Minor electronics help.

APEowner said:

Can you see any markings on the motor?  If not it would be useful to get resistance readings between the wires. 

Nope. Just a plain black housing with the r, b, p, bu, y wires coming out (or in, depending on pov. )

It will be a bit before I put hands on again, but I will map out ohms when I can. 
Thanks. 

There could be some feedback sensing built into the motor that would account for the extra wires but I'm wondering if it's actually a stepper motor.  If that's the case then just applying 12v to any of the wires is just going to lock it in one position and make the wires hot.

Really doubt that it's a stepper motor due to the loud running noise such motors produce. Plus, steppers typically can't spin fast enough to make a decent driver for a fan. Seems contrary to its intended purpose.

kb58 said:

Really doubt that it's a stepper motor due to the loud running noise such motors produce. Plus, steppers typically can't spin fast enough to make a decent driver for a fan. Seems contrary to its intended purpose.

It would be weird if it was a stepper but then again the 5 wires is weird.  Does an exhaust fan need to run over 1k RPM?  That's easily achievable with a stepper.

No clue on RPMs. Highly doubtful it is anything like a stepper motor, with associated electronics. Super simple board (although above my head, hence, thread) and a super cheap china special generic motor. 'Bout a 4mm shaft (prolly a bit less than 1/8") , 1 1/2 tall, 2"dia black housing with no external labels or markings. 

Stepper will have an even number of pins

03Panther said:

Assuming you mean "speeds" not "phases" the red and black might be full speed. But to use p, bu, or y, do ya stop sending 12+ to red? 
I can't come up (in my head - no hands on for a bit!) with a 6 speed scenario from the wires available. 

RC controller has potential,, but my rc guy is out of state!

As long as it can be run in needed direction, I can be fine with single speed. We'll see. 

No if it is a brushless motor it will indeed have phases that would need to be powered with the correct timing relative to the motor's position to make the motor spin. You can think of it like injecting fuel into each cylinder of an EFI'd engine at the correct time (brushless) vs. constantly feeding fuel into a single carb (brushed).

I am familiar with ac inductive industrial motors, and the 60hz (accounting for losses) determines the speed, relative to the windings. Well before VFDs came along, to vary the sine waves. 
I was actually taught 3 phase, by a guy that learned it in the '40s, so my knowledge is very dated! 

I assume "phases" on 12 VDC have to be created with some electronics? 
I also assume the new brushless tools do not have super high dollar and complicated electronics in them?

But, aside from theory class ( that I do like!) How do I determine what this cheesy motor is, and what to do with its five wires, on a diy GRM kinda budget ?

Brushless motors are commonly used in RC cars/planes and e-bikes these days, you even find brushless cooling fans in computers sometimes and I wouldn't be surprised to find one in a trailer ventilation fan. The brushless motor controller creates the phases as needed, they're pretty complicated inside but affordable and not too hard to set up these days - generally they take power and a PWM "throttle" signal in, and put the proper phased power out to the motor, sometimes with an encoder input from the motor to know the motor position.

03Panther said:

I am familiar with ac inductive industrial motors, and the 60hz (accounting for losses) determines the speed, relative to the windings. Well before VFDs came along, to vary the sine waves. 
I was actually taught 3 phase, by a guy that learned it in the '40s, so my knowledge is very dated! 

I assume "phases" on 12 VDC have to be created with some electronics? 
I also assume the new brushless tools do not have super high dollar and complicated electronics in them?

But, aside from theory class ( that I do like!) How do I determine what this cheesy motor is, and what to do with its five wires, on a diy GRM kinda budget ?

5 pin stepper motors are pretty common.  Most brushless DC are 6 pin.  It could also be a standard 2 wire DC motor with a 3 wire Hall sensor for feedback. Measuring the resistance accross all the different combinations of leads will give a clue.  

If there's a cover or something removable that allows a peek into the motor that might help as well.

What's the make and model of the unit?  There may be something in the specs that gives a clue.

APEowner 

If there's a cover or something removable that allows a peek into the motor that might help as well.

What's the make and model of the unit?  There may be something in the specs that gives a clue.

Unfortunately, the only model number on the vent with fan is "made in china" and the specs with it are translated to English by someone that does not speak English. Hey it was 160, instead of name brand for up to 600!

Ill get the chance to ohm it out eventually, sorry to keep interested parties in suspense!

I did try taking it apart farther - to get the nice acrylic fan blade off, after removing the screw to shaft, I bet he fan blade would have cracked, before it let go of the shaft. The smallest puller I have uses a 3/4 wrench, so I'm not really equipped!!!