Honda Car Forum

First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very recently,
my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them hard
to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the rust
problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But recently
I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
namely,

1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The dealer
fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think this
problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for quite
some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me there
is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the culprit.
Is this possible?

2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit here...for
instance the blower motor itself?

3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the pump..a
$330 part from the dealer <ouch>

With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has some
advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am at
281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well virtually
no oil!)

TIA
Rich

Almost certainly your heater fan motor is gone. On my '90 Accord the
fan was working intermittently...if I banged on the dashboard on
passenger side it would start up. When I removed the motor and looked
inside the brushes were completly gone and the armature was damaged.
I replaced with a replacement motor from NAPA (approx $100). Note
that you have to remove the entire blower assembly to replace the
motor...if you have air conditioning it is a very tight fit to remove
and replace the blower...requires pulling back carpet on passenger
side and disconnecting some sockets on the ECU to move it out of the
way.


On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 03:55:02 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:

>First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very recently,
>my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them hard
>to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the rust
>problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But recently
>I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
>namely,
>
> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The dealer
>fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
>problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think this
>problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
>moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for quite
>some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me there
>is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the culprit.
>Is this possible?
>
>2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
>intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
>test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit here...for
>instance the blower motor itself?
>
>3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the pump..a
>$330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>
>With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has some
>advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am at
>281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well virtually
>no oil!)
>
>TIA
>Rich
>

Thanks for your help...the intermittent behavior of the fan had me doubting the
switch was the culprit...glad I didn't tear the dash apart! I'll check the
motor first.

bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:

>Almost certainly your heater fan motor is gone. On my '90 Accord the
>fan was working intermittently...if I banged on the dashboard on
>passenger side it would start up. When I removed the motor and looked
>inside the brushes were completly gone and the armature was damaged.
>I replaced with a replacement motor from NAPA (approx $100). Note
>that you have to remove the entire blower assembly to replace the
>motor...if you have air conditioning it is a very tight fit to remove
>and replace the blower...requires pulling back carpet on passenger
>side and disconnecting some sockets on the ECU to move it out of the
>way.
>
>
>On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 03:55:02 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>
>>First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very recently,
>>my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them
hard
>>to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the
rust
>>problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But
recently
>>I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
>>namely,
>>
>> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The
dealer
>>fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
>>problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think this
>>problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
>>moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for quite
>>some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me there
>>is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the
culprit.
>>Is this possible?
>>
>>2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
>>intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
>>test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit
here...for
>>instance the blower motor itself?
>>
>>3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the pump..a
>>$330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>>
>>With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has
some
>>advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am at
>>281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well
virtually
>>no oil!)
>>
>>TIA
>>Rich
>>
>

ok I removed the blower assembly (with some difficulty) but when I connect the
blower directly to 12v (the car battery) it spins like a banshee! Should I
bother checking the brushes/armature or assume all is fine and move on to
checking the fan switch and or relay....any thoughts?

bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:

>Almost certainly your heater fan motor is gone. On my '90 Accord the
>fan was working intermittently...if I banged on the dashboard on
>passenger side it would start up. When I removed the motor and looked
>inside the brushes were completly gone and the armature was damaged.
>I replaced with a replacement motor from NAPA (approx $100). Note
>that you have to remove the entire blower assembly to replace the
>motor...if you have air conditioning it is a very tight fit to remove
>and replace the blower...requires pulling back carpet on passenger
>side and disconnecting some sockets on the ECU to move it out of the
>way.
>
>
>On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 03:55:02 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>
>>First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very recently,
>>my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them
hard
>>to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the
rust
>>problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But
recently
>>I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
>>namely,
>>
>> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The
dealer
>>fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
>>problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think this
>>problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
>>moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for quite
>>some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me there
>>is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the
culprit.
>>Is this possible?
>>
>>2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
>>intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
>>test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit
here...for
>>instance the blower motor itself?
>>
>>3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the pump..a
>>$330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>>
>>With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has
some
>>advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am at
>>281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well
virtually
>>no oil!)
>>
>>TIA
>>Rich
>>
>

