Heater: Core or Blower ?

Xcountryer · Post by **Xcountryer** » 27 Jan 2011, 10:16

Have a 1998 V70 XC. Blower not working at all (it has been cold brothers and sisters) and smell a little coolant. So I see that I can replace the heater cores but how do I know if it is not the heater core but the blower engine itself ?

Temp is accurate. Blower not on at all - i.e. if I turn it on, nothing happens.
Blower fuse ok and I have plenty of coolant.

Last, if it is the core, can I just replace the driver side ? Not both ?

THX

Post by **JRL** » 27 Jan 2011, 10:21

Probably both
A bad heater core has nothing to do with the blower not coming on.

You will probably need;
Heater Core (+0 rings)
Blower Motor
Resistor pack

However, before you buy everything you should have it all diagnosed

Xcountryer · Post by **Xcountryer** » 27 Jan 2011, 10:42

Thx.

Dealer will tell me both are needed, for sure. Will just core give me more heat ?

Anyone with any non dealer Fairfield Cty, CT independent Volvo mechanics, please let me know.

mdempst_79 · Post by **mdempst_79** » 27 Jan 2011, 10:54

Heater core may not be bad, maybe just the o-rings.

If you remove panels from center console behind carpet right beside accelerator pedal (black plastic panels) you will be able to see two aluminum lines that go from firewall to the bottom of the heater core. These pipes have o-rings on either end... Now these will leak if touched / moved around / looked at too long, at least in my experience.. so you may only need the o-ring kit. You will also be able to see if there is coolant dripping out of the bottom of the heater box.

The Blower motor can be tested by removing glovebox and checking resistance of motor / prescence of voltage at motor connector. You could also just take it right out and hook upto a 12vdc power supply to see if it turns, just make sure to hold it tight so it doesnt take off!.

Usually you will see the lights flashing on the heater control unit if it detects a problem (if you have the auto climate control). These codes can be looked up on the board here... Or scanned through the OBD port

Good luck, hopefully you get an idea before you head to the dealer!

Post by **vjaneczko** » 27 Jan 2011, 10:58

There's only one heater core, not two. It's mounted just below and behind the radio. You can pull up the carpet on the drivers side, remove the side panel on the center console and you'll see it. Check for any leaks or fluid on the floor. It's real easy to swap out - if you have a heated garage, it'll be real easy!

If the blower motor is not working, you will feel some heat as you drive, just from the force of air getting pushed through the system. Installing a new core will not increase the amount of heat you get from the system.

The blower motor may have seized, which puts a big load on the resistor (or power stage, if you have the ECC) and will blow it. You may have to replace both items. Plenty of posts on swapping them out. I'd first check the blower motor itself. If you can easily spin it by hand, it's probably good.

One other thing to do is check for the cabin air filter, which is accessed under the hood in front of the passenger side. Volvo didn't install them in a lot of cars which causes bits to fall into the motor and cause premature damage.

You "could" hit the dealer for a diagnostic, but it's a real no-brainer to check yourself, so save your cash. This site helped me swap this stuff - and a lot more!

Xcountryer · Post by **Xcountryer** » 27 Jan 2011, 11:06

Perfect. Thx all !!!!

Post by **JRL** » 27 Jan 2011, 12:18

Blower is accessed by removing the lower dash
The glovebox does NOT have to be removed

Post by **BEJinFbk** » 27 Jan 2011, 15:08

Pulling the glove box makes a huge difference.
MUCH easier reach - Here's a link for ya:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=19322