I am trying to find a replacement for a Alps unit out of a 30 year old Japanese car. I have tried some but most do not do what this one did. It is a fan speed dial, Rotate i direction is sends descending resistance. Rotate the other direction it sends increasing resistance. This tells the ECU to either increase the fan speed or decrease. I have found a Alps that works but it is different (4-pin) and a bit too large. Here are pictures of it and how it works. I am not sure if I am looking for the correct piece. Is this called an "Encoder"?
You can see in the schematic picture that it is a spring loaded directional momentary switch.
You can see in the schematic picture that it is a spring loaded directional momentary switch.