I have seen numerous posts on blower motor issues. Of course, I know what I have is not a new problem and that someone has experienced it. However, none of the posts really seem to exactly match my issues. Please bear with me, as this might be lengthy. I would appreciate any feedback, suggestions or advice you might could pass along.

I have purchased a 1996 Maxima GLE (per title, door says 9/95 manufacture year). There are a few things I need to get fixed, but one of the main issues I need to repair is the a/c.

It has auto climate control. When the blower worked, it worked on ALL speeds and worked like a charm. However, there was always a 50/50 chance it wouldn't blow when you cranked the car. There was a 50/50 chance that it would stop blowing and may or may not start back while you were driving. There was nothing that appeared to trigger the starting or stopping. We weren't driving over anything that would have caused a bump, etc.

After some research we ruled out the resistor, because it worked on all speeds when it worked. We were unable to determine cause/effect and could not do anything to recreate the problem on our own.

We removed the glove box, etc. so we could see the blower motor. Tapping the motor wouldn't make it come back on. So, we thought maybe it is not the blower. Convinced it was an electrical short of some type, we pondered what to do.

Of course it started working again on its own. We checked both fuses under the driver kick panel, and replaced for good measure. Still having intermittent issues, but appeared to happen more often.

We decided to go with replacing the blower motor itself. We removed the motor and purchased one from Auto Zone - asked for 1996 Maxima blower motor. But, our Maxima had the wires coming from the car like a pigtail connector that plugged into the blower motor. The replacement motor had the wires on it. We looked at pictures everywhere, and decided you could no longer get with that was made like the old one. So we bit the bullet and bought. In order to make it connect, we would have to cut the connector of our wires and splice the wires to the new blower motor.

There is a brown wire and a blue wire on the car. The blower motor had a red and black wire. Unable to figure out which wire should be hot, and not having a way to test the power we started trying to touch the wires in several different combinations ... to no avail. We couldn't make the new blower motor work. We concluded that the issue was not the blower motor, but something in that wiring or something else.

We had to cut the connector off the wires on the car. I am still trying to figure out how we are going to hook the old blower motor back up. I can't find a part (the pigtail connector piece without wires on it). I guess I will have to use some butt connectors and use the same connector. I wonder if those connectors/plugs can go bad and cause trouble. I wonder what that part is called. I could post a picture if needed.

Oddly enough, each diagram I've viewed online looks nothing like the layout of my car. This puzzled me, and I figured I was just an idiot. But since the blower motor part didn't match up, I was really confused and began to think it wasn't me.

Since we've already got the glove box out, etc. I thought why not try to replace the resistor, as that seems to be another suggestion. The picture of the part on any parts website and the picture on diagrams are not the part that is in my car. After hours of searching, I ran across this information: www.nicoclub.com/archives/fix-the-fan-control-amplifier-infiniti-nissan.html. (I hope and pray my posting of that is not some type of violation). This part looks like what is on my car. Of course searching for an amp assy (tried all variations) only netted me one part: www.courtesyparts.com/27177-amplifier-assy-fan-control-maxima-j30-10/1988-07/1991-fedsgxe/bose-calsgxe/bose-1992-fedsgxe/bose-calsg-p-56724.html?cPath=1610_1611_1648_1666&. From what I can see the closest year I can get is for a 1994 Maxima, and then you still have to be careful. Some have 3 male prongs and some have 4. Mine only has 3.

So, before I try to find/order/search a junkyard for this part ... I am begging for help.

Is it uncommon for the parts year and car year to not match? Am I missing something here?

Is anyone willing to help me determine what is wrong with my blower?

I apologize for the length of this post. I apologize if I have posted in the wrong place or should not have posted links. But, I beg you for your help ... as it is way to hot for no a/c.

 

I can't help with your ac. But I can tell you that your car is a 96. Mine was manufactured 7/97 but it's a 98.

 

Thank you. I am convinced by the label on the door and the title, but not convinced of the year when I view the available replacement parts and the diagrams. Craziest thing I've ever run across.
Unfortunately, I am at a loss on what to look for and what parts year to order.

