Speaking of hot wires...

[Grady]

Last Sunday as we were returning home on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I was turning the blower switch down from high to medium and noticed how hot the panel was to the touch. So hot you couldn't keep your finger tip on the metal panel plate. In the low or medium position all was normal.
I talked with Dennis O. next morning and was told that the early cars did not use a relay in position 3 (high). Also if you have a loose connection things got hot. See the pictures to see how hot it got.
Easy test ....run in high position to see if the panel surface gets hot to the touch. You can remove the 6 screws and look at the switch to confirm a good connection. The fix. A relay, new switch, new terminal.

 

[Bill P]

Last Sunday as we were returning home on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I was turning the blower switch down from high to medium and noticed how hot the panel was to the touch. So hot you couldn't keep your finger tip on the metal panel plate. In the low or medium position all was normal.
I talked with Dennis O. next morning and was told that the early cars did not use a relay in position 3 (high). Also if you have a loose connection things got hot. See the pictures to see how hot it got.
Easy test ....run in high position to see if the panel surface gets hot to the touch. You can remove the 6 screws and look at the switch to confirm a good connection. The fix. A relay, new switch, new terminal.

That looks scary!

I presume later models have a relay for position 3

 

[Tim Kay]

On this thread and a concurrent thread regarding Alt gauge I read "...on early cars it was an issue...." What's considedered early? year, vin #? Any specifics?

Should I be concerned with SPF faulty wiring with a chassis assembled in 2009?

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

On this thread and a concurrent thread regarding Alt gauge I read "...on early cars it was an issue...." What's considedered early? year, vin #? Any specifics?

Should I be concerned with SPF faulty wiring with a chassis assembled in 2009?

Your "R" does not have AC so should not be a concern.

 

[OliveR]

Hi Grady,

I have the same problem like you.

Could you specify the model of relay you have installed and if you have a drawing of the new cabling ?

Thanks in advance,

OliveR

 

[Grady]

OliveR
I replaced the switch with a new one for now and repaired the terminal/wire. The relay and wire will come in a few weeks (racing to be run). I had two other cars to attend to last weekend. A TR6 (leaky timing seal) and a '65 Mustang just back from updates.

 

[Jack Houpe]

There are two blower motors, the wires feeding them are not big enough to handle the amount of current required to operate on high (IMHO), the blower switch itself can't handle that amount of current flow either. Just put in a manual toggle switch rated for 25 amps or better and on high only. I don't know of anyone who uses there blower on medium or low, I have used a pulse width modulator to control the fan blowers but when I need the blower (because of ac on) I wanted it on high so I pulled the PWM motor speed control and installed a heavy duty switch. Early cars like mine had all the current for the blower motors going through the key switch which was a NO NO also, they had a retrofit kit for this and I believe all the newer cars are wired differently.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

There are two blower motors, the wires feeding them are not big enough to handle the amount of current required to operate on high (IMHO), the blower switch itself can't handle that amount of current flow either. Just put in a manual toggle switch rated for 25 amps or better and on high only. I don't know of anyone who uses there blower on medium or low, I have used a pulse width modulator to control the fan blowers but when I need the blower (because of ac on) I wanted it on high so I pulled the PWM motor speed control and installed a heavy duty switch. Early cars like mine had all the current for the blower motors going through the key switch which was a NO NO also, they had a retrofit kit for this and I believe all the newer cars are wired differently.

Jack is correct that later cars are wired differently. SPF copied the setup FAV used but as the modern HVAC system draws more power it was not optimal.

I guess the difference in weather accounts for blower speed, around here I use low and medium the most but I am fighting humidity more than temp! Although the forecast for Watkins Glen on Friday is 90 degrees........but only 70 on Saturday....80 on Sunday Yo-Yo season has started in Upstate New York!

 

[Jack Houpe]

Jack is correct that later cars are wired differently. SPF copied the setup FAV used but as the modern HVAC system draws more power it was not optimal.

I guess the difference in weather accounts for blower speed, around here I use low and medium the most but I am fighting humidity more than temp! Although the forecast for Watkins Glen on Friday is 90 degrees........but only 70 on Saturday....80 on Sunday Yo-Yo season has started in Upstate New York!

Its never hot and humid here in Arkansas. :laugh::laugh:

 

[Richard]

Jack I think I just saw your nose grow a bit. I've been driving the 40 some this past week after almost a year. Life just happens sometimes. I'll have to look into the switch issue. Has this been fixed by the factory on any SPF 40's.

 

[Jack Houpe]

Richard if you look at the back of the switch and see that the wires have started to turn brown due to heat, this needs to be addressed, asap. The wires coming off the blower motors are larger than the wires that feed them, (at least in early cars) so I just ran new bigger wires. I think I recall 2013 while you where norcal you questioned the amount of airflow from your blowers compared to mine?? The blowers work much better with a higher voltage feeding them, the old wires created a voltage drop which in turn slowed the blower motors.

 

[Rich E.]

Mine is doing the same thing, in fact it burned out the switch on our way back from Monterey this year. Does anyone have the wiring diagram they'd like to share?

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

Mine is doing the same thing, in fact it burned out the switch on our way back from Monterey this year. Does anyone have the wiring diagram they'd like to share?

I have the diagram and relay info in my files......I will dig it out and post.

 

[Rick Muck- Mark IV]

I will get the schematic and relay numbers. There is another word file with better details but too large to post here. Email rick(AT)timemachinesauto.com and I will forward it.