Earlier this week, I started to smell something electrical. That concerned me as the activated carbon air filter in the HVAC system pretty much keeps all odors out of the cabin. As such, the burning smell must have been coming from something inside - not good, I figured.

After some fooling around, I determined that the front blower fan while sort of working, was not responding to any sort of speed control. That was, the fan seemed to run at a slow speed but would not speed up when the manual fan speed **** was rotated.

The rear HVAC seemed to be working - that is blowing cold air at an appropriate rate, but the front, not so.

After doing some reading on the various forums, I determined that the odds were one, or all of three items might be defective.

My easy and cheap first fix attempt was to remove 40 amp relay R16 in the engine compartment fuse/relay box. That I did and I thought I had resolved the concern as for about a day, all seemed normal again. While I did not smell any more burning, I ultimately determined the problem still existed as I did not have manual speed control, nor I suppose automatic either.

Plan B involved buying new everything, a new blower, part number JGC500050, a new blower control module, part number LR031677, and a new relay, part number YWB500060.

Given the expense of the fan and module, I did not want to gamble with reuse of the previous ten dollar relay, as even with only one day of use, perhaps it had suffered.

From reading the forums, it appeared that contrary to the factory instructions, the fan could be removed without removing the lower glove box door or really without removing much of anything. This turned out to be true and the overall task was easier than I had anticipated. The total fix took me about two hours and for a second time around, I am pretty certain that I could now do it in less than an hour.

On the passenger right side, first remove that insulated sound shield that holds the footwell light - basically two Phillips head screws located near the glove box hinge and then disconnect the power lead to the footwell light - just pull back on the cable connector.

Once the sound shield is removed, you may as well check to see if the AC drain is connected to the cowling drain. Mine was, but for information purposes, the jpg below shows it disconnected. The rubber hose just slides back over the drain nipple - but I digress.

Also remove the contents of the lower glove box and review how you release the two curved arms so the door can flop down as if you were going to replace the blower system filter. Now is a good time to replace the filter. I use the more expensive "black" one, the carbon activated filter, part number JKR500020 / LR023977, as it eliminates smells like cattle trucks as well as keeping dust from entering the cabin.

With the footwell shield removed and the lower glovebox door fully open, you can now proceed to remove the fan.

Start with removing the rectangular blower control module resistor first, part number LR031677. It is held in with two Phillips head screws. One screw is a bit hard to get at but with the lower glove box door fully opened, you can see both screws and hence where to stick the Phillips screwdriver. I was able to extract the existing unit and then release the electrical connector, but when I went to install the new one, it was easier to insert and screw in the module first and then push on the white electrical connector.

Removing the module first gives you more room to get the fan out. There are three Torx 25 screws to be released. Two you can get at with a regular length Torx 25 screwdriver, but the hidden screw at the rear requires a short screw driver. Fortunately each Torx head screw also has a slot for a blade type screwdriver so the stubby I had worked fine. With the three screws removed, the fan unit will drop down a bit.

I then disconnected the black fan electrical connector; also removed a clip that was friction clipped to the rear of the fan that held the wiring harness from falling down. There is also a larger white connector to the right of the fan that can be pulled down and hence unclips from a bracket just to provide more access. That connector is the blurred one on the right of the wiring harness jpg. The white on the left is the fan speed module connector and the back one is to the fan. The orange bit is that retaining clip I was referring to.

Once the wiring is disconnected and pushed aside, then the tricky bit of dropping out the fan assembly is next. This does not require any force, just lots of jiggling, rotating, and rocking about of the fan unit. The problem is an air duct that parallels the glove box door hinge. This duct will move/rotate slightly such that the fan will eventually slide out.

You have the same problem getting the fan back up in - well it seemed a bit more difficult as you do not want to squash/damage the squirrel cage.

Note that both the removed fan and the new one have balance weights attached to the fan verticals - something you do not see very often, hence one of the reasons the fan seems a bit more expensive than one might have hoped. Also the fan itself is quite heavy and yes, the squirrel cage does rotate smoothly but even new, there is more drag than I would have anticipated. The removed fan had drag as well, but I assumed that was old age however the new unit seemed about the same.

The fan went back up OK so I reinstalled the electrical and then installed the new R16 forty amp relay.

I then started up the vehicle and to my relief, the fan started right up and the manual speed control worked as it used to. As such, I think the fix worked. I the put the carbon filter back in the filter area, and generally closed things back up. I would say I had more difficulty reinstalling the footwell shield than I did installing the blower unit. Also remember to connect the footwell light wiring back up.

As to which part or parts was defective, I do not know. I took the control module apart and there was no apparent black inside; the removed fan rotated OK and the relay, well the first one must have been defective but the question was why - a chicken and egg sort of thing.

Given the parts were all original and hence ten plus years old, putting in all new seemed to be the correct approach. The mileage on my 3 is about 155,000 miles (250,000 km).

 

Thanks for the info. I think your problem was most likely what is referred to as the "Final Stage Resistor" in the Range Rovers. This appears to be called the Control Module (part LR031677) above. Typically, when this goes, you lose all ability to control the fan speed and it just kind of does what it wants. Eventually, it will just stop running altogether. Regardless, it's probably good that you replaced the blower motor as well. I pulled mine out a few weeks ago and it was completely covered in carbon dust from the brushes wearing down over time.

