I found the following tidbit from a max max website:
"Blower Setup - Fake and could NOT be turned on/off with the switch. When you see the blower kicking in, they are actually just starting up the car with the blower belt connected. Otherwise, when the blower is not running, the belt is not connected. When you see the blower shut off, they are actually just shutting the engine off. Get it??"
http://www.geocities.com/madmaxreplicas/