Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: combatzone on 30 September 2013, 17:58:01

Title: Heater rheostat
Post by: combatzone on 30 September 2013, 17:58:01
Hi all,

Recently bought myself an Omega, its a 2000 facelift 3.0 mv6 ex cop car. Really pleased with the car as I've wanted one for a long time, however my insurance said otherwise. Had the car for a few weeks now and the heater blower hasn't worked since i got it. First of all I checked the fuse below the steering wheel to find it was ok, next move was removing the blower unit behind the  passenger airbag. Once I had it out I realized after a quick test that it was working fine. So came on here and did a quick search to find that the rheostat could be my problem, question is, is there any way of knowing that it is faulty?

Advice on this much appreciated as the heater not blowing is a right pain heading into winter.

Thanks

Neil
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: dbug on 30 September 2013, 20:34:35
Controller (or hegehog) is up behind glovebox top right of blower.  It just clips in - if fuse and blower ok - thats your problem.  Very expensive new - go for good second hand (same unit as in Astra G ;) ) :y

Welcome to OOF by the way mate :y
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: albitz on 30 September 2013, 20:37:29
I removed one today.I had forgotten how bloody awkward they are. ::) ;D...............agreed btw,sounds like hedgehog (resistor).
Im no expert on elctrickery though.
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: combatzone on 30 September 2013, 22:34:06
Thanks for the help. Sourced one at a local breakers yard so gonna go pick it up tomorrow and hopefully this cures my problem :)

Thanks

Neil
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: albitz on 30 September 2013, 22:36:02
How much for,if you don't mind me asking ?
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: combatzone on 01 October 2013, 08:32:11
£25 sound ok?
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: albitz on 01 October 2013, 12:23:47
That's about the going rate. :y
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: combatzone on 03 October 2013, 12:14:45
Back to start once again.

Go my replacement rheostat last night, fitted it only to find that it didn't make any difference. So the fan is not coming on at any speed and the rheostat didn't fix it. Question being, what is my next move?

Thanks

Neil
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: RobG on 03 October 2013, 16:38:59
12V direct to heater blower unit, check if that`s OK
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: dbug on 03 October 2013, 16:41:24
12V direct to heater blower unit, check if that`s OK

Thought op said he'd done that Rob in first post ;)

Possibly you've been sold a duff controller ???
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: RobG on 03 October 2013, 16:42:36
12V direct to heater blower unit, check if that`s OK

Thought op said he'd done that Rob in first post ;)

Possibly you've been sold a duff controller ???
So he did ;D :D :-[
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: albitz on 03 October 2013, 17:36:45
Afaik,if you put 12v to the blower and it works then a fuse or the hedgehog are the only other options ?  :-\
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: dbug on 03 October 2013, 17:50:15
Afaik,if you put 12v to the blower and it works then a fuse or the hedgehog are the only other options ?  :-\

Or a wiring issue - but less likely - you can check by electrically bypassing hedgehog utilising existing wiring as far as possible - if blower spins then not faulty wiring or dead fuse but defo hedgehog ;)
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: albitz on 03 October 2013, 17:51:44
I wonder if theres any way of testing the hedgehog ?  :-\
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: dbug on 03 October 2013, 17:53:01
I wonder if theres any way of testing the hedgehog ?  :-\

Guess there must be but I don't know it
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: RobG on 03 October 2013, 18:08:59
I wonder if theres any way of testing the hedgehog ?  :-\

Guess there must be but I don't know it
Reply #1 http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=111222.0  ::) ::)
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: combatzone on 03 October 2013, 19:13:54
Is there a handy way of by-passing the hedgehog to see if it is faulty?
My electrical knowledge is very limited, forgot to mention that the fan doesn't work at any speed at all if that would effect the cause.

thanks

Neil
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: terry paget on 03 October 2013, 19:17:40
I recall on the Senator there was some sort of electronic device (a diode?) in with the resistors in the heater fan control unit, and it was this device that ofter failed. A replacement from radiospares was the cure.
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: RobG on 03 October 2013, 19:20:56
Is there a handy way of by-passing the hedgehog to see if it is faulty?
My electrical knowledge is very limited, forgot to mention that the fan doesn't work at any speed at all if that would effect the cause.

thanks

Neil
Click on the link in my previous reply
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: Shackeng on 03 October 2013, 19:24:57
Is there a handy way of by-passing the hedgehog to see if it is faulty?
My electrical knowledge is very limited, forgot to mention that the fan doesn't work at any speed at all if that would effect the cause.

thanks

Neil
Click on the link in my previous reply

 ;D ;D ;D ;D :y
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: combatzone on 03 October 2013, 19:35:00
Is there a handy way of by-passing the hedgehog to see if it is faulty?
My electrical knowledge is very limited, forgot to mention that the fan doesn't work at any speed at all if that would effect the cause.

thanks

Neil
Click on the link in my previous reply

Sorry didn't see that there. Thanks will get to it here :)
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: dbug on 03 October 2013, 19:36:02
I wonder if theres any way of testing the hedgehog ?  :-\

Guess there must be but I don't know it
Reply #1 http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=111222.0  ::) ::)

Did I say that?  Must be getting a touch of the Albseimers ???  At least you got a mention though Rob ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: combatzone on 03 October 2013, 20:00:49
Read the description on how to test the hedgehog. However when I removed the connector from the hedgehog I could only larger connectors are the two that go to the fan, one being a + and then other a -. The other connector on the hedgehog has four pins on it all the same size. So which two do I join together?

Thanks

Neil
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: RobG on 03 October 2013, 21:23:15
Read the description on how to test the hedgehog. However when I removed the connector from the hedgehog I could only larger connectors are the two that go to the fan, one being a + and then other a -. The other connector on the hedgehog has four pins on it all the same size. So which two do I join together?

Thanks

Neil
Title: Re: Heater rheostat
Post by: Shackeng on 04 October 2013, 23:12:41
Read the description on how to test the hedgehog. However when I removed the connector from the hedgehog I could only larger connectors are the two that go to the fan, one being a + and then other a -. The other connector on the hedgehog has four pins on it all the same size. So which two do I join together?

Thanks

Neil

Ooh you are cruel. ;) ;) ;)