Featured image: Jakub “Flyz1” Maciejewski, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer – it’s most likely to be a blown fuse or a burned out heater resistor pack. In rare occasions it could be that the blower motor itself has failed. It could also be a failed relay but this is very rare.
Problems with the heater fan are common in every car. Of course, in the middle of winter, this can be quite an urgent issue and one that can usually be resolved fairly quickly and cheaply. In this article I’ve run through some of the most common causes of failure for your Citroen DS3 heater blower, as well as how to fix these issues and how much you’ll pay.
99% of heater related issues in the DS3 are caused by the heater resistor pack failing or the fuse blowing. It is rare, in my experience, for anything else to be the cause. Fortunately these are two of the cheapest and easiest repairs you can do on your own car. However, if it transpires that your issue is more complicated, this then becomes an issue that most people can’t solve at home on their driveway with common tools, and you’ll likely need to consult with a garage.
I’m not an auto electrician – I am a mechanic, and for complicated electrical faults, I would usually refer customers to a good auto electrician I knew. That being said, little issues like this are easy to do and I would usually tell a customer they could pretty easily do these repairs themselves and avoid a £60 per hour labour charge. In the instance a customer didn’t want to do that, however, I would carry out the repair. I’ve fixed several DS3 heater blower not working issues and below are some of the most common reasons why this happens, and how you can fix it yourself.
Table of Contents
Possible causes
Fuse blown
The first thing to check whether the fuse for the blower has gone. This could happen for any number of reasons but the root cause of a fuse blowing is that the component has drawn a stronger current than it is designed to handle, and the fuse blowing is designed as a failsafe so that the wiring doesn’t overheat or melt.
The relevant fuse for the DS3 is fuse 11. There are two fuseboxes in the DS3 – one in the cabin and one in the engine bay located near the battery. The fuse for the blower motor is in the engine bay fusebox.
You can find a fusebox diagram either in a Haynes manual or online. I will link to one at the end of this section. but the fuses are identified by their amperage as well as their identifying numbers. The amperage is written on the fuse itself and the identifying number is written on the plastic. Fuse 11 is a 40A fuse and it is located in the bottom left of the fusebox.
Sometimes these fuses can fail without any visual signs, so I would first recommend that you replace this fuse irrespective of whether it looks good or not. These fuses can be had very cheaply at places like Halfords and Screwfix, so I would recommend just replacing it and seeing if it solves your problem. If it doesn’t, move on to the next step.
Something that’s very important to mention is that you should never renew a fuse more than once. What I mean by this is that if replacing fuse 11 fixes your problem, and then immediately after turning the heater on, the fuse blows again, do not replace the fuse a second time. This is likely now due to a short to earth due to faulty wiring and you should take your car to an auto electrician to get it fixed.
Citroen DS3 fusebox diagram: https://car-box.info/fuses-citroen-ds3-s-2009-2020.htm
(when I next see a DS3 in for repair I will grab a photo of the fusebox and update it here.)
Heater resistor pack
If ever I’ve looked at a DS3 with heater issues this is the first thing I look at. As I mentioned, I’m no auto electrician, but I will take a look at basic electrics issues such as this. Commonly the complaint is that the heater or the air con is either all or nothing – it works on full but not on anything else. This is almost certainly as a result of the heater resistor pack failing.
The heater resistor, or blower control module, works by varying the amount of electrical current provided to the fan motor. So, if you set your heater on low, the resistor adds resistance to the circuit to prevent the fan spinning too fast. If you turn the heater up to full, there’s nothing to stop the full electrical current going to the blower motor so it spins as fast as it can. As a result, when the resistor pack fails, your heating or air con won’t work on anything other than full speed.
The heater resistor pack is located in the passenger footwell, and replacement involves removing trim and removing the pack itself from around where the glovebox is. There are videos on YouTube on how to do this but fundamentally it’s a pretty easy job and heater resistor packs can be had on eBay or Amazon for not very much money – less than £20. You can, if you want, order the genuine part from Citroen – the part number is 932PC0570 and it will likely cost you around £60.
I would always say go for the genuine part – some of the heater blower control models you can get on eBay are not very good quality and it’s possible you may get a dud – so even if you’ve tried replacing the heater blower module with a new one, it could still be your issue. At least with a genuine part you won’t have this worry.
Faulty blower motor
This is not a majorly common issue in the DS3, but is something you should check if none of the other fixes have worked. Early signs of blower motor failure include slow starting or squeaking during operation. Often, failure of the blower motor is because of a blocked pollen filter.
Unfortunately some garages don’t change this during a major service and it’s not uncommon for it to become blocked up. The blower motor uses air from outside brought in and filtered by the pollen filter, and if this is blocked, it can restrict the amount of air the fan gets, forcing it to work harder and then ultimately failing.
This is quite an involved job to do and I wouldn’t recommend you try it if you’re not at least a little familiar with the internals of a car’s heater matrix. You will need to remove a some of the interior trim in the passenger footwell to get to the heater blower motor, and some of the ducting will also need to be removed to provide enough access for you to remove and replace the motor.
I would strongly recommend buying a genuine part if you’re going to do this, and not an eBay knock-off – because if you get a dud, it’s a lot of work to do this job again. Reputable parts can be had from your motor factors for around £30 – £50 – just make sure that you buy the right part for your vehicle.
Failed relay
I will touch on this briefly as it could be the cause of your issue, but you’re unlikely to be able to do anything about it yourself, unless you’re a skilled auto electrician. It’s entirely possible that the relay for the heater blower circuit has failed. The relays on the DS3 are actually internal to the engine bay fusebox, and the parts are not user serviceable. If the relay has failed, you would need to fit a new fusebox – so it would be my advice that you check all the other issues first, before going down the route of a failed relay.
Relays don’t fail very often, however – and despite the poor reputation French cars have for electrics, it’s unlikely this is your issue. I would recommend if none of the above have worked, drop your car into an auto electrician and explain that you’ve tried a number of other things that have not solved the problem.
We’ve written a number of articles on the DS3, including a lot of content on common problems and issues you might face. If you’re interested, check out some of our other articles on the DS3 below.
A guide to the best engine oil for your Citroen DS3
Citroen DS3 Timing Belt Change Interval
Citroen DS3 – Engine Fault, Repair Needed
Citroen DS3 Clutch Replacement Cost
Citroen DS3 1.2 PureTech Engine Problems
Common Faults with the Citroen DS3
Citroen DS3 vs Peugeot 208 – Used Car Buying Guide
Citroen C1 Life Expectancy – How long will it last?
How much is a clutch for a Citroen C1?
About the author
Marcus Brown is editor-in-chief of The FatMech and is a mechanic with ten years' experience based in London, UK. Having worked for major dealerships for many years, Marcus now works for a local independent garage and has experience working on nearly every make and model of car. Marcus also has a passion for writing and teaching, which is where the idea for The FatMech came from. In his spare time, Marcus enjoys playing golf, doing home renovations and gardening. He lives just outside London with his wife and son.