cheeryble Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 (edited) Hi there Suzuki Vitara 1999 if I remember. I've been having a couple of electrical problems one about driver window other about the four speed fan switch. The latter is my first subject. Problem: Low speeds 1 and 2 don't work. 3 and 4 OK. I got the central dash partially opened up and managed to get the switch I question out. I opened up the side which has the copper contacts. On opening it had rather dirty contacts so I squirted a bit of contact cleaner and wiped them. I put it back in but no go. I thought "if I simply short out between the live contact and any other contact, I should get some fan. I first used a bit of very fine wire and got quite strong little sparks, but no fan. I tried simply shorting the gap with a screwdriver. No go. The trouble is......there is another switch which you click repeatedly to go from OFF to AIR to ECONOMY. This would show a little light according to the choice. The lamp now doesn't work......nor does the fan, even on speeds 1 and 2 which it did before. The main light to the aircon control is still working, the fuse is OK I guess (better check that though Tuesday) Idiot, right? What's the story please? Ps: are there resistors in the back of the switch to alter speed or are they elsewhere? Edited September 17, 2012 by cheeryble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kartman Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 The story is ............leave electrical work on vehicles to someone that knows what they are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 (edited) The story is ............leave electrical work on vehicles to someone that knows what they are doing. Not so quick.... Five years ago I went to an electrical mechanic for a central locking problem (generally can't be bothered doing this stuff my self). After he opened it up his haphazard approach caused me to stop him and take over. I fixed it in twenty minutes. Recently refused a fuel pump at Suzuki for something like 15,000 baht and ended up paying 1500. In this case I would have to drive across town and leave my car for ?days. Having said that I have no desire to do it myself..... Edited September 18, 2012 by cheeryble Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 To emphasise post 3 I went to one of the few auto electricians in CM today. He asked me to drop off my car Saturday and I could have it a week later. So any pointers about how the aircon control switch combines with the fan switch gratefully received I may have to have another fiddle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailoht Posted September 18, 2012 Share Posted September 18, 2012 Hi there Suzuki Vitara 1999 if I remember. I've been having a couple of electrical problems one about driver window other about the four speed fan switch. The latter is my first subject. Problem: Low speeds 1 and 2 don't work. 3 and 4 OK. I got the central dash partially opened up and managed to get the switch I question out. I opened up the side which has the copper contacts. On opening it had rather dirty contacts so I squirted a bit of contact cleaner and wiped them. I put it back in but no go. I thought "if I simply short out between the live contact and any other contact, I should get some fan. I first used a bit of very fine wire and got quite strong little sparks, but no fan. I tried simply shorting the gap with a screwdriver. No go. The trouble is......there is another switch which you click repeatedly to go from OFF to AIR to ECONOMY. This would show a little light according to the choice. The lamp now doesn't work......nor does the fan, even on speeds 1 and 2 which it did before. The main light to the aircon control is still working, the fuse is OK I guess (better check that though Tuesday) Idiot, right? No..... You just happen to be a victim of a 'double whammy'. You have 2 different switches that are now defective! The 1st switch, 'The fan speed switch', is the most common and usually easier and cheaper problem to Rx. The switch 'went out' on three different cars that I previously owned 'back in the world', and, as it so happens, is also defective on the used vehicle that I bought here a year ago. The '2nd problem', I believe indicates that a more expensive relay or solenoid, etc., (I can't recall the specifics at the moment....the blower itself?), is now defective. It's the more expensive repair of the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailoht Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 To emphasise post 3 I went to one of the few auto electricians in CM today. He asked me to drop off my car Saturday and I could have it a week later. So any pointers about how the aircon control switch combines with the fan switch gratefully received I may have to have another fiddle. Just reminder: The one part, the easiest and less expensive of the two Rx, is called the 'Blower motor resistor'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeryble Posted September 19, 2012 Author Share Posted September 19, 2012 To emphasise post 3 I went to one of the few auto electricians in CM today. He asked me to drop off my car Saturday and I could have it a week later. So any pointers about how the aircon control switch combines with the fan switch gratefully received I may have to have another fiddle. Just reminder: The one part, the easiest and less expensive of the two Rx, is called the 'Blower motor resistor'. Hey thanks Thailoht! I guess the 4speed blower switch has the resistors sealed inside eh?....or are they somewhere else in the car and the 4way just chooses them? When you switch the A/C on does it wait until the blower's on too before anything happens like A/C pump starts going? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thailoht Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I just remembered: The one part, the easiest and less expensive of the two Rx, is called the 'Blower motor resistor'. Hey thanks Thailoht! I guess the 4speed blower switch has the resistors sealed inside eh?....or are they somewhere else in the car and the 4way just chooses them? When you switch the A/C on does it wait until the blower's on too before anything happens like A/C pump starts going? Unfortunately, I know nothing about electronics .... I only know the Rx side cause and effects: if 'X' is broke then check 'Y' and then 'Z' to Rx it. I have had to replace these blower-resistor switches on 3 different vehicles: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Ford Windstar and BMW X5. On all these vehicles, the switch is located under the glove box and at the blower motor. It's not too difficult of a job .... it's the accessibility within the confined area of the passenger foot well that presents the most problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogandave Posted September 19, 2012 Share Posted September 19, 2012 I think a lot of the switch problems will be going away in the new cars with the sort of soft-start power-up they seem to be using now. If you don't know, cheap part first is a good rule of thumb... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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