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Acura TL Blower Stopped Working: Fix

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.
Acura TL Owner's Manual

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.
Acura TL Dashboard

Here you can see the blower motor and the blower motor resistor.
Acura TL AC/Heater Blower

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

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.
Remove Blower Resistor

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.
AC Heater Blower Resistor Connector

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.
Blower Resistor rear view

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.
Remove Blower Resistor

It should work perfectly now. If you continue to have issues, you might need to visit your mechanic.

Did this repair worked for you? Please leave a comment below and include the year, make and model of your car OR share this fix with other Acura/Honda Owners:

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Posted in Cars

206 Comments

  1. LoeyD

    I have an 01 CL that I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with. This was my first major fix by myself. I followed your directions! When the blower turned on and heat started to come out from the vents I almost jumped for joy. I was still on the ground when it happen. THANK YOU so much for this tutorial.

  2. Jeff Newell

    My 03 TL was having the same problem. The connections to the resistor looked clean. The resistor looked ok, other than being a little dirty.

    I bought a replacement at a local auto parts store and it did the trick. I was surprised it work, but definitely cheaper than taking my car to a mechanic.

    Thanks for the article!

  3. Venus

    Thx, I got it off ebay, but the repair didn’t work. It was so cruddy that I’m sure I would have had to replace it sooner or later so no worries. I will try replacing the wires for the blower mtor connector.

  4. Blaine Nelson

    Worked for me. Followed the above information and lead me to the load resistor and replaced as necessary. Many thanks for accurate information and save a bunch.

  5. TEB

    Worked like a charm. Picked up blower resistor from O’Reilly’s Auto parts for $43. Thanks for the step by step instructions.

  6. Melissa

    I have a 2005 Acura TL. WORKED! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I had air blowing out of my vents at full blast, even when the display said it was off. I couldn’t get it to turn off! I read a bit about it online and decided to replace the motor blower resistor. Sure enough, thanks to your tutorial, it only took about 10 minutes and it saved me hundreds of dollars!!! The part was $50. In the 2005 TL the part is not white, but black, fyi. Thanks again! PS. I have the car skills of a turnip! If I can do this, ANYONE can!

  7. Jerry

    my problem was that the blower wudnt go off. i replaced the resistor and now the blower wont turn on. any suggestions?

  8. Michelle J

    You are awesome! I just put $3000. Into my 1999 Acura TL and was tired of putting more $$ into it. My son did as you advised and everything worked out great. The fuses were all good, the resistor didn’t look corroded but put new one in anyway and voila!!! I’ve got
    AC. Thank you, we will continue to use your site as there are still other issues with my car. I will also tell others about your site.

  9. Randy

    Just had the blower motor TRANSISTOR replaced at the Acura dealership.
    Part cost – $57.00
    installation cost $ 187.50
    shop charges about $ 30.00
    TOTAL. $ 274.70

    How much chared per hour?

  10. Brian

    You are so awesome!!!! A $35 part and 15 minutes of my time and it worked…are you kidding me? Thanks!

  11. Billy

    After checking all the fuses, I went to the internet and found this post. Took me 1 minute to take it out and about 2 minutes to put it back in. The part was $41 at AutoZone and my daughter has A/C again. Thanks!

  12. Don

    03 Acura TL Type S, followed your instructions, replaced the blower resistor, and the air conditioner is blowing cold air. Thanks you, everyone likes saving money.

  13. Fred

    It worked for me, and it saved me money. Thank you for your tutorial it was very helpful. I have a ’99 Acura 3.2 TL.

  14. horst

    took the panel off.gave power to the blower with my powerprobe.nothing.new motor worked fine.simple replacement.15 min.97 rl

  15. Gavin

    Thank you, Josh and William!!

    Josh for the post. I found burnt connections at the fan/blower.

    William for posting. I spent $13 for a new connector at the local Acura Dealership.

    2003 Acura TL-S

  16. Richard

    This worked for me a couple years ago, but not this time. My mechanic said it’s not a bad idea to replace the blower motor at the same time as it is probably failing and causing the problem. My connector was partially melted and the blower motor bad. New one on order be here tomorrow.

  17. Lakesha Jackson

    Suggestions please: I have a 2000 acura tl and I just replace to blower motor and connected wired and my mechanic followed all steps even did the power test to make sure everything and all wires had power and at the end still no ac or heat blowing out. Do anyone know what I can try next???

  18. JohnO

    Awesome fix for a DIYer. Thanks Josh.

    Went to PEP BOYS and bought the Blower Motor Resister for $43. Check the fuses and connections, all good. Replacing the Resister could not have been easier. Crossed my fingers and started the car – bingo cool air blowing on HI.
    This was a great fix. Glad I searched it before going to the dealer.

    PS: the old Resister looked pretty much like Josh’s pic only more corroded.

