Heater fan speed resistor location

I just lost speeds 1 and 3 today. Can someone tell me where the resistor is located? I'm too big to stay stuffed under the dash for very long! :helpme:

If you sit in the passenger seat, it will be approximately over your right shin, attached to the large plastic heater housing. There is a plastic dome over it that must be removed to get at it. It mounts with a more or less trapezoidal flange, and has wires going to it.

It's mounted in the air box on the passenger side down by your feet. Easy to get to. You lost 1 & 3, but not 2? That doesn't sound right. The thermal fuse that blows controls the first 3 (not high).

Could be the switch behind the dash if you still have 2.

In any case, do yourself a favor and replace the fan motor. It's probably on its last leg and loading up, causing the other problem. I just did that last weekend and it wasn't too hard. Worst part was getting the squirrel cage off the old fan.

Oh, and what year XJ? I am talking about a '92. Not sure if the '97+ are the same.

kevin s said:

Not sure if the '97+ are the same.

Click to expand...

Not exactly, but close enough that you look in about the same place.

Thanks, I can find it from that info. It's a 2000. The fan seems fine, doesn't make a bad noise at all so I think I'll push my luck and fix it in the dead of winter.

Ogrebonz said:

Thanks, I can find it from that info. It's a 2000. The fan seems fine, doesn't make a bad noise at all so I think I'll push my luck and fix it in the dead of winter.

Click to expand...

Ah, the "dead of winter." My favorite time to fix things. LOL.

If you have a meter, you can check it without removing it. Yours will have 4 contacts in a row. Not sure which is the common, but the other 3 correspond to the 3 speeds controlled. If the pack is good, you will get continuity between the common and each of the other 3. My '92 had one of the contacts offset with the other 3 in a row. A little easier to figure out. If you get continuity on all 3, it's not the resister pack.

I also don't know if what I am calling the "common" is hot or ground, but it really doesn't matter to the test. Maybe someone else will chime in on that location. I would guess left contact, but whudoIno?:scared:

All fixed.. The resistor was rusty and a bit cooked along with the plug and one wire. $40 for a new resistor and $10 for the plug from a junkyard. They didn't have any resistors left, and to get one in from out of town was $45. Jeep wanted $50.
I carefully removed the pins from the plug upstream and put the replacement wires in their place, wrapped it with vinyl wire wrap and I bet not even someone from the assembly line could tell anything was replaced.
Thanks for the help finding the thing. I think it took longer to get the cover on and off than to do the actual job. Taking the three screws out of the glovebox hinge and taking the whole thing out makes the job easier too.
BTW.. three screws accessable with the glovebox closed.. Why exactly is there a lock on the thing!?

Well done.