I did the same thing (removed and successfully operated with direct
connection) and then reinstalled the blower assembly only to find it
stopped working again....nothing worse than trying to diagnose
intermittent problems. My blower motor went at 265k so if you're at
281k on the original blower motor my guess is that it's running on
borrowed time. When I took apart my blower motor there was
considerable debris inside it that I'm sure contributed to it's
demise. Debris is sucked into the motor through a rubber vent tube.

Because of the way they have the motor taped up; it is difficult to
take apart and reassemble again so if you take it apart you're almost
committed to buying a new one. Note I was advised you can't purchase
replacement brushes.

I doubt whether the problem is the switch or relay. The only other
thing I would suggest is to check the ground wire...a bad ground can
cause the same problems.

On Mon, 03 Nov 2003 21:26:28 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:

>ok I removed the blower assembly (with some difficulty) but when I connect the
>blower directly to 12v (the car battery) it spins like a banshee! Should I
>bother checking the brushes/armature or assume all is fine and move on to
>checking the fan switch and or relay....any thoughts?
>
>bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:
>
>>Almost certainly your heater fan motor is gone. On my '90 Accord the
>>fan was working intermittently...if I banged on the dashboard on
>>passenger side it would start up. When I removed the motor and looked
>>inside the brushes were completly gone and the armature was damaged.
>>I replaced with a replacement motor from NAPA (approx $100). Note
>>that you have to remove the entire blower assembly to replace the
>>motor...if you have air conditioning it is a very tight fit to remove
>>and replace the blower...requires pulling back carpet on passenger
>>side and disconnecting some sockets on the ECU to move it out of the
>>way.
>>
>>
>>On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 03:55:02 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>>
>>>First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very recently,
>>>my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them
>hard
>>>to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the
>rust
>>>problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But
>recently
>>>I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
>>>namely,
>>>
>>> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The
>dealer
>>>fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
>>>problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think this
>>>problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
>>>moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for quite
>>>some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me there
>>>is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the
>culprit.
>>>Is this possible?
>>>
>>>2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
>>>intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
>>>test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit
>here...for
>>>instance the blower motor itself?
>>>
>>>3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the pump..a
>>>$330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>>>
>>>With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has
>some
>>>advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am at
>>>281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well
>virtually
>>>no oil!)
>>>
>>>TIA
>>>Rich
>>>
>>

Hi Rich,

I think this is your problem...go here:
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...llatlantic.net

Maybe there's a quicker way, but you either have to replace the contacts,
or clean them.

Good luck, post back if it works,
Arthur

Richard wrote:
> First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very recently,
> my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them hard
> to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the rust
> problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But recently
> I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
> namely,
>
> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The dealer
> fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
> problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think this
> problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
> moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for quite
> some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me there
> is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the culprit.
> Is this possible?
>
> 2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
> intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
> test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit here...for
> instance the blower motor itself?
>
> 3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the pump..a
> $330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>
> With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has some
> advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am at
> 281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well virtually
> no oil!)
>
> TIA
> Rich
>
>

--
----
Arthur
1991 Accord LX MT, 146k miles

You're right about the relay, it checks out fine. Next I will check for power
at the connector to the blower...If power is present there, the problem should
be with the blower or bad ground (?) I assume the resistor pack is off the hook
because all the fan speeds don't work (if high still worked then suspect the
resistor pack...correct?). Would you happen to know where the ground connection
is? The Haynes manual schematic shows a Junction Conn B (Ground) and Ground M
(below right side of dash). A DIY friend of mine says that he would suspect
the switch because of "all the arcing" that goes on...this doesn't sound right
to me. Anyway, I'll be waiting till tomorrow to continue...had a wee bit of a
snowstorm today and its a little chilly outside!

