Fresh air fan problem

[JmuRiz]

Hi all,
My fresh air fan has stopped working and I don't know why. Has this happened to anyone else, and if so how do you fix this. It's getting mighty warm outside and some fresh air venting would be nice inside the cabin. Thanks.

Nathan

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'73 2.0 914

[pbanders]

First step is to check the fuse.

The fresh air blower often stops working due to corrosion or contamination of the switch contacts. Remove your ash tray and look in. You should see the top of your ventilation controls. There are two (three?) contact sliders. Spray the top of the whole plate with contact cleaner (get it from Radio Shack). After it's all clean, take a new, clean pencil eraser and gently scrub the contact areas.

If this doesn't restore the blower to operation, try jumpering the blower to see if it works. If it does, you have either a wiring fault to the switch or to the blower, or a failed switch. If it doesn't, you may have a failed blower. The Haynes manual has a procedure that describes how to remove and replace the blower motor.

Brad Anders

[Rouser]

Before you go through the above suggestion, take a hint from me; do a visual inspection of the blower assembly first.

I noticed that the blower wasn't working after I purchased my 914. The PO didn't mention it, and I didn't check before buying (Do you really think about that when buying a 25+ year-old 914?). Power was getting to the blower, but no huff & puff; humm?

I took apart the Behr housing and found what must have been the largest, nuclear-sized, monster wasp nest this side of Jurassic Park! I'm talking a clay cow patty here!

I cleaned out the whole shebang, reassembled the unit, hit the controls, and ate dirt while the system cleared itself out.

[campbellcj]

Rouser - my blower fan is seized also. You do have to pull the gas tank to get to it, right?

[pbanders]

Originally posted by campbellcj:
Rouser - my blower fan is seized also. You do have to pull the gas tank to get to it, right?

That's why I'd suggest checking the fuse and the switch first. If you have the contact cleaner in hand, the whole procedure I suggest takes about 5 minutes. Pulling the tank to get to the blower takes a LOT longer!

Brad Anders

[efeinsmith]

The blower asmy. is held in by two screws, one on either side of the housing that attach to metal brackets that drop down from the cowl area. If I remember right, there is not enough clearance with the tank in place to get the unit out, but I'd have to look to be sure. The blower attaches via a plug-in electrical connector. If the blower is truly frozen, have I got a deal for you :-) I have a spare blower asmy. listed in Classified.

Eric

[Rouser]

To be honest, I only lowered the unit enough to get at (and vacuum out) that crusty mess. But if you had to completely yank the unit out, I believe you might have to pull the tank; I just don't know for sure.

Be VERY careful disconnecting and removing the drain hoses; I snapped one of the unit's tubes (BLAST!), and had to epoxy it back on. Try epoxying something with gravity working against you!

[This message has been edited by Rouser (edited 06-13-2001).]

[JP Noonan]

The tank must come out, so plan on replacing the fuel lines while you're at it. After the Bahr asby is removed you can slide the metal spring clips off and open up the two halves. Not easy, and even harder to get back on, but it's the only way to really clean the housing. The gasket that goes around the grill is a pain too. I RTV'ed mine to the grill to get it to stay. IF the drain tubes crack (they usally do) I wrap the whole tube with electrical tape a few times.

[Eat-um-up]

My fresh air fan didnt work iether. nither did the ciggarett lighter. Check the little round black ground relays that plug into your fuse pannel. one of mine was bad. I changed it and all my fans, ciggarett lighter, and a couple of other things worked again

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Sweet Blue 72' 914
Check it out at
http://www.geocities.com/eat_um_up/914.html

[Rob-O]

Alas! There is something else to check. My blower motor was also Kaput when I received the car. I pulled the blower assembly out, tore it apart and found that there is a small metal clip holding the blower fan onto the blower motor. Well, this little clip hadn't done it's job very well and the blower fan dropped off the blower motor shaft. I cleaned everything up, pushed the fan back into position (with clip attached) and it worked fine after that.

Before you go gettin' yourself into a whole bunch of tank removing and other fabulously fun 914 stuff, check to make sure you've got power going to the blower motor. If you do have to pull the motor and disassemble, there is something else you may want to tackle while in there. The two blower outlets each have a little metal zinc plated circular "door" that opens and closes via the dash controls. The door is really two halves of metal held together with two? bolts...I think. There are supposed to be little gaskets around them, usually they're disintegrated. You can make your own though. Loosen up the little bolts that hold the two door pieces together and squash a piece of foam, cut out to fit of course, between the two metal pieces. You'll see what I mean if you get in there. And definitely make sure that the gasket that goes between the cowl and the fresh air box is reinstalled. I think the old ones were foam. The replacements were a grey rubber I believe. The less water that gets into that area the better. You wouldn't want to have to replace your tank somewhere down the line because you forgot that little gasket and every time in rained it took a little metal gas tank with it.

If you pull the tank, while replacing the gas lines, replace the felt pads that the gas tank sits on. Find a 1/4" piece of rubber and cut out some pieces to fit. They'll cushion the gas tank just as well and won't absorb moisture like the felt...what were those German's thinking?

If your blower motor really is shot, let me know, I have one. No $$$ necessary, except you'll have to pay shipping.

Rob