Heater fan packed in

Heater fan packed in

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Discussion

stevieeg

Original Poster:

269 posts

130 months

Sunday 7th December 2014
quotequote all
Just at the right time of year too. Heater itself still working and the whole PCB on the centre console is lighting as it should... Just no fan.

I've had the centre off and done a quick multimeter check and wiggle test. No joy. PCB seems to still be doing its job.

Can anyone point me to where I can access the unit... Or if there are other connectors to wiggle between the centre console and the unit?

Cheers!
Steve

nawarne

3,090 posts

260 months

Sunday 7th December 2014
quotequote all
stevieeg said:
Just at the right time of year too. Heater itself still working and the whole PCB on the centre console is lighting as it should... Just no fan.

I've had the centre off and done a quick multimeter check and wiggle test. No joy. PCB seems to still be doing its job.

Can anyone point me to where I can access the unit... Or if there are other connectors to wiggle between the centre console and the unit?

Cheers!
Steve
Steve - many folks will probably come back to you and advise checking the heater ecu - pass side footwell, velcroed to 'glove tray'. Most will say to check multipin connector to ecu - blackening on earth pin indicates problem.

HOWEVER....in MHO, with my car it's always been the blower motor itself. Problem is that the air comes in via aperture behind pepperpot grill N/S, then via void btwn inner & outer wings to blower motor....go through a few puddles or heavy spray on motorway and water gets 'sucked' into the blower.

I've got mine going by - N/S wheel off, Remove battery cover, Remove battery, carefully 'un-silicone' cover on outboard side of battery compartment. This reveals blower motor. I've used a good electrical spray ("FOSPRO") to really cover the motor casing fan end and used the same spray on the electrical spade connectors. This seems to have brought the motor back to life after the FOSPRO has had time to soak in.

My car is having a bit of 'love' in a few weeks and I'm going to look at putting some sort of grill over the aperture behind the pepperpot moulding.
Hope you get it sorted.
Nick

BertieMagnus

33 posts

117 months

Sunday 7th December 2014
quotequote all
Had this exact problem myself recently - switch, temperature and LEDs all working just fine in the cabin, but no actual fan - for me the cause was a burnt out heater ECU in the passenger footwell. Jason at Str8six told me that they tend to burn out eventually overtime; when mine failed I had just done two weeks of driving ten hours a day with the heater on max heat and max fan speed the whole time. Not sure if this exacerbated it, but probably didn't help as the ECU does get pretty hot when operating.

Swapped it out for a refurbed one in and been sweet as a nut ever since.

blueg33

35,856 posts

224 months

Monday 8th December 2014
quotequote all
nawarne said:
stevieeg said:
Just at the right time of year too. Heater itself still working and the whole PCB on the centre console is lighting as it should... Just no fan.

I've had the centre off and done a quick multimeter check and wiggle test. No joy. PCB seems to still be doing its job.

Can anyone point me to where I can access the unit... Or if there are other connectors to wiggle between the centre console and the unit?

Cheers!
Steve
Steve - many folks will probably come back to you and advise checking the heater ecu - pass side footwell, velcroed to 'glove tray'. Most will say to check multipin connector to ecu - blackening on earth pin indicates problem.

HOWEVER....in MHO, with my car it's always been the blower motor itself. Problem is that the air comes in via aperture behind pepperpot grill N/S, then via void btwn inner & outer wings to blower motor....go through a few puddles or heavy spray on motorway and water gets 'sucked' into the blower.

I've got mine going by - N/S wheel off, Remove battery cover, Remove battery, carefully 'un-silicone' cover on outboard side of battery compartment. This reveals blower motor. I've used a good electrical spray ("FOSPRO") to really cover the motor casing fan end and used the same spray on the electrical spade connectors. This seems to have brought the motor back to life after the FOSPRO has had time to soak in.

My car is having a bit of 'love' in a few weeks and I'm going to look at putting some sort of grill over the aperture behind the pepperpot moulding.
Hope you get it sorted.
Nick
It was the ecu in mine. Everything else worked, the leds, the aircon etc, but not the fan. Swapped the ecu with a known good one and all was well.

R11ysf

1,936 posts

182 months

Monday 8th December 2014
quotequote all
BertieMagnus said:
when mine failed I had just done two weeks of driving ten hours a day with the heater on max heat and max fan speed the whole time. Not sure if this exacerbated it, but probably didn't help as the ECU does get pretty hot when operating.
Where on earth had you been driving???? I can't think of a time I have ever had my heater on full and certainly not on half for more than 15 minutes at a time. Maybe your heater isn't up to full working capacity??

stevieeg

Original Poster:

269 posts

130 months

Monday 8th December 2014
quotequote all
One very dirty pin on the ECU which I cleaned up but still no fan.

Think I'll open the box up tonight and see if I can find any blown caps to replace. Given the dirty pin I have a feeling I'm on the right track.

Otherwise it's into the wheel well!!!

