When a car comes in with a specific problem it is important to not just replace the parts but to determine why the parts failed.
Today’s patient is a 2002 Grand Prix with a broken heater-air conditioning blower motor. Testing found both the blower motor and blower motor resistor had failed. Once they were removed for replacement the real problem was found. Both the blower motor and resistor showed signs of being wet. Rust on the outside and inside of the motor and on the resistor as well as a corroded connector on the blower resistor. Discussing this with the customer revealed that after the last rain storm the right front floor was full of water.
Water Deflector Out Of Place
I knew it was important to find out where the water was coming in from or the problem would return along with an unhappy customer.
Knowing that water runs downhill, I started by removing the windshield wipers and cowl cover. Once those parts were out of the way the problem became obvious. The water deflector was just laying on top of the heater-air conditioning air inlet. You can just make out the blower motor fan right below the water deflector. Without the deflector in place water will run down the windshield and right into the air inlet.
Water Deflector Glued In The Proper Position
Once the cause of the failed blower motor and resistor was found the repair was simple. I cleaned the water deflector and the mounting surface. I applied a good waterproof adhesive to the deflector and put the deflector in place. To give the glue time to set up I put tape across the deflector to hold it in place. Once the glue set up I applied a bead of silicone sealer across the top edge to make sure no water got past the deflector.
Finding the cause of a part failure is an important part of the repair. In this case without knowing and repairing the cause the blower motor would have failed again in a short time.
Going the extra mile for our customers is what makes Diedrick’s Automotive the place to go for your auto repairs.