Author Topic: Air Conditioning Blower Wiring/Vacuum Diagram  (Read 22383 times)

firebirdparts

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Air Conditioning Blower Wiring/Vacuum Diagram
« on: February 04, 2021, 09:05:40 AM »
Welcome back to Post-crash TAC!

About half the electrical problems we have are related to the A/C blower, so here's the famous sticky thread we all know and love.


And here's an extra one

« Last Edit: October 27, 2021, 07:27:53 AM by firebirdparts »
I want to be like Paul Kenny when I grow up
Joe Bays
1977 Y82 4-speed (red interior)
1978 Skybird 350
1978 Redbird 305
1979 Redbird 301 4-speed
1992 Lincoln Mark VII LSC/SE (red)
1970 Datsun Pickup
1953 Chevy pickup (converted 4x4)
1988 T-bird Turbo Coupe

firebirdparts

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Re: Air Conditioning Blower Wiring Diagram
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2021, 09:13:32 AM »
The wiring diagram requires a little interpretation.  Here goes:

The a/c harness is a separate harness that was not used on heater cars.  The standard wiring harness on the car has a heater power wire coming from the heater fuse through a dedicated set of contacts in the ignition switch.  This wire plugs into the a/c harness around the area of the controller.  It's brown.

Power from the heater fuse powers the compressor and the first three fan speeds through the fan speed resistors.  One of these wires (giving low fan speed) is hot at all times when the ignition switch is on.  When I say all times, I mean all times.  There is a little box of a relay on top of the evaporator, and when this little relay is unpowered, it connects the resistors to the blower.

When you put the blower on "High" the blower switch sends power to the relay.  When the relay is powered "On" it connects the blower to a red wire that comes straight from the back of the alternator.  This wire runs hot and it's pretty common to have a bad connection where the engine harness connects to the a/c harness.

Last but MOST IMPORTANT.  The a/c housings are plastic.  The blower itself along with the relay and compressor were grounded through this a/c harness.  The ground wire on most firebirds was bolted to the a/c brackets.  Thus, when Uncle Rico discards your a/c brackets, you will disable the blower.

I want to be like Paul Kenny when I grow up
Joe Bays
1977 Y82 4-speed (red interior)
1978 Skybird 350
1978 Redbird 305
1979 Redbird 301 4-speed
1992 Lincoln Mark VII LSC/SE (red)
1970 Datsun Pickup
1953 Chevy pickup (converted 4x4)
1988 T-bird Turbo Coupe

Wallington

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Re: Air Conditioning Blower Wiring Diagram
« Reply #2 on: February 04, 2021, 07:34:14 PM »
Also, if you've owned the car more than a day, go out and buy the factory manuals. Saves a lot of asking mundane lazy questions. If you still get stuck, post it up. Electrical is easy to get stuck on.

DeVilliers

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Re: Air Conditioning Blower Wiring Diagram
« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2021, 04:15:21 AM »
Hi guys,

I'm a bit stuck.
I'm assuming that I am missing a relay at the end of this plug. The car had aircon at some point. All that was ripped out by the previous owner.
So I have put back the blower motor as a minimum, no aircon.

2021-03-19_12-05-07 by DeVilliers Buys, on Flickr

The orange wire seem to be tied up with the rest of the wiring, but is it not suppose to be going to the blower motor?
Would this be the correct relay?
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/pontiac,1979,firebird,6.6l+403cid+v8,1250570,electrical-switch+&+relay,blower+motor+relay,3088

Help please.

Thanks
1979 Trans Am

firebirdparts

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Re: Air Conditioning Blower Wiring Diagram
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2021, 09:53:11 PM »
This is the whole system.  I was thinking that plug connected two parts of the system to each other, but I don't know.  The important thing is that's not the relay plug.  the relay doesn't accommodate any extended locking part like that.
Under hood

under dash (two different cars shown here)
« Last Edit: March 19, 2021, 09:58:49 PM by firebirdparts »
I want to be like Paul Kenny when I grow up
Joe Bays
1977 Y82 4-speed (red interior)
1978 Skybird 350
1978 Redbird 305
1979 Redbird 301 4-speed
1992 Lincoln Mark VII LSC/SE (red)
1970 Datsun Pickup
1953 Chevy pickup (converted 4x4)
1988 T-bird Turbo Coupe

Re: Air Conditioning Blower Wiring Diagram
« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2021, 09:53:11 PM »