New Car, New Issues: Blower Motor, etc. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Zerohour3k · #1 07-23-2007, 09:35 AM

Okay, I'm probably going to hate myself for giving up my 84 300D Euro (almost had the entire thing working 100%, aside from a bunch of water leaks and rust issues).. but I went against my better judgement and bought myself an 83 300D with a perfect interior.

So, the "new" car isn't without issues.. to list them,
* Rear defroster grid has a few dead lines.. but that's a relatively easy fix with those ugly "repair kits", unless there's a better way..
* A/C had a leak in it, but after a can of leak-stop, it seems to have, well.. stopped the leak. ACC unit was apparently 100% rebuilt from some shop in Texas only 20,000 miles ago (as per previous owner)... seems to hold true, since it works (mostly) well.
* Rear lower (UGH!) right control arm is rusty and should be replaced soon-ish. Apparently these things rust from the inside out, so when rust appears on the outside, it's rotted on the inside. Expensive as hell to fix, so this will wait as long as I can..
* A/C drain line is plugged, since when I switch to EC mode (or start the car in EC mode in hot weather), the windshield fogs up for a few seconds, and the car smells kind of musty. I dont think it's a heater core, since it smells rank, not sweet.
* Small water leak in trunk, and on E-brake pedal (windshield?). I'm just gonna caulk it when I find it.

Anyway, the issue that I ask you guys about today, is the blower motor / ACC one. I understand that if the ACC is broken (needs resoldering) the fan will "pulse" or just simply stop working. A firm slap usually fixes it. This (thankfully) is not the case.

Here's the problem: The blower motor (when on High mode) will blow high when the car is first started (usually). After leaving it on for a few minutes, the thing slows down to a more "medium" speed, or even "low". Turning the fan to low mode will produce a TRICKLE of air when the fan is acting up like this. Is this a blower motor issue, or an ACC issue? Slapping the center console does nothing.

The other issue is probably a bad vacuum pod. Basically, the center vents work 85% of the time, but every now and then they close off and don't blow (until I turn off and turn on the ACC a few times). The window gets frost on the outside during A/C operation (even in uni-level mode, not bi-level), which leads me to believe that the pod needs a new diaphragm. Is this a difficult job?

Thanks for all the help, guys!

Zerohour3k · #2 07-23-2007, 03:50 PM

I'm guessing this is a blower motor issue. Is this bad brushes? If so, are they a pain to replace?

If they're too much of a hassle, should I just buy a new blower?

Stevo · #3 07-23-2007, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerohour3k

I'm guessing this is a blower motor issue. Is this bad brushes? If so, are they a pain to replace?

If they're too much of a hassle, should I just buy a new blower?

Brushs used to be (havent needed any in a while) available from George Murphy
for about $20. Or you can go to the local
hardware store with the old brushes in hand and select brushes from the
selection they have. The hardware store brushes will be harder than the
originals and thus cause more rapid commutator wear.

SD Blue · #4 07-23-2007, 07:49 PM

If that is the second set of brushes, I wouldn't be surprised if the comutator is too worn. It might not be worth the trouble of trying new brushes, especially since a new motor is about $60.

Zerohour3k · #5 07-23-2007, 09:20 PM

Hmm, I guess my assumption that it's a bad motor is right, then? The ACC isn't exhibiting the usual "fan on, fan off" symptoms of a broken ACC.. but the fan IS blowing awfully slow for "high" mode sometimes.

Guess I'll be ordering a new fan soon.

tobybul · #6 07-24-2007, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD Blue

If that is the second set of brushes, I wouldn't be surprised if the comutator is too worn. It might not be worth the trouble of trying new brushes, especially since a new motor is about $60.

SD, where can I get a motor for $60.... I think I have a similar problem...