Does my AC need a new blower motor or just a new switch?

Dear Car Talk | Feb 01, 1995
Dear Tom and Ray:
Ralph
TOM: You just did, Ralph.
RAY: If you want to fix it on a more permanent basis, you'll need to find the blower motor relay under the hood. On high speed, the relay acts as an intermediary between the fan switch on your dashboard (real cheap switch that can't handle much power), and the blower motor under the hood (more expensive part that needs lots of power). So when you flip the fan switch on your dashboard, you're actually activating the relay, which is basically a heavy-duty switch. Then that relay turns on the blower motor.
TOM: So it sounds like the relay is sticking in the "on" position. A new one ought to fix the problem.
Ralph
TOM: You just did, Ralph.
RAY: If you want to fix it on a more permanent basis, you'll need to find the blower motor relay under the hood. On high speed, the relay acts as an intermediary between the fan switch on your dashboard (real cheap switch that can't handle much power), and the blower motor under the hood (more expensive part that needs lots of power). So when you flip the fan switch on your dashboard, you're actually activating the relay, which is basically a heavy-duty switch. Then that relay turns on the blower motor.
TOM: So it sounds like the relay is sticking in the "on" position. A new one ought to fix the problem.
Got a question about your car?