It’s never a good time when the climate control unit in your Ford Explorer stops working. When your Explorer air vents don’t blow air, there can be several causes to your problem. If your Explorer Blower Motor switch seems to be the issue, this is the How To guide you will need to replace your air vent switch.
The Ford Explorer Blower Motor Switch can be tested using a variety of methods. Today I’ll be showing you how to test this unit in a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport with the 4.0 liter engine in it.
This switch is mounted inside your front dashboard and accessing it isn’t too bad. Once you have this unit replaced and unplugged you can see the back of the switch, which should have markings on it to show you what pin is what.
These pins conduct electricity as you turn the switch to the desired setting. When you turn the knob on your Ford Explorer Blower motor switch, the power is conducted from TERMINAL 2, to M1, M2 and the HI settings.
In order to test your Explorer Blower Motor switch properly, you will need to test the switch as well as the dash harness connector. Let’s begin with the dash harness.
Testing your Ford Explorer Blower Motor Switch Harness for Power
Once you have the harness unplugged from your blower motor switch, you will see this four prong connector. You’ll be using a digital multimeter to test the components and check for power. Not sure what a multimeter is? Read all about it here.
The first pin you will be checking is PIN B, which is shown below in the Explorer Blower Motor switch wiring schematic.
This is a BLACK wire that is the power input from your climate control in your Ford Explorer. If you have power at this wire, and there’s no air or response from your vents chances are your switch has died. We’ll be testing that operation next for each respective speed.
Testing your Ford Explorer Blower Motor Speed Settings
Now plug the harness back into your blower motor switch. Using your multimeter probe, you will be measuring the terminal through the BACK of the connector, or piercing the wire to test for power.
With the blower motor switch connected, now turn the controls to the LOW setting. With the blower motor switch turned to this position, the pin you should check in PIN D. This is a YELLOW wire with a RED stripe in it. With your Explorer Blower Motor switch turned to LO you should have power here.
Turn up the blower speed one notch, and the pin you will be checking next is PIN C. This is a GREEN wire with a WHITE stripe in it. If you have power at this point, now you will crank up your blower motor switch all the way to HI. At this position, you will be checking PIN A which is a ORANGE wire with BLACK stripe.
Test your Explorer Blower Motor Switch
Now there is a chance however slim that your switch is still good but not working correctly. If this is the case you can unplug your Ford Explorer Blower Motor switch and test the switch for continuity between the terminals. Again refer to the blower motor diagram above to check on the pins in question.
Grab your multimeter and test for continuity between terminals B and C with the blower switch turned to LO. Now turn it up one step, and check for continuity between terminals B and D. Now crank it up to HI and the final test you will be checking for is between PIN A and PIN C.
Don’t forget that you are testing the male terminals of your Explorer Blower Motor switch. If these pins do not return continuity, then your Explorer Blower Motor switch has gone bad and requires a replacement.
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