Heater motor on, engine off, oh my!

kleather · May 4, 2010

At the risk of getting all the Freelander downers, I seem to have a problem I was hoping someone could help me with.

Came out of the store last night, got in my 2005 Freelander and the heater motor was running. I hadn't even started the car yet and I do NOT mean the cooling fan in the engine compartment

.

After starting the car, I manipulated all the switches but the motor did not turn off. I started driving and the motor did turn off. It did turn back on again once on the way home, but shut right back off.

This morning I went out to go to work and the battery is dead. Seems the motor was having it's own little party last night.

No one I have talked to has ever heard of this, so I was sure I could find someone here with maybe the same experience?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, short of torching my car.

mudcrawler · May 5, 2010

Do you mean the fuel burning heater or the cabin fan?

Optimus Prime · May 5, 2010

would be going for the fuel burning heater. Has it been particularly cold in Oregon today ?

if you do a search, you can disable it by either pulling a fuse (not sure which one, fuse 5 seems to spring to mind) or by disconnecting the external temperature sensor for the unit, which can be found by tracing the wire from the unit, which is in the front wheel arch.

good luck.

kleather · May 5, 2010

Cabin fan.

mudcrawler · May 5, 2010

With the ignition off? Must be a short somewhere that's allowing it to run independent of the ignition. The fan is under the dashboard on the passenger side (RH drive model), you could check the wiring running from there to the switch and fuse box to start with.

mystery · May 7, 2010

try checking blower relay may have welded contacts

Marcus$Brandy · Oct 30, 2019

kleather said:
At the risk of getting all the Freelander downers, I seem to have a problem I was hoping someone could help me with.

Came out of the store last night, got in my 2005 Freelander and the heater motor was running. I hadn't even started the car yet and I do NOT mean the cooling fan in the engine compartment .

After starting the car, I manipulated all the switches but the motor did not turn off. I started driving and the motor did turn off. It did turn back on again once on the way home, but shut right back off.

This morning I went out to go to work and the battery is dead. Seems the motor was having it's own little party last night.

No one I have talked to has ever heard of this, so I was sure I could find someone here with maybe the same experience?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, short of torching my car.

Hi,
I am havimg similar issue where my fan motor doesnt stop even after turning the engine off and I have been told by the lousy dealership here that the fan motor needs a complete replacement but I have a feeling it could be a minor issue like the sensor etc but I am not a mechanic.

GrumpyGel · Oct 30, 2019

Marcus$Brandy said:
Hi,
I am havimg similar issue where my fan motor doesnt stop even after turning the engine off and I have been told by the lousy dealership here that the fan motor needs a complete replacement but I have a feeling it could be a minor issue like the sensor etc but I am not a mechanic.

I can't see how it could be the fan motor - it simply shouldn't have power going to it.

Something is putting power down the wire to it, that'd be why its running. My thoughts, as above would be a faulty relay or short of some kind.

Marcus$Brandy · Oct 30, 2019

GrumpyGel said:
I can't see how it could be the fan motor - it simply shouldn't have power going to it.

Something is putting power down the wire to it, that'd be why its running. My thoughts, as above would be a faulty relay or short of some kind.

Thanks and exactly my thoughts!

Moron · Oct 30, 2019

Fan motor resistor

Nodge68 · Oct 30, 2019

Marcus$Brandy said:
am havimg similar issue where my fan motor doesnt stop even after turning the engine off

That is strange. What speed do you feel the fan is running?

Marcus$Brandy said:
I have been told by the lousy dealership here that the fan motor needs a complete replacement

It won't be the fan motor. Motor don't run when they're broken, not continue to run when they shouldn't.

Morons.

Marcus$Brandy said:
but I have a feeling it could be a minor issue like the sensor

It could be the main relay has stuck contacts. This would make more sense if the fan was running at full speed.

Marcus$Brandy · Oct 30, 2019

Nodge68 said:
That is strange. What speed do you feel the fan is running?

It won't be the fan motor. Motor don't run when they're broken, not continue to run when they shouldn't. Morons.

It could be the main relay has stuck contacts. This would make more sense if the fan was running at full speed.

fan not running at full speed

Nodge68 · Oct 30, 2019

Marcus$Brandy said:
fan not running at full speed

Now that is strange, as the low speed control is fed from an ignition feed. The full speed is fed via a permanent live relay, which is controlled by an ignition live. This would make it possible for the full speed relay to stick, and feed the fan, but it would do it at full speed.

Can you do some checks are post the results.

What does the fan speed knob do when it's running when it shouldn't?

Can you adjust the fan speed with the ignition no?

Can you unplug the fan resistor? Once unplugged what does the fan do?

The fan resistor is in the heater housing, just to the left of the clutch pedal.

Marcus$Brandy · Oct 30, 2019

Nodge68 said:
Now that is strange, as the low speed control is fed from an ignition feed. The full speed is fed via a permanent live relay, which is controlled by an ignition live. This would make it possible for the full speed relay to stick, and feed the fan, but it would do it at full speed.

Can you do some checks are post the results.

What does the fan speed knob do when it's running when it shouldn't?

Can you adjust the fan speed with the ignition no?

Can you unplug the fan resistor? Once unplugged what does the fan do?

The fan resistor is in the heater housing, just to the left of the clutch pedal.

Thanks for the above but to be honest I am not even sure what is full speed or regular and I am not a mechanic. I'll get the above checked as you suggested and see what happens. I bet the Dealership guys haven't even bothered doing this, they soimply put the vehicle on diagnostics and thats it.

Nodge68 · Oct 30, 2019

Marcus$Brandy said:
I bet the Dealership guys haven't even bothered doing this, they soimply put the vehicle on diagnostics and thats it

What year is the car?

Marcus$Brandy · Oct 30, 2019

Nodge68 said:
What year is the car?

Just to clarify its not the heater motor but the fan motor and it is 2014 model.

Nodge68 · Oct 30, 2019

Marcus$Brandy said:
Just to clarify its not the heater motor but the fan motor and it is 2014 model.

This thread as related to the heater blower fan, but your issue is with the engine cooling fan.

That's a different thing altogether so anything said here isn't relevant.

Heater motor on, engine off, oh my!

kleather

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