Chevrolet: 2002 Chevy Prizm AC/Heating Blower, 2002 chevy prizm, chevy prizm

Question
Hi Keith,

I have a 2002 Chevy Prizm...the warranty just expired (of course)...haven't had any work done on it...other than routine oil change, etc.  

Recently, the AC started acting up.  I noticed that the lowest setting wasn't doing anything at all to cool the car...then I tried the second lowest setting (which is usually all I need to get the car comfortable)...at first the second lowest setting worked just fine...and then all of the sudden that setting stopped working.  Then I proceeded to the third setting and that worked fine for about 2-3 weeks.  Just today, the 3rd setting no longer works - the only setting that works is the highest setting.  

To make sure that this wasn't just with the AC, I tried it without the AC on and with the heat on instead and just the vent with no heat or AC...same problem.  It's like the blower isn't working or that a fuse blew or something.  I'm not sure what to do at this point...I'm wondering if this needs to be taken in to the dealer or mechanic or if this is something that I can handle.  Any idea on what could be causing this?  

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Linda

Answer
Hi Linda, the problem is the blower speed resistor, it controls the electrial currant for the lower speeds of the blower and the highest setting bypasses the resistor to give it full power. I haven't worked on gm since the mid 90s so i can't tell you the exact location but its somewhere in the blower housing, its a job for a mechanic. I hope this helps you if you need more info just let me know. Regards, Keith.