Is the HVAC resistor pack the same thing as the blower motor resistor I have a 2001 Nissan Xterra and it only blows hotcold air on the 4 not on 123. Thanks?

Answer 1

HVAC is an acronym for Heating, Ventillating, and Air Conditioning. So, I would suspect that the two items are the same thing. As long as I can remember, we just called them "the blower resistor," even though it was a "package" of several resistors. The way they work is by doing their "thing," resisting the flow of current, whereby they reduce the voltage to the fan motor, the lower the voltage, the slower the fan. The high speed position bypasses the resistors, and allows the full 12 volts DC to the blowermotor. I suspect that that is the one position in which your fan is opertional. Resistor packs do fail, BUT very SELDOM. BEFORE replacing the package, very carefully check all the related wires between the pack and the control switch on you dash board. Quite often, connectors [at the switch assembly, or at the package] can become so corroded that no current can get through the connector contacts, or what little does cannot operate the motor. Also, connectors can become loose, and non-functional. So check those connectors well. I actually disconnect them, use a small piece of wire as a scraper and "clean" and blow them out with air, then reconnect them firmly. Often this can correct the problem without buying a new resistor package. Blower resister...change it......Don't bother with the above nonsense...They blow all the time in Nissans, and dealerships usually have them in stock. The only difference is that with answer one, there is NO COST for a replacement part or the time and fuel to go buy the part, and the TIME REQUIRED to clean the contacts is about 25% of the time required for the round trip to spend money for a new replacement part which is not necessary. So Answer one saves both your time and money. It takes no longer to remove the part and reinstall it after cleaning than to remove and replace it with a new one. The cleaning procedure only take a few minutes, and if it works, the process has cost you nothing. IF the clean and check procedure doesn't correct the problem, then you can go through the time and money consuming round trip to buy the part. By the way, at the cost of fuel today, you save a bunch just on the round trip to get the part, in addition to the cost of the new part. I don't know about you, or "CORRECT ANSWER," but for me not unnecessarily throwing away money is important.