Honda Odyssey Blower Only Works on High Speed - Odyssey Transistor Replacement Front Fan Not Working

Honda Odyssey Blower Only Works on High Speed - Odyssey Transistor Replacement Front Fan Not Working

A problem recently occurred on my 2004 Honda Odyssey where the fan blower would only work on the highest speed setting. It's on medium right now but it's not running. But when I turn it to high, there'll be about a 2 second delay and then the fan will start blowing. And when I turn it back down the fan will immediately stop. If you're having this same issue don't worry. In this video I'll show you how to fix this problem easily with a $30 part.

I did some research and this problem is caused by a bad transistor assembly that needs to be replaced. It's located under the glovebox on the passenger side. And fortunately they made it easy to access. When looking under the glovebox, you can see part of the transistor. On one end, there's a wire connector that plugs into it. To remove the transistor, A wire bundle needs to be detached. And a pry tool like this helps causing any damage. The wire bundle is fastened with one snap connector and you may be able to use a screwdriver for this. But even with a pry tool it took me a bit to detach the fastener.

Next I need to remove the main wire connector and it's held in by locking tabs on both sides. Try to unclip one side and then work on the other. And you definitely need both hands for this but it will come out. But don't be surprised if it takes you longer than you thought to detach this.

Now there are 3 screws to remove. For this, you really need a short Phillips screwdriver. And the screws that need to come out have a hex shaped head. But it shouldn't be a difficult to do. The last screw on the far right is in the tightest spot and it's where a short screwdriver is necessary. With the screws removed the transistor just drops out.

The old and new transistor is almost identical except the new one has 4 metal fins on it but everything else is the same. It only cost me $30 from Amazon and I'll list this here in the description so it's easy for you to find.

To install the new transistor, insert the pointy end first. Then just secure it in place with the same screws from earlier. Try not to over tighten these because it doesn't take much to secure the new transistor in place. Now that the new part is installed, just plug the wire connector into the unit. Be sure to push it in far enough for the retaining clips to engage. And lastly clip the wire bundle back where it came from.

This is an easy repair and with basic tools, anyone can do it. When I start the car and try the speed control dial, the blower issue is resolved. The fan is now blowing on every speed setting. And one of the unexpected results from this is that now my air conditioning is also blowing cold air where before, I wasn't able to get any cold air at all. And that's because I think the transistor also controls the activation of the AC compressor. But it all seems to be working like normal now! If this video was helpful please give me a thumbs up and hit the subscribe button to stay up to date on all my weekly videos!

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[midiwall]

Well done video! Excellent production in getting the point and staying the course. 👍

fwiw, what you replaced is a *resistor* (pack). "Transistor" is quite a different component.

That pack has 2 or 3 "high current resistors" in it. A resistor is an electrical component that "slows down" (restricts) current flow. In this case, the resistors are of different "sizes" providing a different restriction. Three resistors, three fan speeds - plus OFF and MAX. (two gives you two speeds plus OFF and MAX)

fwiw, a transistor is an electronic switch.

[LGMG]

Super helpful video. Was well prepared to make the repair. Thanks for making this.

[bwest]

Great job on the video. Now I gotta go fix mine. Thanks so much.