A/C fan intermittent

[marcusmcd]

The fan for the air conditioning/heater sometimes works, but doesn't seem to after rainstorms and now apparently in very hot weather. Every now and then when I start the car the fan will function, but usually the AC and Recycled Air lights blink together several times and then stop. I know this is a fault signal but how do I fix the problem? This is the same 96 850 I rebuilt two years ago.

[Ozark Lee]

The flashing lights are a generic fault indicator but they don't tell you exactly what the problem is. To do that you need to pull the codes which can be done with a homebrew LED flash code reader. The motor itself could be giving up the ghost and just have worn out brushes. If you remove the lower dash panel on the passenger's side of the car you can try to smack the motor the next time it acts up. If the motor starts running after a good whack then chances are that is the problem.

The instructions on building the code reader are here:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=60660

...Lee

[sleddriver]

If original, your blower motor might be Tango Uniform. Just replaced my original. It was flat worn out after 18yrs.

[bugs11]

Interesting timing. The Recycle and AC lights on my 96 850 flashed this morning. First time I've noticed it. AC and fan worked fine though on my drive to work. My kid, home from college, has been driving the car the month or so, with AC on full blast when it's warm out. No lights flashing when I started it at lunch though.

[bugs11]

Some diagnostic info on my flashing ECC lights. Start car with fan on, ECC lights flash. Start car with fan off, ECC lights don't flash. Guess I need to build that home brew code reader. Anyone know if ECC codes can be read with a regular OBDII reader?

[Ozark Lee]

Anyone know if ECC codes can be read with a regular OBDII reader?

No. Even VOL-FCR won't read them.

...Lee

[abscate]

The AUTEL 800 series does read ECC codes on my 1999. I think the 500 and up series will all read Volvo.