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 [photo] 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.
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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Hi I’m having this.issue.with my 07 TL would.this.fix be similarfor my car
For those of you that continue to have issues, check out this forum: http://acurazine.com/forums/problems-fixes-114/
It is a great resource for investigating and asking additional questions.
This was indeed the fix for my 2005 Acura TL. I had intermittent issues with the fan in the car. It finally just stopped working. Replaced the part and that fixed it. The location was a little different than the pictures but still was able to figure it out.
Thanks for posting. Saved my $$$.
Just wanted to say thanks I just fixed the same exact problem in my 2004 Tl it took 5 mins I got heat again ?
Thanks Josh, that is exactly what my issue was on my 2003 CL. I bought the part and my son climbed in under dash and unscrewed the part for me and I plugged in the new part and lo and behold I have air again! Thanks for the easy trouble shoot and posting of info.
Great description. Super appreciated.
Can you help me with my 1996 acura tl 2.5 litre . I have the same issue
This fixed my issues on my 02 acura TL. Saved me a bunch of money. Thanks so much for the walk through.
Hi Josh,
Thank you for an excellent description – I found the same problem in my Acura 2000 TL. My question is – how you disconnected the wiring harness for the blower resistor. Is there some kind of latch?
Thanks
There is no sign of corrosion so chances are not it or should I replace anyway
Replace last year it fixed it went out again this summer again got a replacement from auto zone it didn’t work. Did I do something wrong. Do I need to reset something
Best help I have ever had trying to narrow down and fix an issue with my vehicle! I do all the mechanics myself on my car so that’s saying a lot! Two thumbs up 10 out of 10 rating! Thanks a bunch man
Yeah I that resistor out that it shows in the pic clean it with some wool and bam blower motor started working just fine save that $50 dollars but wouldn’t have known about what going on with my Ac without visiting joshsworld.com first thanks joshsworld you da sh:t
Hi how are you š on my 95 Acura Integra. My brakes was working good then they went completely out for some reason? And my fuel lines are leaking and I cannot tell if it’s from the gas tank or the lines? I replaced all the lines but it still is leaking somewhere. Could you please tell me where the fuel lines and the brake lines are under the hood please. And what would be the best remedy for this without spending a fortune. Thanks so much I really appreciate it have a great day?
This article was very helpful. I found the problem for my 2000 aura tl blower in less than 10 minutes. It was a loose connection.
Thanks
Josh: Thank you for the great article and the great pictures. This was the exact solution to the blower problem on our 2000 Acura TL. After replacing the resistor, the system works perfect again. I got the resistor from O’Reilly Auto Parts for $42.99 + tax. Just for grins I called a local Acura dealer and asked what they would charge to replace this resistor. They told me the part was $73.00 and with labor the total bill would be “right at $400.00 with tax”!! Thanks again for the great article, great pictures, and great info.
2003 Acura TL I have replaced the blower motor and the resistor and the blower motor fuse under the hood and the fuse in the car is good still won’t blow I also replaced the climate control panel and still won’t blow any air…….anyone out there have any idea what I could try next to make my a/c blow some air
THANK YOU! Save me hundreds!
Very helpful, thank-you.
This worked for my 2003 type s, i actually found the blower motor resistor at a junk yard from a 2002 model TL.. thanks for the trouble shooting directions
My 2005 acura tl blower quits after running a while, usually a couple hours.. It always happens when I’m on a trip. After the car sits turned off for a bit, it will work again. I’ve had it to the shop but nothing can be found wrong because it’s intermittent.
Nice.. I’m haven a problem similar.. but it’s only the driver side not work.. every other vent works perfect. . Can this b the problem. . Purchased the car like that..
This was exactly what was wrong with my 2003 TLS. Thank you so much! Easy fix I could do myself and saved me a ton of $!
Josh,
Yesterday (17 Sept 2016) my blower stopped working. I checked all the fuses I could associate with it, but no luck. I did some searching and found your post. I went to Autozone this afternoon and obtained the part, a Duralast Blower Motor Resistor (JA1387) which was $41.99 like you said. The install was at most 20 minutes and it worked perfectly. Thanks very much for sharing this!
Josh,
My blower motor stopped about a week ago after stopping once before going completely dead. Did a quick Google and found your site right out of the gate. Precise instructions and photos with arrows to boot. Went to local Auto Zone in the evening and the part arrived next morning. Cost $45 and change. Plugged it back in and fan motor came to life. Perfect! Thanks!
I just cleaned the resistor off and it worked perfect.
I’ve been having this issue with my 2003 Acura TL Type-S for about 4,000 miles and 3 months (recently stopped driving my daily for work). I’ve checked the fuse, it’s good. I’ve checked the connector and it’s good also. The only solution I’ve yet to try is this one but I wanted to ask a few questions first…
1. Is there a way to test the resistor before replacing it? A friend mentioned that a multimeter should read current while it’s not connected.
2. I may be wrong, but I believe the white build-up on the metal side of the resistor is a bad sign. Mine was not as bad as the one in these photos. Can anyone confirm this indicator?
Update: So maybe I did something wrong…
Car: 2003 Acura tl type s
Info: fuses good, connector good, new resistor
1. BOUGHT AND REPLACED THE RESISTOR – part # JA1387
2. DIDNT DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FIRST mostly because I didn’t have a wrench for it; I have one at home but it’s a long drive when I have to stop every 5 blocks to wipe windows in this storm (western WA)
3. BLOWER DIDN’T FIX so I restarted the car and it still doesn’t work
$50, two screws, problem solved! Thanks Josh!
