Chrysler Repair: 1995 Concorde - No Climate Control, electrolytic capacitors, random buttons

Question
Hi,
The ATC on my Concorde has been acting up intermittently for about a year. Usually if I pressed random buttons, it would come back on. Now, it's been out for about a week and there is hot air blowing out the defrost vents. Is there a fuse I can disconnect to stop the blower for now and how much does a new ATC unit cost? Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Cindy,
There are three fuses involved in the ATC. Fuse #21 is for the blower, while fuse #6 helps power the controls. In addition, at the battery you will see on the + post clamp a thin brown wire which is actually a fuse-like device. If you pull gently on it and it fall apart, then replace that wire which is called a 'fusible link'. Check all three before giving up on the controller, and pull 21 if you want to turn off the blower. The 2 fuses are all hidden behind the left end-cap of the dash (open the driver door to gain access to remove the cap). If the digital readout is still working there is a way of getting it to do a self-diagnostic and give you a readout code that may say what is wrong with the system. It may not be the control. Let me know if you have a functional readout and I will tell you how to do the self-diagnostic.
Roland

Thanks so much. I knew where to access the fuses - just wasn't sure which one to pull. If I can get the display to come back on, I already know how to do the self-diagnostic and will get you the code. It'll probably be 36 - knowing my luck. Thanks again!

Hi Cindy,
If you get the control going but the blower still is out of control, then that would likely be due to 'blower module' which is mounted in air duct near the blower (just follow the wires at the blower which run back to the module). You would probably be better off getting a replacement out of a wreck at a pull-it-yourself wrecking yard, than buy an new one. It is an electronic device so won't be inexpensive. In fact you might find that one of the electrolytic capacitors in yours just needs replacement.
The 36 code means a communication failure with the controller which might be a loose solder joint in its plug socket pin connection to the printed circuit board which could similarly be fixed with a soldering pencil.
Roland