Thanks


bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:

>I did the same thing (removed and successfully operated with direct
>connection) and then reinstalled the blower assembly only to find it
>stopped working again....nothing worse than trying to diagnose
>intermittent problems. My blower motor went at 265k so if you're at
>281k on the original blower motor my guess is that it's running on
>borrowed time. When I took apart my blower motor there was
>considerable debris inside it that I'm sure contributed to it's
>demise. Debris is sucked into the motor through a rubber vent tube.
>
>Because of the way they have the motor taped up; it is difficult to
>take apart and reassemble again so if you take it apart you're almost
>committed to buying a new one. Note I was advised you can't purchase
>replacement brushes.
>
>I doubt whether the problem is the switch or relay. The only other
>thing I would suggest is to check the ground wire...a bad ground can
>cause the same problems.
>
> On Mon, 03 Nov 2003 21:26:28 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>
>>ok I removed the blower assembly (with some difficulty) but when I connect the
>>blower directly to 12v (the car battery) it spins like a banshee! Should I
>>bother checking the brushes/armature or assume all is fine and move on to
>>checking the fan switch and or relay....any thoughts?
>>
>>bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:
>>
>>>Almost certainly your heater fan motor is gone. On my '90 Accord the
>>>fan was working intermittently...if I banged on the dashboard on
>>>passenger side it would start up. When I removed the motor and looked
>>>inside the brushes were completly gone and the armature was damaged.
>>>I replaced with a replacement motor from NAPA (approx $100). Note
>>>that you have to remove the entire blower assembly to replace the
>>>motor...if you have air conditioning it is a very tight fit to remove
>>>and replace the blower...requires pulling back carpet on passenger
>>>side and disconnecting some sockets on the ECU to move it out of the
>>>way.
>>>
>>>
>>>On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 03:55:02 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>>>
>>>>First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very
recently,
>>>>my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them
>>hard
>>>>to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the
>>rust
>>>>problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But
>>recently
>>>>I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
>>>>namely,
>>>>
>>>> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The
>>dealer
>>>>fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
>>>>problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think
this
>>>>problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
>>>>moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for
quite
>>>>some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me
there
>>>>is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the
>>culprit.
>>>>Is this possible?
>>>>
>>>>2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
>>>>intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
>>>>test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit
>>here...for
>>>>instance the blower motor itself?
>>>>
>>>>3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the
pump..a
>>>>$330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>>>>
>>>>With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has
>>some
>>>>advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am
at
>>>>281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well
>>virtually
>>>>no oil!)
>>>>
>>>>TIA
>>>>Rich
>>>>
>>>
>

Wow, sounds like the exact problem I have. I suspected the bad trunk seal and
moisture to be the root of this problem. I'll post back if your solution
works.
Thanks
Rich


Arthur Russell <atr@REMOVE-CAPS-AND-INVALIDbellatlantic.net.invalid> wrote:

>Hi Rich,
>
>I think this is your problem...go here:
>http://groups.google.com/groups?selm...llatlantic.net
>
>Maybe there's a quicker way, but you either have to replace the contacts,
>or clean them.
>
>Good luck, post back if it works,
>Arthur
>
>Richard wrote:
>> First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very
recently,
>> my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them
hard
>> to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the
rust
>> problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But
recently
>> I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
>> namely,
>>
>> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The
dealer
>> fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
>> problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think this
>> problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
>> moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for
quite
>> some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me
there
>> is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the
culprit.
>> Is this possible?
>>
>> 2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
>> intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
>> test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit
here...for
>> instance the blower motor itself?
>>
>> 3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the pump..a
>> $330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>>
>> With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has
some
>> advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am
at
>> 281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well
virtually
>> no oil!)
>>
>> TIA
>> Rich
>>
>>
>
>--
>----
>Arthur
>1991 Accord LX MT, 146k miles
>

As I recall, the ground is below the right side of the dash...it comes
off where the blower assembly connectors are and is grounded to a
metal piece of the frame. Removing the glove compartment makes it
easier to access. Check the 2 wire connector with a continuity
tester. With the key turned off (or ideally with battery
disconnected) touch one lead to a metal part of the frame and the
other to one of the contacts in the 2 wire connector. You should have
good continuity (no resistance between one of the connectors and the
frame)...if not you have a bad ground.

