My truck is pissing me off already....

[xr8d302]

Well, as you know, I bought this nice 2001 Ranger last month, and because I bought it used, it came with a 30 day guarantee...

So, despite the fact that it's been running well for the most part (a slight miss at idle which I think can be cured with a tune up and some good maintenance), I noticed that the 1rst and 2nd levels of heat controls were very weak....

I should have said something right off the bat, but for some reason I figured they were just weak settings for the heater, and I just ran it on the 3rd setting...

tonight, I start the truck (it's freakin cold up here right now) and the first thing I notice is that the day time running lights didn't turn on until the truck warmed up...

Then, as I drove to Subway for a late night snack, the windshield started to fog up...oh look at that, the 3rd setting is now dead....so I had to turn it to the 4rth and final setting to get any heat....god knows how long that will last

I called the dealership as soon as I got home, just to ensure that the problem was mentioned, but it's now 32 days since I bought the truck....my guess is that they're going to try and shake me off, which legally, I believe they are allowed to

First question, do you guys think it's the blower motor that's causing this, or could it be a fuse or relay?

Second, do you guys have any tips to help me out in case this place tries to shrug me off because it's 2 days later than the date? Is there anything I could say to have them go the extra mile, or should I not even try?

I figured, since you guys were my second family, I would seek your help right off the bat...

Thanks in advance...

 

[The Green GT]

Are the switches vacuum controlled like in our cars?

 

[xr8d302]

yes, i'm more than certain that they are....I believe everything after 2000 was vacuum controlled

 

[The Green GT]

yes, i'm more than certain that they are....I believe everything after 2000 was vacuum controlled

Maybe some hoses came off.
Id check that and if not then it might be the blower motor.

 

[urban96]

blower motor resistor switch thingy, check into that.

since the blower is working i dont think its the blower motor. and if its blowing out of different vents and u can control it wouldnt be vaccume

 

[94-302-vert]

definitly the resistor pack for ht eblower motor. usually these are pretty cheap and easy to change out...

 

[1TallMF]

definitly the resistor pack for ht eblower motor. usually these are pretty cheap and easy to change out...

+2 on the resistor pack. Shoud be easy to find at the junk yard.

 

[xr8d302]

+2 on the resistor pack. Shoud be easy to find at the junk yard.

Sweet, you in town?

 

[1TallMF]

Sure am! I guess you didn't get my PM...

 

[xr8d302]

the one about you're undying love for me? or the one about the herpes? No wait, that was Wystang's message....

Ohhh wait, the one about you being in town....found it

Just called you.

 

[vp6799]

My 99 ranger did the same thing. It started with the lowest setting, then it eventually worked it's way all thw way up.

just replace the resister pack located under the hood on the blower assembly, and you should be fine.

 

[xr8d302]

Sweet, that's some solid reassurance

I'll be doing this tomorrow if it's any warmer around this place

lately the weather's been wacky

 

[reddy351]

That is actually not a "resistor pack". It is a thermal fuse. (If it's the little thingy in the top of the blower motor box, with little coily wires on the bottom side.) It's a safety feature designed to keep the blower motor from burning up and causing your beloved Ford vehicle from catching fire. If you can't find/don't want to pay the Ford premium for the part, you can "rebuild" yours for about $3.00 with parts purchased from Radio Shack. I dealt with these stupid things when I had a Merkur XR4ti. I believe you need one that "trips" at about 192 degrees F. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[HISSIN50]

Reddy, more info please. What I think the guys are talkin about is the pack which facilitates knocking current out of the feed [to step the fan speeds].

I'm not familiar with a thermal switch in such a scenario but I'd like to learn more since it's new to me.

 

['66 coupe]

Reddy, more info please. What I think the guys are talkin about is the pack which facilitates knocking current out of the feed [to step the fan speeds].

That was my thought too. Does the a/c blow on high only also?

My parents had a '92 Sentra that started to only have a/c + heat on high. My dad drove the car for 2 years like that. When it became their beater, I decided I would drive it everyday and save the '66 from regular mileage. I couldn't take it and 2 days and $30 later I had a new blower resistor. Took 2 minutes to replace and fixed everything.

Of course, that's a totally different car...but that's what came to my mind.

 

[vp6799]

According to ford, it's considered a blower motor resister block. It controls the speeds to the fan according to what position you have the switch set at.

If yours only works on high, Then it's stuck in an open circuit. The blower can still work on the switch's highest speed because it bypasses the resistor block completely in that mode.

You should be able to get one at the dealer for less then $20. here's a link to one online. Resister Pack

It should look similar to this one:

Here is a pic of where it's located in a Ranger. It's the plug in the middle of the pic, right under the blower motor.