Another problem

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
With my refrigerator on the fritz, last night I found out my car's heater fan is not working. I took it to a local garage. The mechanic replaced two fuses, but it did not fix the problem. His only solution was saying, "Better take it to Honda."
 

I'm surprised the garage couldn't fix something as simple as a heater fan Deb. Did he say why the fuse replacement didn't work, and what the problem was....why you had to take it to Honda? I think there are times we have to go to the dealer for repair, but it's strange for a heater fan, IMO.
 
Usually here, the auto service place will just order the part (fan) sent over from the dealer, and then replace it themselves. You have to wait for delivery of the part. A small operation may not be equipped to get the part efficiently and cheaply. Could be quicker and easier just to go to the dealer.
 

SeaBreeze said:
Did he say why the fuse replacement didn't work, and what the problem was....why you had to take it to Honda?
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No, he didn't elaborate, but probably did all he could with his ability and the time constraint I put on him. It a small garage that's an adjunct to a car dealership in addition to their regular service department, but it specializes in quick service like oil changes, tire rotations and inspections. If it's anything more involved, it's a 50/50 chance they can help if it isn't a Ford.
 
It's not that simple to 'fix' a heater fan.

If the motor is fine (can be tested), then there are other issues like a thermostat setting. It's not that simple.

Mine has been operating on high speed for ten years now. The lower settings don't work and it's not worth fixing it.

The parts dealer told me it's a solenoid.
 
A heater fan in most cases is extremely labor intensive to work on. It is buried up under the dash board and usually not accessible with out a lot of disassembly.
Go to Honda get an estimate, I think you will be flabbergasted. You have been considering trading it in, this may be the tipping point.

Sorry, I hope I am wrong.
 
I lived through two Detroit winters without a heater fan in my car. No heat in the car, no defroster on the windshield. I drove with a scarf wrapped around my lower face for less moisture in the car and with a scraper in my left hand to scrape at the windshield. I hardly ever changed lanes because I couldn't see out of the back window.

The things we do when we're young and very poor......
 
jujube said:
I lived through two Detroit winters without a heater fan in my car. No heat in the car, no defroster on the windshield. I drove with a scarf wrapped around my lower face for less moisture in the car and with a scraper in my left hand to scrape at the windshield. I hardly ever changed lanes because I couldn't see out of the back window.

The things we do when we're young and very poor......
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I had a similar experience when I was young and poor, too, only mine was in Washington, D.C. -- not as cold as Detroit, but it was still a most unpleasant experience. I still remember what a struggle it was to get to work that winter, and of course it had to be a very bad winter with lots of snow.
 
Some car heater fan motors are mounted on the engine firewall, and can be accessed from the engine compartment. Those can easily be tested with a voltmeter, to see if the motor is getting power...if so, the motor is bad...if not, the circuit/fuse is bad. However, if the fan motor can only be accessed from inside/under the dash, the labor costs can go up quickly, and a dealer is your best repair option, because their mechanic will probably do a faster and better job. At any rate, if you live in a colder climate, not have a working heater in the car makes for miserable...and sometimes unsafe....driving.
 
Don M. said:
At any rate, if you live in a colder climate, not have a working heater in the car makes for miserable...and sometimes unsafe....driving.
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I hate to drive with the widow fogged up. I prefer to see where I am going. LOL

Do they make today's cars difficult to service to force owners to bring it to the dealership garage for service?
 
Deb,

If the repairs are too expensive and your car is old enough to have a cigarette lighter you could buy one of these little aftermarket defrosters. I don't think that they will give you much heat but they should be able to keep the window clear.

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Good luck!
 
Money is not my major concern considering a repair is less expensive that buying a new car under duress. I always say to the garage, "Once I get all the parts replaced, eventually I WILL have a new car." The problem is I like my old car. Buying a new one these days will have so many bells and whistles I'm paying for and probably wouldn't even use.
 
debodun said:
Money is not my major concern considering a repair is less expensive that buying a new car under duress. I always say to the garage, "Once I get all the parts replaced, eventually I WILL have a new car." The problem is I like my old car. Buying a new one these days will have so many bells and whistles I'm paying for and probably wouldn't even use.
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Sounds good!

I guess all you really need to do is pull into the Honda dealership and blow the horn, I'm sure they will be able to fix it.
 
debodun said:
I hate to drive with the widow fogged up. I prefer to see where I am going. LOL Do they make today's cars difficult to service to force owners to bring it to the dealership garage for service?
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Today's cars almost Always require Dealer service for anything more than routine maintenance. Everything is "computer" controlled, and unless a person has thousands of dollars worth of test/diagnostic equipment, most repairs are a "shot in the dark". Most car dealers make the bulk of their profits from their service departments. On many engines...especially the v6's, just changing the spark plugs almost requires a trip to the dealer, and $100+ labor charges.
 
debodun said:
I even heard that Hondas require "special" transmission fluid that isn't made available to most small, local garages.
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That wouldn't surprise me...the car companies seem to be doing everything possible to put the "shade tree mechanic" out of business...and the days of a simple inexpensive fix are almost over. The next thing they will try to do is to hide the oil filter so a person can't even change their oil/filter for $25.
 
debodun said:
Took it to Honda this morning. They said it needs a new blower fan motor an transistor. $380.
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That sounds like a reasonable price....probably $80 for parts and the rest is most likely labor. Get it done before Winter gives you a good blast....driving a cold car with foggy windows could put you in a bad situation.
 
Here is the breakdown for the parts:

Power transistor 98.25
Fan Motor Assembly 116.77

probably the balance for labor which would be 164.98
 

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