Heater blower only works on setting 4

A HAY, October 2008

My 2004 Focus 1.6 has got air conditioning unit behind the glove compartment as well, making unscrewing the original resistor pack impossible. I just left it there and switched the cables to the new pack and tucked it in there - it can't move much its that tight.

Adrian Grant, October 2012

Unsurprisingly, this also applies to a Ford Focus Ghia (2001). It was fiddly to undo the screw since it had been tightly in place for ~11 years.

Greg Russell, January 2012

Just done this today, postings above are excellent, and using them alone I was able to change this part.

Some tips: In the UK, type in "Jennings Ford" and order the genuine part from them, (cost me £14.00) delivered next day.

(Warning - tried a couple of search engines including "find a part dot.....uk and some of the offers of second hand parts came in at £40+!!!)

When you take the glove box out, as you are looking forward, on my car (02 plate - 1.6 Zetec) the part is actually on the right hand side. Not the left as stated above. Fuses are on the left - heater resistor on right.

I am not a mechanic and have no experience doing this - but 15 minutes later (once I realised it was right, not left!!) I changed the part and it worked first time.

0402steven, May 2009

If you have have a 1.9 diesel you are going to find this much more difficult due to the air conditioning unit which takes up virtually the whole availible space. I could just get my hand into the space and had to guide the screw driver by touch alone. It tool me 30min, but I did manage it, test your screwdrive on one of the more accessible screws first to find a good fit, the screw is hard work and you can't use a full six screw driver in the availible space.
Question: My fan is now working again, but unfortunately on a one low speed and even if the dial is set to '0' off. I figure the dial control is not working, it started to feel very sludgy when I turn it just before the whole thing died.... any advice?

Nigel Kingston, March 2009

Same issue: 2001 blower worked only on setting 5, not 1-4 , searched and found that part number 3M5Z-18591-BA is a ford number got at local ford dealer for 16.27 tax included. On EBay I could get for 9.99 + 3.00 total 12.99 shipped (2-3 Days). Note check with local dealer giving the last 8 of your VIN to verify correct part.
YOU WILL ONLY NEED A SHORT PHILLIPS SCREW DRIVER.
Part located behind Glove box! Empty glove box , squeeze the sides together firmly, the glove box falls forward staying attached.
On the left side in about a foot(12") theres a harness connected to a BLACK or BLUE plastic piece about 1 1/4" by 3". leave the wire on .
Unscrew the screw located on the bottom, DO NOT remove the screw all the way (the screw stays attached as to not loose it).
The unit gently removes , taking the bottom out then angeling the items gently downward allowing the removal .
Removal of the wire (one side has a point to push in a keeper to remove the harness).
REINSTALL
Install the Screw into the new Resistor a turn ( the screw stays in by it's self not to have to try to put it in while in the cramped area, screw it in FIRMLY.
Last connect the harness, test that the harness stays in AND test that the fan works.
close glove box !
YOUR DONE .
This took me 9.5 minutes total. AN extra 5 minutes were taken to go through the unwanted items.

creinator@gmail.com, February 2009

had same fault found brass contacts in fan switch,had melted back into the switch.just take switch out ,find live 12volt feed and use piece of wire to bridge across the three or four remainng wires on plug,which goes on back of switch,if they all power up at differents speeds its your switch.it is fused so if you get it wrong you and the cars electrics are protected

glen, October 2008

just a slight modification to the above answer. the web page shown does give a better visual indication of where things are!! however the detail on what to do is sparse!!

once you can see the blue resistor (the one you get is black but that doesnt matter) pull out the power plug from the front and then simply remove the black screw and the whole unit can be pulled out. then put the new one in and reverse the procedure!!

just to make you feel better, a ford garage would charge you upwards of £80+ VAT to do this repair!!!!

DTurton, October 2008

hi!!
i know the answer to your problem, as i had the same problem myself.

what happens is there is a Heater Blower Resistor behind the glovebox. within this are 4 fuses, corresponding to positions 1-2-3-4 on the heater knob. fuses 1-2-3 all run in a series circuit whereas position 4 is on an independent circuit. what happens is one of the fuses on the 1-2-3 circuit has blown, thus meaning only position 4 can work.

the problem is extremely easy to fix and will take you 5minutes.
purchase a new resistor switch, the cheapest and most reliable place is the seller on ebay that i used, the part is very cheap and arrived the day after purchase. (see the link below to the ebay shop)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Focus-Genuine-Heater-Blower-Resistor-1998-2005_W0QQitemZ110300034603QQihZ001QQcategoryZ21654QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1713.m153.l1262

Once you have the part!!!

http://www.amac.f2s.com/Focus1/

gives you all the info you need to change it!!! only requires basic tools and less than 5minutes work.

a slight tip is once you have pulled the glovebox out of the rear mountings, undo the three screws at the front/base of the glovebox and remove the whole thing.

then there are a couple of black plastic retaining screws holding the carpet trim on at the back of the passenger footwell. remove these and the carpet trim, this gives you much easier access to the resistor and makes finding any dropped screws much easier!!

these two steps make the whole job a lot easier and less cramped.

then just put everything back and hey presto!!!

i replaced mine 5months ago and its been perfect ever since, literally as soon as i tried the heater after replacing the resistor, everything worked perfect again!!

email me mda05dt@sheffield.ac.uk if you have any problems!

good luck!!! hope this helps!

DTurton, October 2008