Tech Tip: Cadillac Blower Motor Failure

Tech Tip: Cadillac Blower Motor Failure

Owners of mid-90s Cadillac Eldorados, Sevilles and Concourses, equipped with the 4.6-Liter Northstar engine, may experience a heater blower motor failure after performing service to the right bank of spark plugs, spark plug wires or ignition control modules.

Along with a replica of Leonardo Da Vinci’s masterpiece "The Mona Lisa" created from 65 pieces of toast, shrunken heads and tornados capable of driving a piece of straw into a tree, this Cadillac tech tip qualifies as one of those strange "Believe It Or Not" stories.

Owners of mid-90s Cadillac Eldorados, Sevilles and Concourses, equipped with the 4.6-Liter Northstar engine, may experience a heater blower motor failure after performing service to the right bank of spark plugs, spark plug wires or ignition control modules.

I told you this was strange. The reason for this malady may be that the spark plug wires are routed incorrectly and lying near or contacting the blower motor housing. Under normal operating conditions, low frequency voltage discharges emitting from the right (rear) bank of spark plug wires may affect blower motor operation and /or cause the blower motor to fail.

The repair is simple. When servicing right (rear) bank engine ignition components, exercise caution when installing the spark plug wires. Spark plug wires must be routed away from the firewall mounted blower motor. Refer to the illustration for proper routing. By the way, blower motor operation will not affect the ignition system…"Believe It Or Not."

Written by ALLDATA Technical Editor, Rich Diegle. Rich is an Advanced Engine Performance Certified and ASE Master Technician with an Associate of Arts degree in automotive technology and 22 years of dealership and independent shop experience.

Courtesy of ALLDATA.

For additional information, visit www.alldata.com.

You May Also Like

Tips On Shocks and Struts

Here are 10 basic tips on shocks and struts.

10. Writing An Estimate

To give the customer an apples-to-apples comparison, you may opt to write your estimate in two sections. The loaded strut option, if available, will be very straightforward and require less installation time. For the second section, give the customer a breakdown of the cost for each component required for a complete repair, explaining that each of these pieces is already included in the cost of the loaded assembly. When purchased individually, these components tend to add up quickly and often exceed the price of the pre-assembled unit. Finally, itemize the difference in labor costs, pointing out the additional time required to “rebuild” the strut, which is above and beyond the time already required for removal and reinstallation.

Axle Torque Procedures

Guessing the correct torque setting is a bad idea.

Auto Pros Visit Interstate Auto Care, Madison Heights, MI

For Bill Nalu, business is more than fixing cars – it’s about connecting with people on a personal level.

Constant-Velocity Axle Options

Whether new or remanufactured, complete CV axle assemblies can throw you a curveball from time to time.

All-Electric Fisker Ocean Extreme Achieves 360-Mile Range

EPA values confirm the Fisker Ocean Extreme has the longest range of any new electric SUV under $200K sold in the U.S.

Other Posts

Turning Off The TPMS Light

If a vehicle comes into your shop with the TPMS light on, there are a few key things to check first for time’s sake.

Reprogramming ADAS Procedures

As a vehicle ages, the J2534 programming becomes even more important to the vehicle’s ADAS operation.

Brake Booster Replacement

Hydro-boost vehicles are not hard to work on, but they do require service information and a working knowledge of the system.

AAM to Supply e-Beam Axles for Future Stellantis EV

The future program will feature both front and rear e-Beam axles that include AAM’s integrated 3-in-1 e-Drive technology.