 

In the wonderful world of automobiles a year model is not made based on the calendar, i.e., Jan 1 through Dec 31. They are closer to the business fiscal year. In Nissan's case, June through May. So the 1996 model, your car, was made June 1995 through May 1996. Sometimes parts are changed mid production within a year model and you start getting all these dates when you look up a part. They don't want your life to be too easy

I want to correct you word usage. You have talked about a resistor for the blower. This is technically incorrect for your car. A car with the manual controls uses a resistor. Your car does not. The manual controls resistor will not work in your car. Your car with auto climate control uses a "Fan Control Amplifier". The reason I bring this up is because if you go to the dealer to buy a blower motor resistor, you will have gotten what you asked for, but it isn't what you really needed. Because the fan control amplifier is a transistor, it only has 3 wires to it: emitter, base and collector.

The blower motor only has 2 wires because it is a DC (direct current) motor. You hook the wires up one way and the motor turns in one direction. Reverse the connections and the motor turn in the opposite direction. Makes no difference to the motor but what the motor runs may not like reverse direction. In the case of the blower motor, one way blows air out of the vents and the other way will has the vents sucking air out of the passenger compartment.

The way Nissan hooks up the blower motor is that one wire is connected to the fuses. the other wire is connected to the speed control device, the fan control amplifier. The fan control amplifier applies ground to the blower motor in stages, I.E., either partial of full. The wire from the fan control amplifier to the blower motor is blue with a white stripe and this is a thick wire. The wire from the fuses to the blower motor is brown with a white stripe. The color of the wires on the motor probably doesn't match the wire harness it plugs into.

As far as what is wrong with your car, I am not sure. Usually intermittent operation is either a bad connection or the blower motor, like maybe the brushes wearing out. As far as a new blower motor goes, You should be able to get one that plugs up like the original. I got mine from amazon.com and it was just like the original. The one that you got at autozone is evidently somewhat of a universal motor that will fit a lot more cars than just a Maxima.

I was looking for your car's fan control amplifier part number but did not find it. I will search some more and if I do, I will edit this post.

Why don't you run the self diagnostic on the control panel in the dash? It could be bad and not sending the signal the fan control amplifier. I would think that the self diagnostic will say everything is ok when the blower motor runs, so you may have to wait until the fan is malfunctioning.

The self diagnostic starts on page HA-70. HA is the section of the FSM for Heating and Air conditioning.

If you don't have a FSM, download one from here:

http://boredmder.com/FSMs/Nissan/Maxima/

File IDX is the alphabetical index for the FSM.
File FWD is the cover page and the chapter index, the formal starting point.

You can download just the HA file to get started. Also fyi, one part of the self diagnostic takes kinda long so don't panic and think that the diagnostic died on you.

 

I have auto climate control also and was having issue of intermittent blower not working got one from the junk yard for $30 plug it in and problem solve run everytime. Unlike yoursu old unit never stopped while running, but sometimes it wouldn't come on, once on it kept running. Also when I tapped it with screw drive it came on.

 

I will also replace blower motor. I have both manual and digital 95 max and that is definitely a blower issue. As for you buying an aftermarket one, I cannot help you there but all the OEM blower motors are the same even from the I30 which I got mine from which was digital and works in my manual car. Harness and plugs are the same.

 

Thank you all for the information. That is a lot to digest. I know that the years are based on calendar year. I was just bummed because the part I was looking at didn't show for a 95 or a 96, at least not as an after market part. I did see an OEM part, which stinks for the budget. I guess I was stuck on why a 94 part would be what I needed. The detailed explanation on the resistor/amplifier cleared that up and makes sense.

We will go to our local junkyard today, and take the part (fan control amp) so hopefully we can get the right one.

However, now I am wondering if the universal blower motor wouldn't have worked anyway, since we had to rig it to connect. Is it possible that just because it didn't work it could still mean ours is bad? I wonder if we should try one of those from the junkyard as well?

