2002 Saturn

could be fuse, switch, resistor, relay or motor. just guessing but think maybe you should have it checked out by tech. not a thing wrong with trying to solve the issue but to start with get a repair manual and register with autozone.com, add vehicle and go to repair section. diagnostic / symptoms.

Cd,

My opinion is that you should think about tackling this yourself.

What kind of Saturn?

What is your skill level?

We'll be glad to help but we need more info. Thanks.

Cd,

Don't cut yourself short. Female does not equal "no skill level". I know plenty of sharp female techs. Also, it's funny I've never had a female bring me a car that she butchered herself but I have had plenty of men do so. :-(

This problem isn't normally going to require a lot of skill and hopefully we'll be able to walk you through it but I wanted to get an idea.

Again, what kind of Saturn?

Have you tried giving the blower (fan) a little "impact technology" (giving it a couple of love taps)?

PS Helene Car Lady is online now maybe she'll stop buy your post.

Hello Cdown2957,

When you say your fan does not work do you really mean to say that not all the fan speeds are working and only one or two speeds are working?

Thank You
Helene

Helene Stranger,

You stop in and don't say hi? :-(

How have you been?

Are you watching the game with Big Block?

I know you've been busy with the limo thing but don't be a stranger. Take care.

Hello Cdown2957,

You have to troubleshoot the fan circuit since none of the speeds are working. Troubleshooting means making sure there aren't any blown fuses, blown master fuses all relays are operational and that all circuit wiring is in good condition. If all that checks out fine then replace the fan speed switch.

Hello Driveability,

No Super Bowl for me. Block and ASE and about 10.000 MARINES are out raising hell. I’m spending the next few days with my sister. I’m taking some time off from work to be with her. Actually I was expecting a call from her to pick her up from the airport and at the last millisecond when I posted my last answer the phone rang and I could tell it was her. I’m doing fine. Thank you for asking, and how are you doing. My shop is doing well, and I’m still doing the wiring for the stretched limos. Actually that’s picking up a bit and I’m getting more cars to work on. Block and ASE are at the shop just about everyday watching and criticizing everything I do and just plain driving me crazy. The positive side of their insanity is that they have pushed me to levels within myself that I never knew existed. I’m beginning to understand what it means to be a MARINE and what drives these men. Honestly I've never learned so much in such a short time. Nice talking to you and be well. Thank You.

Best Regards
Helene

Cd,

With all due respect to Helene, I would take a different approach. It could definitely be a faulty switch but I would check for power and ground going to the blower motor first. It's like this... If you had a light that wouldn't come on in your house, what would you do? Would you go through all the wiring in your house and check the switch or would you check to see if the bulb is faulty? Again, it could easily be the switch but if you have a good power and ground supply to the motor the problem is obvious.

Sorry I can't help you on the "woman to woman" thing. :-)

Let us know if you or your friend need our help on the tests.

Cindy,

(You Said) My heater will work while I am driving but the fan does not work.

I'm surprised the others didn't pick up on this, but I sure did. The fan and heater in your car are connected. In other words if you set your heater controls to blow onto your face and feet, you're not gonna feel the heat blowin onto your face and feet till you turn the fan on. Since your claim is that the fan is not coming on, then how can the heater be working while driving?

Are you sure your above description of the problem is correct?

Do you have heat and is the fan working at higher driving speeds?

Does "While Driving" mean while the car is in motion at highway speeds, and at slower speeds or an idle the fan and heater are not working?

Do you see what I'm gettin at here? In terms of automotive repair and theory your description of the problem doesn't add up. You gotta clear this up, by givin us a detailed accurate description of the exact problem before we can help you further.

Cindy,

Gravity has nothing to do with this.

The first thing is to determine if the wire connections going directly to fan are good. The connections must be on tight, and free of all dirt, rust and corrossion. The same thing goes for the resistor which impacts fan speeds and is part of the circuit. If the connections are good, then the next step is to apply direct voltage to the fan (with jumper leads) from the battery to see if the fan comes on. If it comes on then the fan is good and doesn't need to be replaced. If it doesn't come on then you have to troubleshoot the fans electrical circuit. A trick that mechanics use is to giggle wire harnesses around to see if the jiggling makes a difference. For example, if you jiggle the wire harness around at the back of the fan switch, and the fan speeds start workin again then you know you have a circuit issue with the wire harness going to the switch. The problem could also be the switch itself, but the switch must be checked for continuity in all speed positions before it is replaced. The defective possibilities here are:

Fan switch
Resistor block
Fan motor

And wire circuit concerns with any (or all) of the above.

Is the antifreeze level full?

Ignore the check engine light. I want you to do a scan for error codes even if the check engine light is off. A scan is free a any Auto Zone store. Have a scan done, and write down the codes so you don't forget them, and if there are codes post them so we can see them. Just so you know the codes will begin with the letters PO.

Cindy,

The fact that you get heat while driving but not while sitting makes perfect sense and can easily be explained. I agree with Big Block. It's not gravity. The higher speed is allowing fresh air to be forced across the heater core and into the passenger compartment. When you slow down it subsides.

Do you have a DVOM (digital volt ohm meter) or at least a test light? If you don't you should be able to borrow one from Autozone (with refundable collateral). They can give you a little tutorial at the store or we can expailn how to use them. They might even help you look at it but please PLEASE don't replace anything until you get back to us. Some of the parts "pros" are retired technicians and know their stuff. Some don't have a clue. Don't be afraid to ask if there is anyone there that is skilled in this area but again, you might want to check with us before replacing anything.

Do you know where your blower motor is?

Have you tried giving the motor a couple of thumps? This can termorarily make the motor come around but it is not necessarily conclusive. It is worth a try and could get us somewhere. Ask your parts "pro" to help.

I agree with much of what Big Block has stated but I'd prefer that you take this just a little bit at a time. You said your skill level was low. If we load you down with info you are more likley to get confused and bail out on us. Please don't feel that I'm being condescending. I'm actually just trying to be understanding about your position. Thanks.

Cindy,

(You said) I truly appreciate everyone's efforts in helping me.

You’re very welcome, but it’s why we are here. We’re just simply doing our job tryin to help people.

(You Said) Anyway, while I was driving all of a sudden the fan blower turned on and now there is heat and the fan is working.

That only proves is that your problem is intermittent. Hopefully the blower fan will continue to work, but you gotta understand that there is a good chance that it could fail again at anytime.

(You asked) Should I be concerned?

Yes you should be concerned for the above specified reasons. The system needs to be evaluated by an ASE MASTER MECHANIC, who is experienced in troubleshooting automotive electrical systems. Nothing has changed, outside of the fact that the problem is intermittent.

Cindy,

Your welcome and I don't want to rain on your parade but unfortunately Big Block is right. It will likely show it's ugly head again. The fact that it started working again was probably due to vibration during driving. We see this all the time. Anything in the system is still suspect but the blower motor and wiring/connections would be my first guesses as to what might be wrong. In cases like this it is usually the blower motor but again, anything is still suspect and until it is confirmed, nothing should be replaced.

Although a reputable pro should be a surefire fix, I still feel like you would probably be able to tackle this on your own (atleast with our help). If nothing else, you should consider doing some of the simple stuff before you throw in the towel. Let us know if and when it happens again. Goodluck.