D3 Aircon Blower Relay

[Mike&Loz]

Previously posted in Tech Section

This time of year gets a bit warm in Perth and I need a little assistance with how to replace the Blower Relay designated R16 in the fuse panel next to the main battery. The air conditioning works but the front blower doesn't. Well it doesn't until I give R16 a little nudge/wiggle/push and then there is a noticeable "click" and it starts working.



First I need to know how to remove the relay. I gave it a reasonable tug and it didn't budge and I don't want to go into gorilla mode and try to reef it out in case I stuff it completely. Being the Christmas period there will be nowhere I can get anything done until the middle of January. So do these relays just pull out or do I require a Discovery Specific Relay Removal Tool that can only be used once I remove the rear seat and the left headlight?

Are the relays readily available and if so where? Will I need a second mortgage to pay for one?

Thanks very much in advance.

Mike
Attached Thumbnails http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/technical-chatter/41820d1324508943t-d3-aircon-blower-relay-relay-panel.jpg (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/technical-chatter/41820d1324508943-d3-aircon-blower-relay-relay-panel.jpg)

[bbyer]

You are fortunate that the fix appears to be so easy.

The relay should be readily available at your local Land Rover dealer - except of course during holiday periods - in this case, probably not until sometime next year. In truth, your dealer probably has one in stock as the relay is common to many circuits.

The relay should just pull straight out but it is difficult to remove - like it is welded in, but it is not. Purchase the new one first and you will see that there are just five? straight legs sticking out like an electrical plug. Hence you just pull straight up, but I suspect using a pair of pliers. Hence have the new replacement relay before you pull the existing relay in case you crush the plastic case while pulling out the existing relay.

I actually think the leg layout of the relays is standard with Hella and the like, but as is the norm, one does not really know what the rating of the LR relay is, hence purchase of the LR part is probably the best idea.

The rating of the relay that is in the air compressor circuit, R7, was 60 amps, but with the recent upgrade, is now supposed to be a 70 amp relay. Ten dollars should handle the cost but your concerns are justified as to perhaps having to remove the body from the frame as well as purchasing Land Rover special tool xxxxxx et all.

[sniegy]

The relays "are" hard to remove from the fuse box. Read damn hard!
I would also check to make sure that the widest pin on the relay is making good contact with the terminal in the fuse box as sometimes it can open up & the connection can be lost as it does get warm & expand, check the relay when you remove it to make sure it has made contact to the pin on the relay (normally a couple of scrape marks down the pin), you may just find that the terminal has opened up & may need to be closed up a little.
Wednesday morning the dealerships will reopen (we do at 7:30am) parts normally about 1hr later.
Cheers.

[Mike&Loz]

Thanks very much for the info. I was a bit concerned that I would need to use the calibrated crowbar to lever it out. I will definitely get the new relay first. I also bought a can of contact cleaner and lubricant (not WD40) to give the socket a bit of a clean before putting the new one in.

I'll also check that the socket connector hasn't spread apart.

[bbyer]

Given that the problem is probably what sniegy says it is, a contact leg that only contacts some of the time, one wonders just what is holding the relay such that calibrated crowbars make sense.

Electrical contact cleaner is a good idea - I am about to change the compressor relay and I never thought about using contact cleaner - will do that. I use copper paste when ever I can so contact cleaner makes sense as well.

[sniegy]

Hey Bbyer,
Out of curiosity more than anything, what do you guys use the copper paste for wrt to electronics?
We only use it for wheel nuts/hubs etc.
Noticed a lot of the UK guys in the workshop always have tins of the stuff at there benches.
Cheers;)

[bbyer]

I see I worded that last post badly. As you said, copper grease is just for metal to metal, lug nuts and the like that will tend to freeze tight over time.

I will use an electrical dielectric paste when inserting copper base bulbs in sockets and the like, or electrical contact cleaner around wires, but copper paste, that is for metal to metal.

I think the Brits use the stuff often as their damp climate tends to promote corrosion. Here, the air is dry and salt free so corrosion is less of a concern except to those who keep their machinery for a long time or do their own work and don't enjoy fighting the same battles time after time. I think the copper paste is really useful when doing brake jobs as there are bolts that have to be removed each time and fighting the same frozen bolts every time gets tiring.

[sniegy]

Thanks for that. ;)