Also, does anyone know what that little plug is called? The one that was on the end of the brown and blue wires coming from the car? I need to try and get one attached back so we can plug back in.

Thanks so much again for all your replies, explanations and the link to the FSM! I would think we'd have to have everything hooked back up at the least before we can run the self-diagnostic, right?

We'll keep working on it and hope to be able to get it fixed soon. Of course, it is so hot we might not be able to work on it til the weekend. Fingers crossed!

 

If you are going to the junkyard, you can get all the pieces there, the fan control amplifier, the blower motor and the connector. When you need an electrical connector, the junkyard is your friend. Just make sure you cut off enough wire so you can splice it on. You can always cut off any excess.

As for the self diagnostic, everything needs to be hooked up. Test 5 that deals with the fan would only tell you that everything is bad if the blower motor is not hooked up.

 

Thanks! If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all. Went to the junkyard and it was closed yesterday. The day only got better. The car wouldn't start! It wasn't the battery .... ugh! Had to have it towed to a local independent mechanic. Depending on what that sets me back, I may not be able to do the blower stuff anytime soon! It might be a while before I can get back here to discuss. Fingers crossed.

Update: The starter is currently being replaced. Oddly enough, the lady we bought the car from had told us that was the only thing she had done to the car. I didn't ask enough questions and she didn't offer anymore details. Not sure where the part came from or who replaced it, but the mechanic is able to get it warrantied, so I'll just be out my tow bill and labor!

So .... if something caused the starter to go out, could the same thing have any relationship to the blower? I know it is random.

Hopefully, we can pick up this afternoon. Work on getting the blower reconnected and run the self-diagnostic tests.

 

Hey DennisMik, thanks for all your help and advice. While waiting to get my car back from getting the starter replaced, I am trying to check with a couple of junkyards and am coming up running into dead-ends. I think so many people call this part so many different things that is very confusing.

I found two on e-bay, one called ER Speed Control, one called Fan Power Module. I am nervous about buying something that price on e-bay, but may have no choice as I can't even get the dealer to understand what I am asking for.

Any idea how to find the part #? Is an after-market part available?

 

 

Are you trying to tell me that you have this part? I found your thread in the classified forum and have requested pics and prices.

 

If you can't get the fan control amplifier through Maxima Joe or someone else, I think I found the part number for it. 27761-70T00, replaced by 27761-70T04.

In Nissan's parts book start in section E - Body electrical, then subsection 271 - Cooling Unit, Drawing B001.

http://www.nissanpartszone.com/Page_...7&PageID=17400

 

Thanks DennisMik. I've requested the connector and wire and the control amp from Maxima Joe. Will take 2-3 days for shipping ... so hopefully by next week I will have air.
If this doesn't work, then I am at a loss. I printed the diagnostic stuff, but honestly I was totally confused.

 

I understand quite well. My theory is that the FSM was written in Japanese, then translated into Klingon and then translated into English using translators that didn't speak any of the languages.

 

Maxima Joe, I've messaged you but would like to say you went above and beyond by shipping the part late that night. Otherwise, I would not have gotten it until Monday and it would have been another week before we could work on it!

DennisMik -- thank you so much for your help. I think it is fixed. We got the parts in from Maxima Joe and replaced the amplifier and reconnected the old blower. Cranked the car and we had lift off! Woohoo. Mounted the blower back and somehow managed to get the glove box back in. Unfortunately, I have no idea how we got the bottom screws out cause we couldn't get in there to screw them back in. It is attached at the top and latches if you slam it, haha! Maybe it won't fall out if we hit a bump. But, like I told Joe, even if it does it will be cool in the car.

It has worked perfectly 3x and ran in the driveway for a while. Since it was an intermittent issue, I guess time will tell if we've truly fixed it .... but it sure felt good to hear and feel the blower!

Now, it starts and cools ... my washer fluid not coming out is the least of my worries. I'll pour a cup of water over it!! Perhaps I'll post that issue somewhere else, or at least search for it.

Again, thank you ALL for your help!!