The definitive heater modification

Frequently asked technical questions and common modifications/improvements
Kitch
Over 2k
Posts: 6417
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:36 pm
Location: Fareham, Hants
My Cars: Too many to list
x 88
Contact:

Re: The definitive heater modification

Post by Kitch »

Worth pointing out that his is a mk1, if it's a 19GT. Totally different arrangement.
One third of a three-spoke BX columnist team for the Citroenian magazine.

CCC BX registrar: The national BX register - click to submit a car!

1983(A) 16TRS (Rouge Valleunga)
1990(H) 16Valve (Rouge Furio)
User avatar
white exec
BXpert
Posts: 681
Joined: Sat Sep 12, 2020 4:04 pm
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga
My Cars: 1992 BX19D Millesime
- LHD, NA, AC, RP_5800
1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive
x 70

Re: The definitive heater modification

Post by white exec »

Vanny wrote: Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:20 pm Just before go and (finally) do this, it dawns on me that there must be a reason Citroen never did it! I'm about to modify a brand new panel which was allegedly made in Jan 1994, and isn't wired to max fans.

I begin to wonder, if the reason it was never done, was to prolong the life of the PMOS / blower motor? Now if i had the technical spec for the motor it would be easy to figure out, but i don't, sad.
Just reading this now, I wonder whether Vanny has a point about Citroen building in max speed protection for the control circuit, and maybe the blower motors as well.

It's interesting that later cars (eg Xantia, XM, ZX...) also used (a pair of Darlington) transistors for blower speed control, but also included a "max speed relay" (on the p.c.b.) which cuts in only when max speed is selected. On these cars, which use a single blower, the running current on max speed is in the region of 25A, and starting current (if you're careless enough to turn the key with the blower set to max) higher than that. The relay makes sure that the transistors do not have do pass this high current either continuously, or on fast-start-up.

Now the BX has twin fans, operating in parallel, and the combined current looks quite modest*** from the pair here, but I could understand why Citroen might have limited how max blower speed might operate, perhaps with a less rugged transistor stage.
*** Edit: Found to be 15A each, from a subsequent bench test here, so not that small.
________

The black stripe on the Eledasa p.c.b. links pins 4 & 5 on the module connector. I'm fairly sure this is a printed-on resistance strip, which would correspond to the small resistor (next to the diode*) on the circuit diagram.
* Not sure where the diode is mounted (back of p.c.b.?) but probably there to protect the control transistor, when relay 745 switches off.
.
BX aircon EWD___4.jpg
Chris
tom
Citroen Sorceror
Posts: 1266
Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 8:51 pm
Location: straddling the channel
My Cars: 2003- Passe-Partout 1.9 TGD estate
2005 Grolliffe Tizzydee turbo estate and sundry other BXs and Grace, a CX TRD.
2008 to 2023 - all sorts of stuff, some interesting
2024. TxD 1.9D estate. 'Wheelybin'
x 12

Re: The definitive heater modification

Post by tom »

If it was not intended to be used, there wouldn't be a relay fitted.
Post Reply