What are the symptoms of a blower motor relay failure?

Author: Cierra Connelly  |  Last update: Thursday, December 18, 2025

On some platforms, a faulty blower motor relay will cause the blower not to work at all, which means there will be no airflow from the A/C. On others, the blower won't work on “high blow” but all the other speeds will work. The blower motor relay fails because it regularly deals with high current loads.

How do I know if my blower motor relay is bad?

No Airflow: One of the most noticeable signs of a bad blower motor relay is the lack of airflow from the HVAC system. If the relay fails to activate the blower motor, it will lead to no air coming out of the vents, resulting in poor heating, cooling, or ventilation performance.

Which of the following is a common symptom of a faulty blower motor?

A Failed Motor

An HVAC blower motor will occasionally fail due to age, wearing out, or not being cleaned regularly. Symptoms may include strange noises, burning smells, or just plain refusing to turn on. If this happens and the motor is no longer operable, a new blower motor may be needed.

What are the symptoms of a blown relay?

The engine will stop running, and your vehicle won't move or start. Main relay problems could also lead to your engine running for a while or a very short time. Your vehicle might start normally sometimes but not start at all at other times.

How do I know if my blower control switch is bad?

A bad control switch won't be able to accurately change your A/C system's settings. The button will most likely refuse to respond even if you try to increase the fan speed.

4 Symptoms of a Bad Starter Relay. How to Diagnose?

How do I know if it's my blower motor or resistor?

Blower Motor Resistor Test

Typically, if the fan will work on some speeds but not on others, the resistor is suspect. Okay, let's say there's no melting going on, but your fan doesn't work on all speeds. Typically, if the fan will work on some speeds but not on others, the resistor is suspect.

How do you reset a blower motor switch?

How Do I Reset the Blower?
  1. Turn off the circuit breaker powering your HVAC system.
  2. Unscrew the blower cover.
  3. Give the blower time to cool down completely before proceeding.
  4. Push the reset button (typically a red button behind the blower motor).

What is the most common problem found with a relay failure?

The two most common failure mechanisms of relays are contamination and mechanical wear of the internal switching elements discussed as follows: a. Contamination is a major cause of early life failures.

How to test a relay to see if it is bad?

You can also test your relay's functionality by switching your multimeter to test for resistance. This process involves switching your multimeter to read ohms and connecting the two leads to pins 85 and 86. A functioning relay coil should have a reading of between 50 and 120 ohms, but usually it's very near 75 ohms.

Will a bad relay still click?

Yes. the contacts inside a relay wear out over time to the point they don't touch or oxidation builds up to the point where the contact resistance goes so high. also a relay will click whether a load is a attached to it or not as long as the coil is fine and the mechanism inside is still functioning.

What causes blower motor relay failure?

Why Does the Blower Motor Relay Fail? The relay is often partnered with a fuse. If there's a power surge, then the fuse will sever the circuit and prevent the power surge from reaching the blower motor. Like any other relay, the blower motor relay regularly deals with high current loads.

How do you diagnose a blower motor problem?

Look for these key indicators that you have a bad blower motor.
  1. Strange Rattling, Clanking, or Screeching. ...
  2. Weak or No Airflow From The Vents. ...
  3. A Sudden Spike in Your Energy Bills. ...
  4. An Overheating HVAC System. ...
  5. Replace or Maintain a Part in the Blower Motor. ...
  6. Replacing the Blower Motor. ...
  7. Keep Up With HVAC Maintenance.

How can you tell if a fan relay is bad?

If the cooling fan relay has failed, you may see warnings, such as the check engine light and the temperature warning light, pop up on the dash, but first, you may notice that the A/C stops cooling. More about that in the next paragraph. The check engine light illuminating may indicate a faulty cooling fan relay.

What does a blower motor relay do?

The blower motor relay is the electrical switch that is used to supply the power for the vehicle's blower motor. The blower motor is the component responsible for pushing air through the vents of your vehicle's heating and air conditioning systems.

How to tell if HVAC relay is bad?

Signs of a Malfunctioning AC Relay
  1. AC System Not Turning On or Off. One of the most apparent signs of a faulty relay is when your AC system does not respond to the thermostat's commands. ...
  2. Frequent On/Off Cycling. ...
  3. Unusual Noises. ...
  4. Overheating. ...
  5. Physical Damage.

What are the symptoms of a bad relay?

Some of the symptoms of a bad ignition relay include an unresponsive ignition switch, stalling, and a drained battery. Your vehicle can also start intermittently. A brand-new ignition relay typically costs around $10 to $100.

How do I know if I need a relay?

If you need to activate a heavy load, high current device using a small, light load switch – you will need a Power Relay!

How often do relays go bad?

Relay Lifetimes

The lifetime of electromechanical relays (EMRs) varies widely depending on the relay construction, with the longest lifetimes being around 100 million operations. Full load life. This is the life of the relay when hot switching a load at the maximum current, voltage, or power rating.

What causes relays to go out?

In general, relay burnout is caused by abnormal heat generation around the contact and tends to occur under the following conditions: Contact vibration (ultra-frequent switching) causes continuous arcing and melting of the resin at and around the contacts.

Would a bad relay throw a code?

On some vehicles, the engine computer, which is often referred to as the powertrain control module (PCM) monitors the fuel pump relay and its circuit. If the PCM detects a problem, it turns on the check engine light and stores a corresponding diagnostic trouble code (DTC) in its memory.

What is the life expectancy of a relay?

General purpose and power relays typically have an electrical life expectancy of at least 100,000 operations. This means they can switch on and off 100,000 times before potentially failing. The actual lifespan can vary based on factors such as load conditions, operating environment, and maintenance.

Do all blower motors have a reset button?

It's designed to automatically shut off the furnace blower if it overheats. Once the blower cools down, pressing the reset button can help restart the furnace. However, it's essential to understand that not all furnace models are equipped with this feature.

Why is my HVAC blower motor working intermittently?

Intermittent Operation

When this happens, there's usually something wrong with either the blower motor itself or with another part of your furnace that controls it. Problems include dirty filters, broken wires, poor voltage supply and faulty limit switch or capacitor.

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