Footwell blower fuse upgrade

Barrpete · 02-04-2008, 06:43 AM

I'm replacing my footwell blowers and am planning to add a fuse. My question is can a 20A fuse be added at some point 'upstream' rather than installing a 10 A fuse on each blower behind the kick panel. And if so where? Seems like it would be a lot easier to check the fuse without having to remove the kick panels.

I did a search and found lots of references and recommendations to add the fuse but no descriptions on how others actually did it. Thanks.

Mysterytrain · 06:12 PM

Nope, That's like fusing a 20 amp circuit in your house with just the main 200 amp breaker. The big breaker won't protect until way after the damage has been done. The 10 amp fuse doesn't need to be checked. When the blower stops blowing that will be the indication that the fuse blew and saved your wiring and maybe your car. There are nice sealed inline units that take a more modern fuse.

Barrpete · 02-05-2008, 06:35 AM

Thanks Ron, that's exactly what I needed to know. And it makes perfect sense now. D'oh!

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Also, if you are blowing a fuse you need to take the kick panel off anyway to find out why.

Barrpete · 02-06-2008, 05:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Also, if you are blowing a fuse you need to take the kick panel off anyway to find out why.

You are right, of course. I was just thinking that since there are multiple reasons that the blowers might not operate, the troubleshooting process would be a little easier if the fuse was visible. A good fuse + non working blowers would indicate the problem was likely somewhere else.

Donations gladly accepted at www.electricallychallenged.org

KatoKato · 07-12-2008, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrpete

...I'm replacing my footwell blowers and am planning to add a fuse. My question is can a 20A fuse be added at some point 'upstream' rather than installing a 10 A fuse on each blower behind the kick panel. And if so where? ...

I'm considering adding fuses as well.

Isn't it possible to insert a fuse somewhere in the trunk?

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

It is possible but having the fuse close to the blower is the best thing. You can buy in-line fuse receptacles to be spliced into your power line to the blower.

Barrpete · 07-12-2008, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatoKato

I'm considering adding fuses as well.

Isn't it possible to insert a fuse somewhere in the trunk?

I don't think you can without running a lot of extra wire. And as Ron said each blower needs its own 10A fuse. I just ended up splicing a mini blade type fuse holder from Autozone right at each blower. Pretty easy really.

KatoKato · 07-12-2008, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrpete

I don't think you can without running a lot of extra wire. And as Ron said each blower needs its own 10A fuse. I just ended up splicing a mini blade type fuse holder from Autozone right at each blower. Pretty easy really.

Ok. Thanks.

Do you know of any threads that have pix of the procedure ...?

Barrpete · 07-12-2008, 03:57 PM

I looked when I did the install & couldn't find any. It really is pretty easy though. Just remove the kick panels & unplug the harness from the fan. The wires are wrapped in a plastic sleeve that you'll need to cut back far enough to have room for the splice. There should be a brown wire which is the ground & a green with white stripe that is the hot. Splice the fuse holder into the green/white wire, plug it back into the blower motor and you're done.

KatoKato · 07-17-2008, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrpete

I looked when I did the install & couldn't find any. It really is pretty easy though. Just remove the kick panels & unplug the harness from the fan. The wires are wrapped in a plastic sleeve that you'll need to cut back far enough to have room for the splice. There should be a brown wire which is the ground & a green with white stripe that is the hot. Splice the fuse holder into the green/white wire, plug it back into the blower motor and you're done.

This needs to be done with both blowers? (10A fuse X 2)

Barrpete · 07-17-2008, 10:59 AM

Yup. Each blower needs its own 10A fuse.

Wavey · 07-17-2008, 11:08 AM

Each footwell blower already has it's own 10 amp fuse built into the factory wiring harness. Are you trying to retrofit these to a car that doesn't have them?

Barrpete · 07-17-2008, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wavey

Each footwell blower already has it's own 10 amp fuse built into the factory wiring harness. Are you trying to retrofit these to a car that doesn't have them?

I think the '87 was the first year that had fuses on the footwell blowers. My 86 for sure did not.

Wavey · 07-17-2008, 11:39 AM

Got it. My '88 has them. Bentley shows them for all Carreras 84-89, but then Bentley is known for the inacuracies here and there.

KatoKato · 08-13-2008, 08:27 AM

Hey Barrpete - Finally went out today and purchased fusues/holders for the upgrade.

Very interesting when I checked my Bentley manual Re: footwell blower - in the picture there is a 10A ATO fuse holder visible?!?

Must've had the upgrade performed?

scarceller · scarceller's Garage

If one or both footwell blowers short out you will blow one of the 2 fuses shown in RED in the schematic below. If you are in speed #3 (hi speed) you will blow the fuse on the left. If in speed #1 or Speed #2 (low or medium speed) you will blow the fuse on the right.

Trouble is that those 2 fuses are way down stream from the blowers and a shorted blower could compromise other components like the 'Heat Controller' (low and med speed) or the 'Aux Blower Relay' (hi speed). So it would not be a bad idea to place inline fuses right at each blower motor. Never gave this to much thought but I like the idea.

Barrpete · 08-13-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KatoKato

Hey Barrpete - Finally went out today and purchased fusues/holders for the upgrade.

Very interesting when I checked my Bentley manual Re: footwell blower - in the picture there is a 10A ATO fuse holder visible?!?

Must've had the upgrade performed?

Did you check your FW blowers directly? Or just the Bentley? The pic in the Bentley could be from a later year Carrera.

KatoKato · 05:03 PM

Ok ... I removed the passenger side kickplate and what I found was a fuse holder already spliced into the white/green striped wire:

A couple of questions:

1) Is this the correct wire?
2) There is no fuse in place...and the blower has always worked. At least I think it does. What gives here?

KatoKato · 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barrpete

Did you check your FW blowers directly? Or just the Bentley? The pic in the Bentley could be from a later year Carrera.

See pic above:

Here's what's in Bentley: