Jim Grant's Tech Tips
94
Ford Explorer, Burning Incense
Q: I have a '94 Ford Explorer and when I
turn on the heater or air conditioner I sometimes get the smell of burning
leaves. There have even been times when I detected a small bit of smoke
coming from the vents. I do park under a large oak tree and feel that
leaves may have fallen into the screen/vent which is on the hood near
the windshield. Can you tell me how to check this and remove any debris
that may be in this vent area? ......Jack
A: The
first place to start would be with the blower motor. The opening created
by removing the blower motor assembly allows for room to inspect and remove
debris that may have entered the heater box. The burning smell is likely
due to debris that has contacted the resistor block, which is used to
control the blower motor's speed. The resistor block becomes very hot
during operation and will cause the burning smells you describe if a leaf
or other debris were to contact it.
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