    2003 Acura TL (191K and going strong)

  19. Dick Rubin

    Josh,
    Try as I did nothing has worked. Replacing The Blower Motor Resistor didn’t work and none of the fuses look bad. Now if I could only get the Glove Box removed so that I could look for faulty wiring that is reported on a few other sites I just might get my AC working again. If you have any other suggestions I will be glad to try them.

    BTW. Your instructions are very well done.

    Thank you.

  20. Bob

    Thank you Josh. Your narrative and pics were excellent.
    I did everything you said, and fixed my TL-S with 114K miles.

  21. Larry

    Josh,

    Thank you so much! It worked on my 2000 Acura TL. I checked the fuse, and it wasn’t the problem. I wasn’t quite sure about replacing the resistor since it didn’t look like it was a problem – but it was! I thought I might have to take it to a mechanic so they could do a more thorough search into the problem. Not necessary now! Thanks again!

  22. con1124

    Josh,
    Thank you for repairing my 2003 Acura TL 3.2. which I had purchased new and was aware of any repairs that were done to the Acura since birth. I also, had my fan stopped working so that ended the needed air conditioning. I followed your suggestion to the tee and started by replacing the resistor. I then purchased the part at Auto Zone for $42.00 a lot less then having the dealer cost. Needless to say the car now has cool air. Again Thanks..

  23. neauva

    Josh, et al,

    I have a 2003 TL-S with a flaky blower. I disconnected the wiring harness nearest the passenger door, under the dash, to find that it was corroded/burned. Before doing so, I turned the key and turned on the A/C. No blowing. I reached down and slightly nudged this connector – ta-da! So, I’m fairly sure it’s that connector. My question is… what is the PART# for this connector/plug/harness? Thanks in advance!

  24. Chris

    Thanks! Ended up being my issue also and was very easy to fix. Just so happens I could not be without my car this week and was very worried about dropping it at the shop. Thanks again!

  25. John

    Thanks for the tutorial. Even though I am too old, fat, and tall to be under a dashboard, your advice was perfect. My 2000 tl now has ac again. The cost was $42.00 from Advance Auto. My local store had one in stock so I bought it and installed it while in the parking lot!!!

  26. Patrick

    Did this fix a couple years back on a 2003 Honda Accord and it worked great. Today I did it on a 1999 Acura TL and again it fixed the problem. 2 for 2!

  27. Tony Walker

    I replaced the resistor, blow motor relay, and the burned up wire going into the blower. The blower has a burn mark at the plug but will turn on if I wire it to the battery. Ran the climate control diagnostic and it says that the resistor is the problem. The resistor was new and I checked the fuse. Could a new resistor be bad? Also, I tried hooking up a new blow motor and it would not turn on. What else can I check or test?????

  28. Mud

    2003 Acura TL – instructions were absolute! Thanks for the heads-up. Any A/C repair under $50 is a bonus in my book!!

  29. Toni

    Thanks Joshs you were a big help…… Your advice worked…. I did not replace it….. I cleaned the corrosion off the blower resistor and it worked like a charm

  30. Dave

    Wow, thank you Josh and Toni!! After checking the fuse under the hood, I simply loosened up the two screws for the blower resister, cleaned the corrosion off, and tightened the screws and it worked!

  31. Josh

    I’m glad to see so many people are able to resolve this issue and save money! For those of you that still have issues, I recommend checking out acurazine.com to research more solutions. There are people on that forum that are a lot smarter than me!

  32. Simba

    This was the best help ever! I have no idea about cars and have never fixed anything myself. After following Josh’s easy steps, my AC/Heater are back in working order! Total cost $47 for the Motor Blower Resistor at PepBoys. Thanks again!

  33. Rudy

    2003 Acura TL 130,000miles Same symptoms, AC worked, all fuses good, but no air flow. Replace blower resistor, works just as it did. Problem fixed for $48. Thanks for the instruction!

  34. Charles Hu

    I replaced the resistor, blow motor relay. The resistor was new and I checked the fuse. Still no cool or hot air coming out. Could a new resistor be bad? Thank you very much for anybody having any further suggestions.

    Charlie Hu

  35. Sen

    For all those who had this problem and got it fixed by using above said method, did the display always showed auto when the AC unit is turned on. Thats what is happening with my Acura 2000 TL. I am not able to change it out of auto mode even if i press the auto button multiple times.

  36. RH

    Checked fuses and nothing. Replaced resister and nothing. Should have inspected the connection wires into the blower motor first, though. One of the connections was badly burnt and need to replace the plastic connector, shorten wires and replace one of the wire heads. However, just cleaning the burnt parts, the corrosion, etc. proved it’s the spot and worthy of more attention. Fan’s blowing fine now. Thanks, all y’all!

  37. Scott

    02 TL. What if blower motor connector IS corroded? Can JUST the end piece b changed or do I have to replace the whole harness?

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