BertieMagnus

33 posts

117 months

Monday 8th December 2014
quotequote all
R11ysf said:
Where on earth had you been driving???? I can't think of a time I have ever had my heater on full and certainly not on half for more than 15 minutes at a time. Maybe your heater isn't up to full working capacity??
Enjoying the Pyrenees in November! Girlfriend get's cold easy, but likes to enjoy the view, even when snowing, so roof was permanently in the boot and heater on.




s6boy

1,623 posts

225 months

Monday 8th December 2014
quotequote all
You need to post that in the 'Legend' thread thumbup

blueg33

35,856 posts

224 months

Monday 8th December 2014
quotequote all
s6boy said:
You need to post that in the 'Legend' thread thumbup
Yeah, you need a medal for eating that Gluten Free bread, its nasty

Sagi Badger

590 posts

193 months

Tuesday 9th December 2014
quotequote all
Took my ECU apart and resoldered the pins on the connector. These are through plated boards and the pins of the connector are quite thick, meaning they are a heat sink during the soldering process, hence the solder doesn't wick all the way up the pins to both sides of the board. Not a problem in the early life but as vibration and fatigue take hold the solder that is only on one side of the board fractures you get an open circuit joint. To fix resolder with a good hot iron and nice solder, you can't see it wick as the plastic body of the connector is in the way but a good dose of heat and a fair bit of judgement and job done.

Fixed mine on the Tuscan, did the window ECU on the Sag three years ago in the same way.

Simples.

J

stevieeg

Original Poster:

269 posts

130 months

Wednesday 10th December 2014
quotequote all
Sagi Badger said:
Took my ECU apart and resoldered the pins on the connector. These are through plated boards and the pins of the connector are quite thick, meaning they are a heat sink during the soldering process, hence the solder doesn't wick all the way up the pins to both sides of the board. Not a problem in the early life but as vibration and fatigue take hold the solder that is only on one side of the board fractures you get an open circuit joint. To fix resolder with a good hot iron and nice solder, you can't see it wick as the plastic body of the connector is in the way but a good dose of heat and a fair bit of judgement and job done.

Fixed mine on the Tuscan, did the window ECU on the Sag three years ago in the same way.

Simples.

J
Took the ECU apart last night as I did have a very blackened pin on the connector externally.

Looks fine inside no blown caps and no sgn of internal damage.

I also have continuity between the blackend pin and the PCB it is soldered to internally.

Will check the rest of the pins though (just to be sure) as cleaning the blackened pin hs't fixed things... maybeneed to check the connector in the female side of the plug too I guess.

maxkressbronn

33 posts

143 months

Wednesday 10th December 2014
quotequote all
I have added a second earth to the ECU on a free pin to protect for blackened pins and melted housings. So far so good, only two years old the modification.

stevieeg

Original Poster:

269 posts

130 months

Saturday 13th December 2014
quotequote all
Fixed... But of a clean on the female side of the ecu connector and hot air once again circulates.

Just in time for TITT then a trip to the highlands. Joy.

KenInOntario

97 posts

107 months

Tuesday 13th June 2023
quotequote all
I know this is an old thread.

But I started my car today, literally the first week I sorted all the EFI problems (crap coil), and today the cabin blower fan won't turn off.

It only blows full and doe snot switch for heat/cold or trigger the AC which was fully working.

I am guessing a heater ECU problem?

Any tricks to diagnose quickly? I need to drive the Car to the Canadian Grand Prix this weekend.

KenInOntario

97 posts

107 months

Thursday 15th June 2023
quotequote all
It is the ECU, I swapped it with a friends and everything works perfectly.

So I need to find obscene to fix it.

I emailed a few people listed here already a day or so ago, but not had reply yet.

Suggestions for Heater ECU repair greatly accepted.

Regards, Ken./

nawarne

3,090 posts

260 months

Thursday 15th June 2023
quotequote all
KenInOntario said:
It is the ECU, I swapped it with a friends and everything works perfectly.

So I need to find obscene to fix it.

I emailed a few people listed here already a day or so ago, but not had reply yet.

Suggestions for Heater ECU repair greatly accepted.

Regards, Ken./
Ken - in true TVR fashion, your choices are somewhat limited.
The recognised repair people are Jody at Python Racing pythonracing.co.uk and Paul Smith (ex factory electronics) - pselectronicsolutions.co.uk .
Paul tends to deal solely with the TVR repair shops now - he can be hard to get hold of. Jody is usually 'available'.

Have you tried Motaclan website? Last time I looked, I think they were offering refurbished heater ecu's.

Nick

mk1fan

10,517 posts

225 months

Thursday 15th June 2023
quotequote all
Can I suggest you source a replacement here in the UK. Get it sent to one of the 'repair' guys for testing [plus repair if required] then getting it shipped to you Over the Pond.

Alternatively, it is 'only' a simple computer / circuitry. A competent computer repair shop should be able to test your one - with some pointers from one of the repair guys over here. Mike Brewer regularly was in / promoting such places on Wheeler Dealers 'USA' biggrin

KenInOntario

97 posts

107 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
I will be in the UK in a few weeks. I should bring my broken one with me, and post it from the UK.

Probably easier, unless any of the repair shops are close to London/reading or Bristol. Then I could drop it off for a quick turnaround and bring it back hone with me.

KenInOntario

97 posts

107 months

Monday 19th June 2023
quotequote all
nawarne said:
Ken - in true TVR fashion, your choices are somewhat limited.
The recognised repair people are Jody at Python Racing pythonracing.co.uk and Paul Smith (ex factory electronics) - pselectronicsolutions.co.uk .
Paul tends to deal solely with the TVR repair shops now - he can be hard to get hold of. Jody is usually 'available'.

Have you tried Motaclan website? Last time I looked, I think they were offering refurbished heater ecu's.

Nick
Thx Nick, I will check them out, did not know abut them before.