Help - Polo blower series resistor query

[craigowl 0]

My daughter's 93 Polo's heater blower only worked on high speed (3) when we got it.

I found that the drain pipe from the plenum was totally blocked with leaf mush and that a leak in the car was caused by water filling the plenum where the blower sits, and coming down the heater assembly into the car.

Based on what I have read here and Haynes I attempted a repair today. Thermal fuse was tested and was sound. However WINDING of series resistor was green with corrosion and broken in several places. I replaced broken sections of windings which appears not to be copper (anyone know what it is?) with copper wire, superglued and soldered alll in place and to my astonishment blower works on 3 speeds.

I am still worried, though.

1 - Will the wires overheat and fail?

2 - Can you buy proper resistor wire at Maplins - it seems to be about 0.7mm diameter - I suppose this may be crucial?

3 - How important is the length, diameter and type of metal in the winding (wish Id read more electricity in school physics).

4 - If the thing works fine, should I just leave it and forget about it or will a fuse be blown somewhere or could a fire start?

Hope some of you clever electronic guys can help. Car cost me £300 - I do not want to have to buy a complete new blower unit from VAG!

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

Copper wire should be fine, its a fix many MK3 owners use. If you don't feel safe with that however, a 10p resister will be fine. Or £16 spent at G+S will get you the complete VAG thermal resister.

 

On my GT, I just bought a new thermal resister. But I'm lazy :lol:

[craigowl 0]

Thanks Nelson Wilb.

Incidentally, using google to look up heater/ blower/resistor, etc, it would appear that owners of nearly every car and truck under the sun seem to be prone to this problem of heaters running on max speed only. Clearly, the technology needs improving. Ford Mondeos and BMWs seem bad for it.

[davidwort 0]

Thanks Nelson Wilb.

Incidentally, using google to look up heater/ blower/resistor, etc, it would appear that owners of nearly every car and truck under the sun seem to be prone to this problem of heaters running on max speed only. Clearly, the technology needs improving. Ford Mondeos and BMWs seem bad for it.

 

a lot of cars run the resistor in the air flow from the blower motor t okeep it cool, doesn't seem to make much difference though, the Mondeo is like that and as you say they always go.

I had an old polo coupe and I just went down to a local scrappy and looked for the best looking resistor, I think they let me have it for nothing :) I'm sure all the mk2's and 3's are the same part. The second hand one ran for 3 or 4 years and was still OK when I got rid of the car.

 

David.