coupstar

Purchased a '95 4Runner last week. My first 4runner. Have a question about the Air system. Having consulted numerous other threads, I believe I have a compromised blower motor resistor as it only runs on high.
My problem now is that when I move the selector from getting air out of the dash to the floorboard or even to the windscreen I don't really feel any difference. Thinking it might have to do with the duct system being clogged as the last owner let the car sit and a rat built a nest in the blower (I've been able to clean it out, thoroughly) Possibly the little fella contaminated the duct system as well.
Was wondering if anyone had any experience with the duct system- access points, tips, how to's.. and if this was to big a task for someone with very little experience to take on. (a Haynes manual is on the way)

wii_tarded

Are your switches working as they should?

coupstar

I know for sure that the air re-circulation switch is working, but I'm not sure about the rest. The AC comes on when I turn it on, but its weak- thinking I need a re-charge there. But if the AC is coming out- I would think the vents would be pretty clear, unless its on a different system. How would I check to see if the switch works?

sb5walker

Could be that the ducts have also been clogged. Good idea to clean them out as field mice can have hantavirus in their droppings, and you don't want to breathe that in, it could be fatal.

I think you'll have to remove most of the dash to get at the ducts. Nothing about that is very difficult, but it does take time because there's a lot to remove. Here are a couple helpful writeups:
https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f116...cement-124222/
http://www.installdr.com/InstallDocs...PDF/869017.pdf

coupstar

Yikes. Both of those are pretty intimidating to say the least. Solid write ups though- I think I have more of an idea for sure. Why were there pictures shown of the battery being disconnected? Is that crucial to the process- or is that more of a fail-safe? Also, if I go ahead and do this- would I need to worry about the radio anti-theft procedures?
Help's been great so far, I really appreciate it.

sb5walker

Always a good idea to disconnect battery before doing any work around potentially hot wires, to prevent accidentally shorting something out.

Don't know about the radio - is it aftermarket? If so, you might be able to find a manual online if you don't have one.

FAQ on Hantavirus - looks like cleaning the ducts with bleach would be a good idea: http://health.state.ga.us/pdfs/epi/n...rome%20FAQ.pdf

coupstar

Had a chance to do some work on the system today. Got into the... cooler core? a box right next to the blower motor that seemed to house some AC related object. Vacuumed it out- sprayed some HVAC recommended disinfectant and supposed air cleaner into it and ran the vents and AC after buttoning everything back up. It smelled a little better I suppose, but the main thing was that the vents seemed to respond to that cleaning- they are now functioning per the switch.
Now on to replace the resistor so that the blower will run on a speed other than high.
I read earlier that the resistor would cost 16 dollars from the dealer, but when I called this morning I was quoted just over $168. Wasn't sure if maybe the price had gone up that much- wouldn't think so. Any suggestions?

sb5walker

A couple years ago, you could buy an aftermarket part for $35-45, which I thought was a ripoff. Now, I see they're $70-80. That's a crazy price for what is essentially three coils of wire molded in a plastic base. Try any local parts store, or rockauto.com, or autohausaz.com. At least it seems the latest ones are encased in ceramic, and should last much better than the OEM style in which the wire coils are exposed to air.

coupstar

walker, those were invaluable tips. Found a resistor on autohausaz for 36- its the OES variety which seems to be kin to the OEM kind- the kind that you don't like. The ceramic backed part off of Rockauto is 60-70. At this point in the game I'm not sure which to get, however I think this probably means I'll go ahead and not try and get it out of a junkyard.

sb5walker

Well the OEM resistor lasted 19 years on my truck, so I wouldn't worry about it - if it's half price go for it. autohausaz doesn't sell poor quality parts, that's one of the things I like about them.

coupstar

solid. okay- from my lack of experience, I ask the following: Would resistors be compatible cross years? Like could I buy a resistor for a (4 speed fan?) say, '92 and put it in my (four speed fan) '95?
Just aiming for a full understanding here

sb5walker

I don't know, but if it fits and the connector socket is the same, then probably it'll work, no matter the year or whether pickup or 4runner. I notice on rockauto and NAPA that there are different types, so make sure the part you get matches.

Be sure to disconnect battery before changing the resistor.