This situation is so f****d up I don't know where to start but here goes.--I bought some stuff to recharge my A/C system with,so I turn the car on, fan motor on high, only to find that air is coming from the defroster ducts ONLY. Okay, so I did a search on this which indicated I had a vacum problem somewhere.I checked the vacum line at the intake manifold and that seemed okay.At that point I said F it and put everything away.The last thing I did was to replace the thumb switch for the blower motor.It was worn out; it would go around but not increase or decrease the fan speed.I replaced it with a metal (the original is plastic)knob from an old car radio I wasn't using.It didn't look bad and it did the job so I said WTF I'll deal with the vacum thing later.That was Wednesday.Today me and the old lady decide to take a ride in the RS to get some ice cream.I start up the car,I hear this real funky noise from behind the dash for JUST A SECOND maybe and what do you know-I have air coming out of the dash vents, just like it's supposed to when the selector is set on VENT.AS I was sitting in the car eating ice cream,I smelled a kind of 'plasticy' smell, but I didn't pay it much attention;I just thought that's the way it normally smells because I haven't had it out in a couple of weeks.When I get home I go to turn off everything and set the fan motor to it's lowest setting and YOOOWIEEE!!!That fan switch was hotter than hell!!So I take a rag and pull the (radio knob)switch off. I wait a few seconds and I touch the shaft and that's hot too.I don't mean warm, but HOTT!!What the hell could be causing this?I spent several hours under the dash of my Studebaker taking care of some things and I'm kinda tired and pissed off right now,but I know I have to take care of this issue ASAFP.Thanks in advance guys, for reading my long *** story, and for any suggestions you may have!!

I can't answer the hotness question sorry, but i just took care of mine own vacuum problems today. check the line coming from the manifold, it should go to a t intersection. one side of the t crosses the car to the driver side then runs forward to the vacuum tank, a sphere you can see in the left front corner under the car. the other side of the t goes through the firewall to the dash controls. behind the selection lever is a 5way vacuum switch that controls where the air comes out.

Okay, I drove it to work this morning (about 22 miles) and the knob got hot, but not terribly so. Hot so as not to burn your finger off, but hot enough to know that something's not right.I'm keeping an eye on things today.I'm probably going to use the daily rice to get to work this week.Hopefully somebody can point me in the right direction.Otherwise,I'll have to go dash digging AGAIN...

Have you tried to locate some wiring schematics? If you do a search, I'm sure that you may find a lot of valuable information.

Either the switch is defective or something is drawing too much current.

Use an ammeter to diagnose.

OK a little follow-up here.I get in the car just to move it up the driveway to switch cars.Air is blowing out of the vents as it should, and some 5 minutes later, I touch the aforementioned switch, and it's ice cold.Great, I thought. Then I looked at the voltmeter, and it's reading about 9 (usually it's 14 plus).I turn off the motor and start it again and it would barely crank.I let it sit overnight, and today it fires right up,volts are still at 9 though.Just for the hell of it I jiggle the lower (red)alternator wire and now it's back at about 14.Look at the alternator and the red wire is SMOKING!!There's a bug-a-boo here somewhere; can somebody give me any leads??(no pun intended).I agree with you NINA,I think my switch is defective.When you switch speeds it's hard as hell to turn (maybe that's why the plastic knob wore out).Now to search for the part no. of the switch....

Hey third genners I know this post is about 2 years old but I have an update.I have put a king's ransom into this car but I think it's worth it IMHO.New alternator,battery,suspension.

In an unrelated story,the blower motor in my '97 Safari decided to take a dump.Okay it's old,I'll just replace it.While looking at the part number,I discovered that the same blower motor fits BOTH the Safari AND my '92 RS.I then decided to put the new unit in the Camaro and the still working (but noisy)Camaro unit in the Safari.The Camaro took 45 minutes;the Safari took nearly two hours.

Wow this is great, I thought.You can't even hear the fan motor and I've got all speeds.Mind you I'm still using the metal radio knob (from a previous car)for my fan speeds.I thought I'd take the car for a shakedown cruise because I haven't had it out since the first snow.I forgot about the funky blower switch until I went to shut everything down and YEEOWIEE!!That knob was hot as hell!!

Okay, I gotta replace this half-*** switch.Bought one cheap that was supposed to fit, pulled the radio and the HVAC control as far as I could and FINALLY pulled out the switch.But in so doing I discovered that the wiring plug that the switch goes into is quick-fried in 2 places and 2 prongs of the (5 prong)switched are discolored as well.

Now my mission is to get the correct fan switch for this AND get the harness for this switch as well.I should be able to get the switch fairly easily but I haven't been able to find a part number for the wired plug.Any help would be greatly appreciated..

I have the no vents thing going on with my car too so i'm chasing parts right now at work. I'll find you a fan switch part number and post it up later and possibly the connector if I can get it.

Thanks for the reply.I did some research and the fan switch number is:
Standard HS-242 or
NAPA/Echlin HC320
***Please note that these part nos. have the mounting holes directly across from each other, and not at opposite ends like what Advance and Rock Auto have pictured.Hate to diss my boys but they are wrong on this one.
If you can hook me up with the part no. for the connector you will TRULY rock.I have found a fan switch harness on eBay but the guy wants too much for it,I only need a small portion of it, and I ain't digging no deeper into the dash than I have to!

I JUST gave away my spare harness. But I know I can get that connector portion cut out and sent if you want it. Just snap a picture of it so I get the right piece.

PM sent.

Fan switch is Standard #HS217.