Ground issue at the blower motor?

This circuit is upside down compared to what you're probably used to seeing. By grounding the motor wire, you're bypassing the resistor assembly and the speed switch. The circuit is grounded at the speed switch, not at the motor like they used to do.

These two diagrams show the fan circuit. You're grounding at point "A" at the lower right in the first diagram, and where I put the blue arrow at the top of the second diagram.

Use a test light to check for voltage on the black wire at the HVAC control panel, pin 4. If you find anything there, there's a break in that wire. If you find 0 volts, the better suspect is a burned connection on the dark blue / yellow wire at the resistor assembly. That would prevent fan operation on all speeds.

Also, while not shown in this diagram, resistor assemblies usually have a thermal fuse built in. It typically looks like a small silver cylinder. If you have one in your new assembly and it is burned open, it is due to tight bearings in the motor. Tight bearings cause the motor to slow down and draw higher than normal current. My red arrow is pointing to the resistor in the third photo.

Let me know what you find with these voltage tests, then we'll figure out where to go next.

Thank you for the reply, I'll double check everything again. also to check pin 4 do I need to find a power source to connect to? Thermal fuse is good ,no sign of being burnt or charred. also about you're right about me connecting the db/yl wire. the 1st time when I did it, I thought it might help ground the whole circuit but it only made the motor run at high speed so I removed it

Please disregard my question about the test light, this Houston heat fried my brain for a minute.LOL. Yes I am getting voltage from pin # 4

I am also getting continuity from pin4 to the resistor harness in the low-tan, #2-lt green,high-black/tan positions. off position is giving a "static sort of feedback. nothing from #3 at the panel or the blue/yellow or light blue at the resistor block.