Air not flowing through vents

This is the second time my Tacoma has had problems with the air vent. I am wondering if there is like a short in the fan or something because the lights went out in the switch to turn it on to medium to off just before this happened.

 

Maybe the blower motor resistor has gone bad? Have you checked your cabin air filter to see if it is clogged?

 

No, I haven't and now that you say that it seems logical because I drive a lot of gravel.

 

You'd still get air with a clogged filter. Your problem is electrical.

 

True, but his filter could also be in need of replacement which could account for some of his issues.

 

On my Tacoma, NOT on recirculate, with fan OFF, and set to either vent or vent/floor, above 30 mph or so there is noticeable air flow.

 

So, I've just been through this very issue. Driving around in the cold without a heater will motivate just about anyone to figure it out... and quick!

Fan stopped working, except on high. Then it stopped working altogether.

Checked the resistor. It was fine. Checked the plug that the resistor plugs into...it was a little discolored on one pin, but not very bad. Pulled the glove compartment to access the cabin air filter. It was clean.

While I had the filter out, I turned the fan on low, and nudged the fan with my finger...IT WORKED! I could then turn it on all speeds and it worked great! If I let it stop completely, though, turning it back on did nothing. The fan just sat there, stationary.

I pulled the fan motor (It's simple...there's 3 screws on the bottom of the fan housing (5.5mm or 7/16 spcket required), and it pops right down and out. Unplug, and the fan motor is free.

I took the fan apart and then the motor rear casing. Inside was FULL of copper dust and yuck from the commutator and brushes, and it was clogging up the fan and bushings, making it hard to turn. High pressure air from my compressor and it was all clean. Reassembled the whole thing, flipped the switch, and VOILA! It works!

Easy, cheap, and effective fix. The commutator and brushes are showing a lot of wear, so I'll have to replace the fan unit at some point in the near future, but I see they're less than a hundred bucks at all the auto parts stores.

Hope this helps...