2002 S60 A/C blower issues

[ScottCh]

I have a 2002 S60 that started giving me issues yesterday. On the way home from work I had the A/C on and noticed that periodically it would quit blowing, then start blowing again. It would cut out for a few seconds then come right back. As I was driving the cut out time gradually increased to the point that it cut out completely and won't come back on now. I can put my hand by the vents and feel cold air barely coming out but the blower motor does not sound like it is on. All the lights on the A/C controls and fan motor controls are functioning properly and the compressor does kick on when I turn it on. Just no air flow. Does this sound like a blower motor resistor issue or is something else going on? FYI, the blower motor wasn't/hasn't made any strange sounds so I don't think it is the blower motor. I am thinking resistor but most things I have read on the web have said when the resistor goes it normally still blows on high speed or something to that effect and mine isn't doing that.

On a side note, prior to this happening, since we bought the car a year ago I have noticed that when running the A/C after a period of about 30 to 45 minutes the air flow would reduce to almost nothing even though I could hear the blower motor running. To remedy this I would turn off the A/C and turn the fan on high. I could hear it kick up under the passenger dash even though no air would be coming out the vents. After a few seconds the air would come out the vents and I could turn the A/C back on and be good to go for another 30-45 minutes at which point I would have to rinse and repeat on above steps. Not sure if this is related to my current issue or not.

Any help on this issue would be greatly appreciated.

[oragex]

To me, you are describing two different issues. In the first paragraph sounds like the clutch gap issue: when it happens again,
pop the hood and see if the clutch runs every 20 seconds or so (check out Youtube about the issue)

The second paragraph sounds more like the typical A/C Evaporator Temp Sensor see this video

[ScottCh]

I guess I didn't explain the first paragraph well enough...the compressor is on, the fan isn't blowing...period. Even if I turn the A/C off and the fan on high, no air.

[oragex]

What you describe in the second paragraph in the original topic is discussed in the video linked above. The evaporator sensor causes the A/C compressor to run too much which builds ice on the evaporator fines and blocks the air passage. When the A/C is turned off, the ice melts in a few minutes and the air starts blowing again through vents. If the A/C is turned back on again, after the while the evaporator gets iced again and so on.

[ScottCh]

That makes sense. Now to the current issue...any ideas why my blower motor isn't coming on? Could it be the resistor pack even though it isn't coming on at all? or is it more than likely something else?

[oragex]

The common faults with the blower are indeed the resistor or the shaft bearings that get rusted and start seizing. I think when the resistor goes bad is rather a few speeds that stop working. Perhaps removing it from there and see by hand how easy the blades turn will give a clue. A bit of a mess to remove it because two screws are in a tight space - I use a torx bit and turn it with a pliers. Used blowers are cheap off Ebay.

[ScottCh]

Is there anyway to test the circuit going to the blower motor? Ie which wires in the connector are providing the juice? I should be able to at least rule out the control panel this way.

[ScottCh]

Also, is there a way to provide 12 volts to the fan motor, ie bypass the resistor, to eliminate the fan motor being the issue?

[ScottCh]

Ok, put 12v to the blower motor last night and it spins up just fine. Very powerful and quiet. So I'm guessing there is nothing wrong with the fan. Is there anyway to test the resistor or is there anything else I should check before replacing the resistor?