@Steven, I also didn’t disconnect the battery because doing so means I have to find an underground parking garage with to radio signal to reset my radio. Not disconnecting the battery didn’t make a difference for me. It worked. If you are sure the fuse, your cables and connectors are all good, you might actually need to replace the blower motor. Guy at the auto parts store also said he’s seen a clogged cabin filter be the root cause of this issue.
My problem is very Odd. I replaced the resistor also and got another motor out of a scrapyard. With resistor secured and holding the uninstalled base of motor in hand with squirrel cage/fan FACING DOWN ? everything works but as soon as I rotate the motor with squirrel cage/fan FACING UP ? (install position) the motor stops running; almost like a gravity or mercury switch would work… this is Odd.
I disconnected the harness to the motor and attached my voltage meter to the harness leads, rotated this connection with NO indicated short circuit in wiring. Since my Old Motor was still in my garage, I hooked it back up and it was doing the very same thing… Odd. I thought about brushes being bad… but in both motors???
The FACING DOWN ? (everything works) and the FACING UP ? (install position & want run) caused me to ask for your thoughts.
This problem all started after I had a shop to do some engine compartment work. I found myself having to tap the motor with my foot so that it would run. That’s the reason why I thought it was going bad.
Thanks for the spot on instructions. It solved my blower issue on my 2002 Acura TL with 166000 miles. I installed it in minutes at the auto parts store parking lot. Cheers
Had the same problem change the blower resistor and heat was back on! What a relief! Thanks!!!!!
Hey guys Acura tl 2003 type s the car is fun to drive just got it 3 weeks ago. I had this problem recently with the air not blowing, got a replacement resister from autozone. At first the air was not blowing but seen another comment to jiggle the harness, and BAM the problem was solved thanks for all the comments and Josh for the post!!!!!! March, 17,2017
Following your direction and just got my fixed! You’re the MAN!!! saved us a ton of $$$
This worked like a charm on my ’05 TL. In my case the blower started blowing full blast, could not turn it down or off. The fuse looked good. The new blower motor resistor did the trick.
FOLLOWED YOUR ADVICE ON MY 2004 ACURA AND REPLACED THE RESISTOR WITH A USED ONE FROM EBAY, THE TOTAL COST WAS $9.90. THANX A LOT.
Josh
Just repaired my 2001 Acura TL using these easy to follow steps with pictures. Wow! Fuse was OK, connections looked good, so I ran to Autozone to pick up the $41.99 part. Took 10 minutes to replace. A/C blower working like new just in time for summer! Thanks for posting this!
Henry
Josh- Thanks much for your vid! Because of it I was able to navigate the problem. I checked the fuse, replaced the “transistor” ($73.90)then found melting on the plug to the motor. I got a new motor and a upgraded wire harness ($140.00). I simply plugged it up and spliced in to the existing harness. Acura mentioned that if you ground the transistor to a body part, a good motor should run. There is also a small circuit change from Acura that I did not follow due to the need to remove the glove box. The new motor is currently running fine-so will see how long it lasts.
Had the same problem with my 2002 TL. Googled it, found Josh’s website, followed his directions, and Voila – worked like a charm! Even saved $7 on the part at Auto Zone courtesy an e-coupon. Many thanks for sharing this, Josh!
Josh I changed out the resistor and it fixed the problem but 2 months later the fan went out again. Did I do something wrong
I also owe you a huge thanks. Checked everything, all fuses, figured it had to be this part so I risked it. 45 bux at 30 min later, viola, fan works. It’ll be 115 degrees here tomorrow so on behalf of my family, THANK YOU!
My 2003 Acura TL blower/fan started clicking a few months ago. Yesterday, the blower just stopped. It was over 100 degrees at the time. No A/C or heater. Checked the blower fuse, but it was OK. Opted to change the transistor. It was tight area to get to, but even being a big guy, I was able get to the part under the glove box. The tranistor cost $43 at O’Reilly’s with a life time warranty. Started the car, and had to wait 30 seconds ( seemed like a lot longer) and then the fan started and cold air felt so good. Thanks for the tip and instructions on how to fix. Total time was 20 minutes to pull the old part and install the new one.
Good tip and instructions. My 2000 acura ac had stopped blowing. So i googled and found your article. Followed instructions and changed my blower transistor. It cost me $44. at autozone. Had it running again in less than 20 minutes
Thank you so much for Josh, “you da man”! My 2007 Acura TL had the intermittent AC/Heater fan issue.
Followed your instructions. Bought the part, saved $$$, learned a lot and got the issue resolved.
Prep time: 30 mins
Bought (car specific) part from Autozone: $95 (including Tax)
Replacement and testing time: 5 mins
Found this site and fixed my problem. Huge thanks to Josh. I owe you a beer.
Josh,
Thanks for the precise directions an pictures. You were exactly correct in replacing the blower transistor.$69.09 bucks at Napa I. Calgary,Canada. Have my AC back now!
When I disconnected the wiring connecter from the blower motor, it looked like it had shorted and burned partially and melted. Iām guessing that is the component I will need to get fixed. Thank you!
Worked for me on my 2013 Acura TL. Saved me hundreds of dollars from what I was quoted at the repair shop. Thanks!
YES!!!! I have a 2006 Acura TSX and this was the problem.
Thanks for this video. I received an estimate from my mechanic today. $45.00 to test. Probably would need to replace the blower motor. I removed the resister per your video and simply cleaned it real good. I replaced it and it fired right up. Saved me $$$$$. Thank you.
josh – i went to top up the chatge on my 2000 the other day and had grabbed by accident a r12 hose i had in same box with the r134 hose ,needless to say all i did was accidentally depress the fill port and shoot a tiny , and i mean tiny amount of freon out as i immediately realized i had the wrong hose.when i got in the car at that moment i realized my blower picked that moment to quit . -so i thot quick and easy try relay–nope – so i did the resister–still no blower –any thoughts ?