But...I still suspect the motor. Although the knobs are prone to
stripping the switches weren't prone to failure and even if they did
fail you should be able to jiggle the switch to make it work at one of
the speeds. attached is another post I found which is similar to my
experience:

From: Big Bad Bob (rpardee@cport.com)
Subject: Re: 90' Accord A/C fan shuts off and on

View this article only
Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.honda
Date: 1999/08/28

My blower motor did this about a yar ago. It was acompanied by very
little output. When I set the switch to high, it didn't blow as
strongly as it used to. And then one day, right SMACK in the the
middle of summer by the way, it quite all together. It turned out
that it was the blower motor itself that had gone out. The brushes had
worn down and started to tear into that copper thing that the brushes
rub against (can't rmember what it's called). I had to replace the
motor (obviously). It wasn't as expensive as I had expected.
But that motor was a B**CH to get in and out! You can check to see if
this is the problem by removing the blower motor cover plate. Its on
the very botttom of the motor and is attached by two screws. If this
isn't the problem, I would suggest cleaning the contacts in the switch
(not an easy task either, but FAR easier than removing/installing the
blower motor!).

Best of luck!



On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:44:23 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:

>You're right about the relay, it checks out fine. Next I will check for power
>at the connector to the blower...If power is present there, the problem should
>be with the blower or bad ground (?) I assume the resistor pack is off the hook
>because all the fan speeds don't work (if high still worked then suspect the
>resistor pack...correct?). Would you happen to know where the ground connection
>is? The Haynes manual schematic shows a Junction Conn B (Ground) and Ground M
>(below right side of dash). A DIY friend of mine says that he would suspect
>the switch because of "all the arcing" that goes on...this doesn't sound right
>to me. Anyway, I'll be waiting till tomorrow to continue...had a wee bit of a
>snowstorm today and its a little chilly outside!
>
>Thanks
>
>
>bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:
>
>>I did the same thing (removed and successfully operated with direct
>>connection) and then reinstalled the blower assembly only to find it
>>stopped working again....nothing worse than trying to diagnose
>>intermittent problems. My blower motor went at 265k so if you're at
>>281k on the original blower motor my guess is that it's running on
>>borrowed time. When I took apart my blower motor there was
>>considerable debris inside it that I'm sure contributed to it's
>>demise. Debris is sucked into the motor through a rubber vent tube.
>>
>>Because of the way they have the motor taped up; it is difficult to
>>take apart and reassemble again so if you take it apart you're almost
>>committed to buying a new one. Note I was advised you can't purchase
>>replacement brushes.
>>
>>I doubt whether the problem is the switch or relay. The only other
>>thing I would suggest is to check the ground wire...a bad ground can
>>cause the same problems.
>>
>> On Mon, 03 Nov 2003 21:26:28 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>>
>>>ok I removed the blower assembly (with some difficulty) but when I connect the
>>>blower directly to 12v (the car battery) it spins like a banshee! Should I
>>>bother checking the brushes/armature or assume all is fine and move on to
>>>checking the fan switch and or relay....any thoughts?
>>>
>>>bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:
>>>
>>>>Almost certainly your heater fan motor is gone. On my '90 Accord the
>>>>fan was working intermittently...if I banged on the dashboard on
>>>>passenger side it would start up. When I removed the motor and looked
>>>>inside the brushes were completly gone and the armature was damaged.
>>>>I replaced with a replacement motor from NAPA (approx $100). Note
>>>>that you have to remove the entire blower assembly to replace the
>>>>motor...if you have air conditioning it is a very tight fit to remove
>>>>and replace the blower...requires pulling back carpet on passenger
>>>>side and disconnecting some sockets on the ECU to move it out of the
>>>>way.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 03:55:02 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very
>recently,
>>>>>my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding them
>>>hard
>>>>>to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is the
>>>rust
>>>>>problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But
>>>recently
>>>>>I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
>>>>>namely,
>>>>>
>>>>> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The
>>>dealer
>>>>>fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a grounding
>>>>>problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think
>this
>>>>>problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot of
>>>>>moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for
>quite
>>>>>some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me
>there
>>>>>is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the
>>>culprit.
>>>>>Is this possible?
>>>>>
>>>>>2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem was
>>>>>intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart to
>>>>>test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit
>>>here...for
>>>>>instance the blower motor itself?
>>>>>
>>>>>3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the
>pump..a
>>>>>$330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>>>>>
>>>>>With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has
>>>some
>>>>>advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to 300K...am
>at
>>>>>281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well
>>>virtually
>>>>>no oil!)
>>>>>
>>>>>TIA
>>>>>Rich
>>>>>
>>>>
>>

