Chrysler Repair: 02 Town & Country blower on high only; resistor block?, conventional ac, multifunction switch

Question
Hope you can help..
I saw someone else asking about this same problem, that my blower works only on hi. This problem had just started and I have had no repairs of any kind lately. I switched out my relay with another and no changes happened.
Where is this resistor block I saw you guys talking about? Any other suggestions?
2002 Town and Country, conventional AC unit

Answer
Hi Brad,
I just realized I had suffered a "senior moment" in responding to your question in that I got side-tracked in my thinking to an earlier question from another owner who was having a problem with his van wipers only operating on high. And it fascinated me that Chrysler had changed the circuitry to do the speed/intermittant controlling by the body controller. But that has nothing to do with the blower motor speed variability! So I am virtually certain that you will find there to be a resistor block as I did describe. I can't imagine how I switched gears mentally, but that happens.
Roland




Hi Brad,
Yes that symptom is diagnostic of a blown resistor block BUT I am uncertain whether in the later models with hi/lo and 4 intermittant speeds there may not be such a resistor block at all but rather the motions are controlled by the body control module. What follows is from the '98 service manual (my latest) but even in that year the body contol module troubleshooting manual shows a circuit without such a resistor block; rather there are a set of resistors in the multifunction switch which change a voltage level that the body module then senses to operate the wiper module in the desired manner.
If there is a resistor block:
It is located in the engine compartment, on the firewall, passenger side, just below the wiper modulte (at least that is the case for the '98 for which I have the manuals. In the early 90's it was in the same general area but at the very upper corner and held in place by a couple of screws). It is retangular and the resisitors proper are on the other side of the firewall in the air intake plenum, but you remove the body of it by prying it out of the opening and into the engine compartment side. The plug has five wires, and you may have to remove the wiper module to see and get to it. First pull the plug from the module for electrical short avoidance.  It appears that you reach thru a square opening in the sheet metal to get to the back side where you insert a screwdriver blade on each end of the block and push in on a spring clip to release it; there are grooves to direct the blade into position, then pry gently outward. Then remove and replace.
You might want to get the replacement first to help visualize the retention springs that need to be pushed in.
Make sure the letters "top" is up, and check that the new resistors aren't touching oneanother or the sheetmetal. Separate them gently if necessary with a finger tip.

You might get the 'skinny' on whether there is such a resistor block for your '02 van at the parts department of a Chrysler dealer. If not, then write back and tell me whether the intermittant choices are also not working. The problem would likely be in the multifunction switch or the hi/lo relay or the body module or the wiring thereof if there is indeed no resistor block. But I need to know the symptoms.  As things get more "sophisticated" they get more costly to diagnose and repair!
Roland