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Toyota Camry 1997-2001: How to Replace Blower Motor Resistor

The blower motor resistor is the part responsible for controlling the blower. When it stops working, the HVAC controls also stop working. This article will show you how to fix it.

By Jared Hammond - July 28, 2015

This article applies to the Toyota Camry (1997-2001).

So your low and medium fan settings don't do anything, and you don't want to have to drive with the fan turned all the way up. As it turns out it's not that serious of an issue. All it means is that your blower motor resistor is bad and needs to be replaced. Whenever you turn down the fans on your HVAC controls, the blower motor resistor lowers the voltage going into the blower to reduce the speed of the fans. The resistor itself is an inexpensive part to replace and is simple to install. Keep reading to learn more.

Materials Needed

  • Replacement blower motor resistor
  • Phillips screwdriver or an angle screwdriver with a Phillips bit

Step 1 – Remove the old the blower motor resistor

Below the glovebox, at the bottom of your passenger footwell, you should see a panel that's not connected to anything. It's only held up by some clips and should easily be pried off. There's a little gap at the corner from which you can pull it. Once you have this panel out of the way, you should easily see the blower and the blower motor. The resistor should be off to the side connected to the same group of cables that connects to the blower motor. To remove it, simply disconnect the cable harness then remove the two Phillips head screws. Then you need to wiggle it out from the compartment.

Figure 1. Blower motor resistor is to the left of the motor.

Pro Tip

Though not required, it is recommended you use an angle screwdriver to remove the screws since it's awkward to access with a normal screwdriver.

Step 2 – Install the new blower motor resistor

Installing the new blower motor resistor is simply reversing the previous step. Insert your replacement resistor into the compartment and return the two screws and tighten it down into the compartment. Reconnect the cable harness. Take a moment to turn on the blower in your car and switch between the HVAC settings to make sure the new resistor is doing its job. If all is well, then you can clip back the panel for the passenger footwell. Then, you're all done.

Figure 2. New blower motor resistor.

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