[FC] Problem after installing High Volume Blower Motor

[Andrew Sego]

A quick update on my blower problem.  I stopped by the local NAPA last night to pick up the AR102 relay that Claypool recommended in the Communique article.  They didn't have it in stock, so I order one and will have one today.  I did buy another 30amp Bosch style relay to replace the Autozone one I had in there already.  The schematic on the side of the newrelay shows the triangle going around the switching coil in the relay indicating it has a diode, or a suppressive resistor as the parts guy said.  The other one didn't have the diode onthe schematic.  I replaced the "old" one with the new one.  I think I had the polarity correct with the 85 terminal being grounded and the 86 terminal being the hot lead.  I turned the heater on and immediately heard a pop.  Now the blower doesn't work. The turn signals didn't work.  I checked the inline fuse at the relay and it was fine.  I jumpered the switching terminal at the relay and the blower came
 back on.  I went to the fuse block under the dash and found the heater fuse to be fine as well.  However, the fuse above it was popped. I believe it was the dash fuse, and the panel said it should be a 25 amp fuse, or a 2.5amp fuse...it was hard to tell. It had a 20amp fuse in it.  I replaced the fuse with another 20 amp fuse and switched the terminals on the relay.  When I turned on the heater to high it popped the fuse once again.  I replaced it and put the "old" and "junky" Autozone relay back in place and now the fan works as it did before.  Either the new relay wasn't rated at 30amps after all, or I hooked it up backwards the first time and fried it.  The odd thing is that it popped the dash fuse and not the heater fuse.  Maybe that's how it's backfeeding.  Anyway, I'm going to try the factory style blower relay tonight and see if that solves the problem.  Someone sent me an email that said they had the same problem with a generic Bosch
 style relay, and switching to the AR102 solved it.  If that doesn't work, I'll get out the soldering iron and find the right diode.  I need to get some proper 25 amp fuses too, unless it really should be a 2.5amp fuse instead.  
  
Fingers crossed,
Andrew