two wires that were severed other than whats on the plug.
man this sucks.
Click to expand...

relay? there's an A/C freeze sensor, little metallic rectangular solid with one bare "wire" coming out... and the blower resistor.. I don't recall anything other than that. let me look in a few minutes at my heater box. i'll look and see what those two wires go to.. they are not supposed to be cut, so there should be two other cut wires of the same color. your orange vacuum line is unhooked from the vacuum diaphragm there..
 
a_kelley said:
did you measure the voltage at the blower harness connector across the two terminals, under the hood in the passengers corner next to the firewall, under the shelf for the coolant reserve?
should have 12v there when the blower is set on. if not then you do have issues in the wiring.
Click to expand...

that confused me... ill try and check, im guesing its behind that carbon canister thingy?

a_kelley said:
relay? there's an A/C freeze sensor, little metallic rectangular solid with one bare "wire" coming out... and the blower resistor.. I don't recall anything other than that. let me look in a few minutes at my heater box. i'll look and see what those two wires go to.. they are not supposed to be cut, so there should be two other cut wires of the same color. your orange vacuum line is unhooked from the vacuum diaphragm there..
Click to expand...

yea, i unhooked the vacuum while removing the diaphram to get to the right side screw on the resistor pack. and on the haynes fsm it states there is a relay and the ac thermostat (with one wire as you mentioned) that ac thingy is connected to the relay with two prongs green and grey/black i believe. but there truely is a relay. and off that relay the thermostat thingy is on the grey harness.
 
tre4s13 said:
that confused me... ill try and check, im guesing its behind that carbon canister thingy?
Click to expand...

no its just to the left of the carbon canister.. the haynes/fsm shows blower location, no? if not i'll snap a pic

tre4s13 said:
yea, i unhooked the vacuum while removing the diaphram to get to the right side screw on the resistor pack. and on the haynes fsm it states there is a relay and the ac thermostat (with one wire as you mentioned) that ac thingy is connected to the relay with two prongs green and grey/black i believe. but there truely is a relay. and off that relay the thermostat thingy is on the grey harness.
Click to expand...

ok. i'll look and see I have an 89 xj coming thursday.. mine's an 88 but I just tore it down, so I have no wiring in it.
 
tre4s13 said:
that confused me... ill try and check, im guesing its behind that carbon canister thingy?
yea, i unhooked the vacuum while removing the diaphram to get to the right side screw on the resistor pack. and on the haynes fsm it states there is a relay and the ac thermostat (with one wire as you mentioned) that ac thingy is connected to the relay with two prongs green and grey/black i believe. but there truely is a relay. and off that relay the thermostat thingy is on the grey harness.
Click to expand...
a_kelley said:
no its just to the left of the carbon canister.. the haynes/fsm shows blower location, no? if not i'll snap a pic
ok. i'll look and see I have an 89 xj coming thursday.. mine's an 88 but I just tore it down, so I have no wiring in it.
Click to expand...

yea i found it, under the reservoir and to the left of the canister... its getting darker and colder, i might mess with that tomorrow along with replacing my valve cover gasket...the asshat who owned it before me left all the valve cover bolts on loose... i can hand loosen them....

and once again thanks for helping, ill keep posting wether i figure this out or not...wish you lived nearby >_<
 
tre4s13 said:
yea i found it, under the reservoir and to the left of the canister... its getting darker and colder, i might mess with that tomorrow along with replacing my valve cover gasket...the asshat who owned it before me left all the valve cover bolts on loose... i can hand loosen them....
and once again thanks for helping, ill keep posting wether i figure this out or not...wish you lived nearby >_<
Click to expand...

if you do have power at the harness connector for the blower, then more than likely the blower motor is burnt up [test light may be preferable for this test, since it draws power and will show a weak connection, versus a meter that draws nothing compared to a test light]. You can verify the motor works/does not by running power into the two terminals on the /blower/ side of the connector, if it spins, its not getting power from the harness..... otherwise, the new motor is $27+tax at AZ..

GL.. if you were closer i'd come by and look at it. but your about 150 miles. and I have no vehicle. other than a loaner. that I need to drive the owner to/from work, and everyone else uses, I havent gotten to actually go to work in a week! (otherwise I may have. if my camry wasn't dead)
 
tre4s13 said:
that confused me... ill try and check, im guesing its behind that carbon canister thingy?
yea, i unhooked the vacuum while removing the diaphram to get to the right side screw on the resistor pack. and on the haynes fsm it states there is a relay and the ac thermostat (with one wire as you mentioned) that ac thingy is connected to the relay with two prongs green and grey/black i believe. but there truely is a relay. and off that relay the thermostat thingy is on the grey harness.
Click to expand...

damn bro, thx tho
 
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