Yep, your right, the motor was the problem. I now have heat again, just in time
for another northern winter!

Thanks for your help.

Rich


bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:

>As I recall, the ground is below the right side of the dash...it comes
>off where the blower assembly connectors are and is grounded to a
>metal piece of the frame. Removing the glove compartment makes it
>easier to access. Check the 2 wire connector with a continuity
>tester. With the key turned off (or ideally with battery
>disconnected) touch one lead to a metal part of the frame and the
>other to one of the contacts in the 2 wire connector. You should have
>good continuity (no resistance between one of the connectors and the
>frame)...if not you have a bad ground.
>
>But...I still suspect the motor. Although the knobs are prone to
>stripping the switches weren't prone to failure and even if they did
>fail you should be able to jiggle the switch to make it work at one of
>the speeds. attached is another post I found which is similar to my
>experience:
>
>From: Big Bad Bob (rpardee@cport.com)
>Subject: Re: 90' Accord A/C fan shuts off and on
>
>View this article only
>Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.honda
>Date: 1999/08/28
>
>My blower motor did this about a yar ago. It was acompanied by very
>little output. When I set the switch to high, it didn't blow as
>strongly as it used to. And then one day, right SMACK in the the
>middle of summer by the way, it quite all together. It turned out
>that it was the blower motor itself that had gone out. The brushes had
>worn down and started to tear into that copper thing that the brushes
>rub against (can't rmember what it's called). I had to replace the
>motor (obviously). It wasn't as expensive as I had expected.
>But that motor was a B**CH to get in and out! You can check to see if
>this is the problem by removing the blower motor cover plate. Its on
>the very botttom of the motor and is attached by two screws. If this
>isn't the problem, I would suggest cleaning the contacts in the switch
>(not an easy task either, but FAR easier than removing/installing the
>blower motor!).
>
>Best of luck!
>
>
>
>On Wed, 05 Nov 2003 00:44:23 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>
>>You're right about the relay, it checks out fine. Next I will check for power
>>at the connector to the blower...If power is present there, the problem should
>>be with the blower or bad ground (?) I assume the resistor pack is off the
hook
>>because all the fan speeds don't work (if high still worked then suspect the
>>resistor pack...correct?). Would you happen to know where the ground
connection
>>is? The Haynes manual schematic shows a Junction Conn B (Ground) and Ground M
>>(below right side of dash). A DIY friend of mine says that he would suspect
>>the switch because of "all the arcing" that goes on...this doesn't sound right
>>to me. Anyway, I'll be waiting till tomorrow to continue...had a wee bit of a
>>snowstorm today and its a little chilly outside!
>>
>>Thanks
>>
>>
>>bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:
>>
>>>I did the same thing (removed and successfully operated with direct
>>>connection) and then reinstalled the blower assembly only to find it
>>>stopped working again....nothing worse than trying to diagnose
>>>intermittent problems. My blower motor went at 265k so if you're at
>>>281k on the original blower motor my guess is that it's running on
>>>borrowed time. When I took apart my blower motor there was
>>>considerable debris inside it that I'm sure contributed to it's
>>>demise. Debris is sucked into the motor through a rubber vent tube.
>>>
>>>Because of the way they have the motor taped up; it is difficult to
