This tutorial will help you test the blower motor on the 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 2.5L V6 Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger.
To find out if the blower motor is defective or not, we're gonna' do two simple tests. One is checking the amperage draw of the blower motor. In the other we're gonna' manually apply battery power and Ground (to see if it runs).
Both tests are easy to do and are explained in a step-by-step way.
Contents of this tutorial at a glance:
NOTE: You can find the blower motor electrical wiring diagram here: Blower Motor Wiring Diagram (1996-2000 2.5L V6 Sebring And Avenger).
Symptoms Of A Defective Blower Motor
You're gonna' see one of two things when the blower motor fails on your Chrysler Sebring (Dodge Avenger):
- The blower motor will not run at all.
- The blower motor will run but will run with a lot of bearing noise.
As the blower motor ages, its bearing will start to wear out. Eventually this will cause the blower to run with a lot of noise and will cause it to use more current to overcome its worn out bearings.
Eventually it will use so much current that it will burn out the blower resistor assembly and/or the blower switch.
The cool thing is that testing the current draw of the blower motor is a simple test done with a multimeter. That's the first test we'll start with in the next section.
Blower Motor Basics
As you're probably already aware, the blower motor has two wires coming out of its electrical connector.
One wire is blue (BLU) and the other wire is black with a yellow stripe (BLK/YEL). The BLU wire is the one that delivers battery power to the blower motor. The BLK/WHT wire is the one that feeds Ground to it.
To get a better idea of the blower motor circuit you can take a look at the wiring diagram here: Blower Motor Wiring Diagram (1996-2000 2.5L V6 Sebring And Avenger).
Since the blower motor is a two wire electrical component that just needs power and Ground to run, we can easily bench test it.
Where To Buy The Blower Motor
The blower motor on the 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 Chrysler Sebring (Dodge Avenger) isn't an expensive part. The following links will help you comparison shop and save a few bucks:
TEST 1: Testing The Amperage Draw Of The Blower Motor
We don't need an ammeter to test the amperage draw of your Chrysler Sebring or Dodge Avenger's blower motor.
We can simply use a multimeter to measure the blower motor's resistance and then we can use Ohm's Law to find out the blower motor's amperage draw.
To be a bit more specific: Ohm's law states that amperage is the result of battery voltage divided by the resistance of the blower motor (Ohm's Law: Amps = Volts ÷ Ohms).
This is a very accurate test that will let us know right off the bat if the blower motor is defective.
These are the test steps:
- 1
Disconnect the blower motor from its electrical connector. If you need better access to its two male terminals, remove it from its place.
- 2
Place your multimeter in Ohms mode.
- 3
Measure the blower motor's resistance across its two male spade terminals.
IMPORTANT: If you have removed it from its place, you need to make sure that the its fan assembly does not turn when you test its resistance. - 4
Divide 12.5 by the resistance value you got in step 3.
Let's say that you got a resistance reading of 0.4 Ohms in step 3. You would then do the following calculation: 12.5 ÷ 0.4 = 31.25. Which tells you that the blower motor has an amperage draw of 31.25 Amps.
Let's examine your amperage draw test results:
CASE 1: The amperage draw is less than 30 Amps. This is the correct test result and to lets you know that the current draw of the blower motor is OK.
The next step is to manually apply battery power and Ground to the blower motor. For this test go to: TEST 2: Applying Power And Ground To The Blower Motor.
CASE 2:The amperage draw is at 30 Amps or more.. The blower motor is defective and needs to be replace. This excessive current draw is usually do too: debris seizing the motor, bad bearings, worn brushes, burnt commutator, etc.