I’m not sure why any modern vehicle has a horn that sounds like the 4Runner horn. It’s wimpy and pathetic. It sounds like it’s the same horn from a 1980′s Honda Civic. Needless to say, my 4Runner needed an upgrade. In this video, I demonstrate how I installed a horn from a 1994 Ford F150 into my 1997 Toyota 4Runner SR5. I got the Ford horn from an eBay seller for $10 (plus $7 for shipping). One thing American vehicles have never had a problem with, the horn. I’ve seen other write-ups about how to do this and they made the task seem daunting, but I found this to be an extremely simple project. It’s one wire.

How to Repair Blower Motor Issue

Time Required: 20 minutes
Tools Required: Phillips screwdriver
Cost to Repair: $45.00

Description of Problem
Last week the blower for the A/C and heater stopped working on my 2003 Acura TL Type-S. The climate control unit will turn on, but you cannot feel the air because the blower will not blow. I tried turning it on Full Auto in both the hot and cold settings, nothing. I turned the fan knob to max and still nothing. When you turn the climate control unit on, you can hear the compressor under the hood turn on. The problem is clearly the blower not turning on.

The Repair
After some online research, I learned that much like the seat heater problem, this too is a common issue for the Acura TL (as well as other Honda and Acura models). A friend had this same issue with his Acura TSX. The solution: Replace the blower resistor.

Disclaimer / Precautions
I am not a mechanic. Follow my advice at your own risk. This repair is easy and cheap- so don’t be scared. Be sure to disconnect the battery, wear safety glasses, put on gloves, tie your shoes, chew with your mouth closed, and any other safety stuff that makes you not sue me.

Let’s begin!

Most of the time, the problem is that the blower resistor needs to be replaced. But first check to make sure the issue is not something else like a blown fuse or corroded connector. The blower fuse is located under the hood (it is close to the firewall on the passenger side for my model). The fuse is labeled “Heater Motor” on the fuse cover.

If the fuse looks good, move on to the blower inside the car. The blower motor is located below the glove box. Notice the giant yellow arrow pointing to the location.

Here you can see the blower motor and the blower motor resistor.

Disconnect the wiring connector from the blower motor to make sure there isn’t any corrosion or connection issues. Sometimes corroded connectors will cause the failure. These are clean, this is not the problem… On to the blower resistor.

Follow the wiring harness from the blower motor to the blower motor resistor. It is a white plastic trapezoidal-ish piece that is fastened by two Phillips head screws. Remove the two screws that fasten the blower resistor in place. This will allow you to pull the blower resistor down and disconnect the wires.

Gently pull the blower resistor down and disconnect the wiring connector. Here is a close up of the resistor after it has been removed. These connectors look clean too.

The metal side of the blower resistor had some crud on it. I don’t know if this was any indication of it being broken or not.

Replace the blower resistor with a new one. This part can be purchased at most auto parts stores. I paid $41.99 plus tax at AutoZone. To reinstall the part, simply screw the resistor back into place with the two screws. Reconnect all the wiring and test by turning on the climate control fan.

It should work perfectly now. If you continue to have issues, you might need to visit your mechanic. If this repair worked for you, please leave a comment below and include the year, make and model of your Honda/Acura.

Well here we are, December 10th of 2012 and I am now just getting around to the first post of the year. If you need more updates, I cannot stress enough- the importance of visiting my tumblr. It has been a busy year, and while I might not have posted much on JoshsWorld.com, the site is still getting a nice share of visitors. I love reading all the positive comments people are leaving, especially on the Acura seat heater repair article. It is also nice to see all the supportive feedback regarding the MyPlates.com personalize plates debacle. I want to create more content that is helpful to people, so that is a new goal for the future of this website.

If you drive an average of 15,000 miles per year, a 50 mpg vehicle will save you about $450 annually over a 35 mpg vehicle (assuming gas averages $3.50/gallon). That’s just under $38 per month.
429 gallons @ 35mpg = 15000 miles
300 gallons @ 50mpg = 15000 miles

gallons saved 129 @ $3.50/gallon = 451.50

If you drive an average of 12,000 miles per year, a 50 mpg vehicle will save you about $360 annually over a 35 mpg vehicle. That’s about $30 per month.
343 gallons @ 35mpg = 12000 miles
240 gallons @ 50mpg = 12000 miles

gallons saved 103 @ $3.50/gallon = 360.50

Wow, the plates looked so much better on the website!

Waiting 3 weeks to get your license plate is bad enough, but waiting that long only to have it look horrible is even worse. Who would want to put this on their car? Apparently, somebody at the ol’ prison license plate factory in Huntsville forgot to press the “pretty” button. If you received a license plate that looked like this, be sure to contact MyPlates and tell them they screwed up. This alignment is a misprint and looks nothing like the preview on the website. MyPlates will correct the issue for you, but be prepared to wait even longer. Hang in there, you will get your overpriced license plates, eventually.

The correct printing should have the characters centered in the black section of the license plate. If the characters are aligned to the left, the plate has been misprinted.

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