>>>take apart and reassemble again so if you take it apart you're almost
>>>committed to buying a new one. Note I was advised you can't purchase
>>>replacement brushes.
>>>
>>>I doubt whether the problem is the switch or relay. The only other
>>>thing I would suggest is to check the ground wire...a bad ground can
>>>cause the same problems.
>>>
>>> On Mon, 03 Nov 2003 21:26:28 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>>>
>>>>ok I removed the blower assembly (with some difficulty) but when I connect
the
>>>>blower directly to 12v (the car battery) it spins like a banshee! Should I
>>>>bother checking the brushes/armature or assume all is fine and move on to
>>>>checking the fan switch and or relay....any thoughts?
>>>>
>>>>bruce.ross@shaw.ca wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Almost certainly your heater fan motor is gone. On my '90 Accord the
>>>>>fan was working intermittently...if I banged on the dashboard on
>>>>>passenger side it would start up. When I removed the motor and looked
>>>>>inside the brushes were completly gone and the armature was damaged.
>>>>>I replaced with a replacement motor from NAPA (approx $100). Note
>>>>>that you have to remove the entire blower assembly to replace the
>>>>>motor...if you have air conditioning it is a very tight fit to remove
>>>>>and replace the blower...requires pulling back carpet on passenger
>>>>>side and disconnecting some sockets on the ECU to move it out of the
>>>>>way.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>On Sun, 02 Nov 2003 03:55:02 GMT, dyerr@sympatico.ca (Richard) wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>First I would like to say that I love the 90-93 model; up until very
>>recently,
>>>>>>my next car was definitely going to be a 93 Accord. But...I'm finding
them
>>>>hard
>>>>>>to come (in northern Ontario that is). The other discouraging thing is
the
>>>>rust
>>>>>>problem...I think the engine will go forever but the body won't!. But
>>>>recently
>>>>>>I've been experiencing a number of problems peripheral to the drivetrain,
>>>>>>namely,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1. the two rear brakelights, and center high brakelight don't work. The
>>>>dealer
>>>>>>fix for this only lasted about 2 months. It seems to me it was a
grounding
>>>>>>problem..I wish I had gotten them to show me how they fixed it. I think
>>this
>>>>>>problem relates to poor rubber seals on the trunk lid which allowed a lot
of
>>>>>>moisture to collect on the underside of the trunk lid...noticed this for
>>quite
>>>>>>some time but never did anything about it. Another Accord owner told me
>>there
>>>>>>is a relay within the brake light housing/lens unit which could be the
>>>>culprit.
>>>>>>Is this possible?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>2. Heater fan doesn't work on any speed setting. Initially, the problem
was
>>>>>>intermittent, but now it has quit for good. Before I tear the dash apart
to
>>>>>>test the fan switch, I'm wondering if there is a most likely culprit
>>>>here...for
>>>>>>instance the blower motor itself?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>3. Power steering leak..checked it out...looks like the line from the
>>pump..a
>>>>>>$330 part from the dealer <ouch>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>With winter approaching my main concern is the heater fan. If anybody has
>>>>some
>>>>>>advice it would be greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to make it to
300K...am
>>at
>>>>>>281K now (on original clutch, third timing belt and burns no oil, well
>>>>virtually
>>>>>>no oil!)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>TIA
>>>>>>Rich
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>
>