DIY: 2000-2001 Blower Motor Resistor Replacement

[Cameron23]

If your fan will only blow on max strength (not on 1,2,or 3 only 4) then it is the resistor, if you replace the resistor and it blows again in an unreasonable amount of time (under a year or 2) then you probably have a bad blower motor (bearing or otherwise) this is not a DIY for the motor replacement this is only for the resistor.

Good Luck

Time: 5 minutes

Experience required: Little to none

Tools:
Phillips Head Screwdriver
New Resistor
Pair of hands
Needle Nose Pliers (optional for those not able to squeeze the tab)

I purchased my new resistor by walking into Auto Zone (don't go to O'rielly's they don't have it in their system) and asking for a Blower Motor Resistor for a 2001 Nissan Xterra. They had 1 in stock and I got it for 20.99

First locate the resistor under the dash on the passenger side.
It should be near where a passengers right foot would rest.

Circled in red

Remove the 2 screws holding the bracket in place

Pull the resistor out

Pinch the brown tab and gently with a bit of force pull the motherboard from the bracket
This is where one might need the needle nose pliers if they have fat fingers

Old compared to new

Clip in the new resistor and re install in reverse order

 

[drbandkgb]

Good job sir..

 

[KChurch86]

Very nice. I planned on doing this DIY the next time I needed to replace mine (did it maybe a year ago). No need to now

 

[jag36]

Great walk-thru and pics/diagram. Just bought a new resistor. The directions that came in the box say to remove the negative lead to the battery before installing the new resistor. Do I actually need to do that? I'm a beginner with electrical other than replacing fuses, so it seems to make sense, but wanted to check.

 

[Cameron23]

I didn't do it. I can't recommend you don't especially if the manual says do. But know that I did not.


Sent from my brain to the interwebz via a Samsung Galaxy S and Tapatalk 2

 

[jag36]

Thanks again for the great illustration. Finally got around to replacing the resistor last weekend. It's been so hot in the Northeast that running the blower on the 4 setting all summer was fine! Anyway, this fix took 2-3 minutes at most.

 

[TKDx00]

Nice write up...Did mine a little while ago. 1 thing I would add is to vac. out the stuff that collects in there. I had more dirt than I thought.