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[terry paget]

2.5 petrol manual estate
The heater fan on this car rattles on start up, then rattles or howls on and off when it feels like it. It has been doing this for the last week. In the olden days eventually half a twig would suddenly pop into the cabin and the noise would cease. This car has a pollen filter, however, so I fear something has come adrift within the fan. I suppose I must remove the fan and inspect it. Reading the guide it sounds like the top screw is a challenge.

[amba]

Getting the fan motor out is quite fiddly and requires an uncomfortable position being taken up in the passenger footwell.

The blades are weighted so maybe the motor is now running slightly out and catching on the casing every so often,or possibly the bearings are worn and it isn't running true.Best advise is to try another motor assembly as I did having a similar issue as yours and has been smooth running since.

[TheBoy]

Or bearings shot. Pop out pollen filter, and with fan running, a squirt of wd40. If it quietens down for a day, you have your anser.

Bearing normally fails a few months after a blocked scuttle drain

[Magwheels]

Mine did that for a while then stopped altogether.

As per prev post, getting the fan out is rather fiddly but doable.

Took mine apart once out and lubed the bushes, now nice and quiet and that was done some time ago.

Top screw was done with spanner on a torx bit if I remember.

[amba]

Don't seem to remember any of the screws too difficult to get at but you do need to remove glovebox/cable tray and various odds and sods to get at it.

Whilst I replaced mine I also swopped the hedgehog resistor as that was the main issue with mine as not regulating any speed properly so killed 2 birds at once

[terry paget]

Thanks to all for the advice. It behaves as if the bearings are worn, always noisy on start up, often quite at full speed. I have stripped it down to the cable tray, and can see all the bolts. Al the speeds work, so I presume the hedgehog resistors are OK. I have found a spare in my spares heap off a 2.5 I scrapped 4 years ago. I hope to install it over the weekend.

[Tick Tock]

Mine seems to 'sing' on a certain speed setting, and this can be eliminated by notching the speed up or down a touch. Put it back to the setting it was on, and after about 5 minutes it starts to sing again. I'm assuming it's the hedgehog. 

[Tick Tock]

....... or it doesn't like the music I'm playing 

[Magwheels]

Thanks to all for the advice. It behaves as if the bearings are worn, always noisy on start up, often quite at full speed. I have stripped it down to the cable tray, and can see all the bolts. Al the speeds work, so I presume the hedgehog resistors are OK. I have found a spare in my spares heap off a 2.5 I scrapped 4 years ago. I hope to install it over the weekend.

Don't forget to lube it first as otherwise you are likely to be back to the same situation sooner or later, they only run on what looks to be oilite bushes!

[TheBoy]

Before fitting, run for an hour on a 12v source, to check all ok

[terry paget]

Thanks for advice gentlemen. How do I lube it? I had planned to have it installed by now, but that top right screw took some removing. It's out now. I have a spare fan I removed from a car 2 yeas ago.How do I lube it? An hours test seems a good idea after lubriCtion too. Pics follow.

[terry paget]

Pic 2

[Kevin Wood]

If you want to do a thorough job you need to strip the motor down, remove the bushes and soak them in oil for a while. I have a blower I've been meaning to do this with for several years, but the one in the car stopped making the squealing noise out of the blue and has been fine ever since.

I'm guessing the first step would be getting the fan off the shaft. Not sure how it's secured, though. Will have to take a look at the one I've got.

[Magwheels]

Just undo the three screws on the cover and the motor will pull away. The rear bush is right there. The front is accessible from the armature side. I did not pull the fan off as it is more than likely to break. Squirty lube with a nozzle tube is best. I used wd40 then motorcycle chain lube.....as I tend to use that on most things!

I then stuck it straight across a battery to make sure it was fine as now you are aware they are not fun to get out and in.   

[terry paget]

If you want to do a thorough job you need to strip the motor down, remove the bushes and soak them in oil for a while. I have a blower I've been meaning to do this with for several years, but the one in the car stopped making the squealing noise out of the blue and has been fine ever since.

I'm guessing the first step would be getting the fan off the shaft. Not sure how it's secured, though. Will have to take a look at the one I've got.

Quite so. I have run my spare fan for 10 minutes, seems OK. Of course I cannot try all the speeds, or indeed at the right attitude or in the housing. With the airbag out I dare not run it until airbag is re-installed. I see from my records I changed a fan in 2006 in OE03, and that's still running silently. I am amazed how ling these things do run. They are clearly designed to run for the life of the car without trouble.