As you found out, you can definitely remove the blower motor without taking the lower glovebox off completely. It's actually fairly easy if you first remove the lower footwell duct. It doesn't seem like it will come all the way out at first, but if you pull and twist a little it just disconnects (snaps apart) from the rest of the ducting in the center console area. Then, you can pull it out. It gets to be second nature after you do it a couple of times.

The one thing that you have to watch out for is that there is one electrical wire that runs underneath the blower motor and I kept getting the motor hung up on this wire. You just need to gently move it to the side and slide the blower out around it.

 

Yes, the electrical wire fuss. That was one reason I posted a jpg of the fan and resistor wiring harness. My problem was figuring out that the harness was clipped to the rear of the fan with that orange coloured clip that I could only feel but not see. I wondered if it was some other connector when I was yanking on it trying to release it but my new fan did not seem to have any additional electrical connector. Eventually the clip let go - it just pulls off, and as you said, once one has done the procedure a few times, it gets easier ... and yes, there were a few more wires there to avoid.

Re the air duct, I wondered if I tugged on it enough, would come off, but I was able to move it sufficiently that I was able to both remove and install the fan. I hope not to have to learn how to do it.

As to what was wrong, I definitely did not have any control of the fan speed. I did try to speed up the fan by hand spinning the cage while it was operating but my experimenting was inconclusive.

I kind of figured the problem was that control module and that was why I took it apart but was surprised that it looked brand new inside, but there was probably something not obviously wrong on the circuit card so I think you are correct.

At the same time, there was no evidence of anything burned or melted so I am still wondering where the electrical burning smell came from - perhaps out of the fan; I guess I could take it apart as well but there was no obvious way to take it apart. Does one remove the squirrel cage and the screws are hidden by it or does the plastic cover somehow pop off?

Regarding the fan, ten years is I suppose a good time to change it out regardless, and now the new one should be good for another ten years.

I regard a new relay as good insurance as one never knows their condition. The LR part number relays are I think worth the extra money as they appear to have some sort of capacitor within to I guess soak up any back emf.

... and thanks for your comments, they are much appreciated.

 

I figured out how to take apart the blower. I guess the procedure is too easy and I was looking for something difficult.

First off, one does not have to remove the fan which in my case was near impossible as the motor shaft had rusted and bonded to the plastic of the fan portion.

The secret is just to press in each of the three sort of rubber like nibs that are on the perimeter of the plastic motor housing. Once pressed in, pull on the motor fan and the motor will with some difficulty slide out of the motor casing.

The jpg's show what appeared - lots of black powder, brush carbon I suppose, both loose and coating the motor control bits.

Also shown in one of the jpg's is the speed module partly disassembled. As I said in a previous post, it looks brand new but may be defective.

Regardless of what part was really the problem, replacing the motor was a good idea as its time had come, or would be coming.

 

I am dealing with the same problem, but in my 2012 HSE... front blower is acting crazy, has been intermittent for weeks. First the speed control wasn't working properly and I'd need to crank it to max to get any air, then the fan was making a racket, then it stopped working completely, and then today it came back on with a vengeance blowing full arctic on one light and then KEPT BLOWING AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. Had to disconnect the battery to make it stop. Have determined that the issue is most likely the R16 relay or the FSR. My question is, where are you ordering the OEM relays?

 

Re sourcing a factory relay, I presume that you do not have a Land Rover dealer nearby and would like one kind of immediately as opposed to ordering from BP Utah or perhaps Atlantic British.

In that case I would suggest you remove the relay and take it to the parts department of a local Ford dealer. Suggest to them that an older Lincoln Navigator or Ford Expedition might have a similar heater fan relay.

Our 3's parts, (improved), can be found on newer, (circa 2010), Ford full sized trucks and Explorers as our 3 was a test mule for future Ford production and it took about five years for our 3's systems to be reliable enough such that Ford would use them on volume production vehicles.

I say go to a dealer as opposed to picking something up that was probably made in the Far East. All relays are not created equal. Most of our relays have a Diode within in addition to the contacts. The purpose of the diode is to absorb voltage spikes that can harm the various circuit boards within our 3. Re the heater, there may not be any circuit board in it but the fan speed control beside the fan contains a circuit board.

The jpg's below show a relay with an internal diode and also one with an internal resistor. The link following has more info on relays. That is why I say OEM as our 3's are alot more sophisticated than is first apparent. They are mobile computers first and the worlds best 4x4, second. https://www.accessconnect.com/car_relays.htm

https://www.accessconnect.com/car_relays.htm

 

Thank you so much... apologies for the double whammy, thought I was in a different forum. Much appreciated.

 

where did the resistor fit into that? Replaced blower motor and nothing changed. Wondering if it could be the resistor

 

It has been about 8 years since I replaced what is often called the "resistor" and Land Rover calls the "blower control module". If you replaced the fan, I would say that you had to first remove the resistor so you have already found it. Post #1 above shows a jpg of the module. Also do not be afraid to replace the 40 amp R16 relay in the engine compartment fuse box as that is relatively easy to get at and does not cost much - but use an official Land Rover relay per the discussion in post #1 and #6.

 

I'm going to do this it looks like the best advice
I volt checked the power connector it woks fine with a dozen on off on off's i held the fan my wife operated the switch plugged in fan and just the connector and I can say with some certainty the fan was going and not going when not going it was clicking like im trying to spin but cannot so it's euro parts 1st thing am and new fan so I'm betting it's going to work. I put a new resistor in already and as the power was always constant it's as sure as a person can be the fan is faulty.
I took the fan out using you guide but left the resistor in came out fine never took 2 hours but thats due to you post most grateful.