Topic: Intermittently noisy heater fan (Read 4090 times)

terry paget · « **on:** 08 February 2017, 14:05:24 »

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 · « **Reply #1 on:** 08 February 2017, 17:15:52 »

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 · « **Reply #2 on:** 08 February 2017, 17:52:40 »

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 · « **Reply #3 on:** 08 February 2017, 17:54:44 »

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 · « **Reply #4 on:** 08 February 2017, 19:30:14 »

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 · « **Reply #5 on:** 09 February 2017, 22:28:22 »

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 · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 February 2017, 10:06:06 »

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 · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 February 2017, 10:06:45 »

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

Magwheels · « **Reply #8 on:** 10 February 2017, 17:57:37 »

Quote from: terry paget on 09 February 2017, 22:28:22

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 · « **Reply #9 on:** 10 February 2017, 18:21:24 »

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

terry paget · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 February 2017, 22:35:29 »

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 · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 February 2017, 22:40:18 »

Pic 2

Kevin Wood · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 February 2017, 08:42:17 »

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 · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 February 2017, 12:26:37 »

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 · « **Reply #14 on:** 12 February 2017, 12:30:08 »

Quote from: Kevin Wood on 12 February 2017, 08:42:17

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.

terry paget · « **Reply #15 on:** 12 February 2017, 13:41:19 »

Quote from: Magwheels on 12 February 2017, 12:26:37

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.

Quite so, came apart easily. Pics follow

Andy B · « **Reply #16 on:** 12 February 2017, 15:29:00 »

Quote from: terry paget on 12 February 2017, 12:30:08

......
. They are clearly designed to run for the life of the car without trouble.

That's probably because they appear to start with the interior fan assembly & build the entire car around it

terry paget · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 February 2017, 15:58:08 »

I used my grandson's flexible drinking straw to pour oil into the rear motor bearing; I could oil the fan end bearing with the straight straw. Pics show lubrication of rear bearing, and testing. It ran very quietly, but so did the one I removed after lubrication.

Now all I have to do is put it back together again.

Magwheels · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 February 2017, 22:08:18 »

Happys days, not too hard is it? And its free.

A man after my own heart......battery and jumps leads, just how I did mine.

Now you have two smooth and quite fans.

terry paget · « **Reply #19 on:** 13 February 2017, 09:02:23 »

Quote from: Magwheels on 12 February 2017, 22:08:18

Happys days, not too hard is it? And its free.

A man after my own heart......battery and jumps leads, just how I did mine.

Now you have two smooth and quite fans.

And motor held in a vice. When I changed a fan motor in 2006 I tested it on the bench; motor burst into life, leapt off the bench, scuttled under the car and disappeared. Amazingly it suffered no damage, and is still working 11 years later.

Thanks for your advice. Motor did not look serviceable, and I am sure was not intended to be.

Andy B · « **Reply #20 on:** 13 February 2017, 11:43:09 »

I'm impressed Terry that you can see the top of your work bench. Mine is a little more cluttered ....

Kevin Wood · « **Reply #21 on:** 13 February 2017, 11:57:47 »

Quote from: Andy B on 13 February 2017, 11:43:09

I'm impressed Terry that you can see the top of your work bench. Mine is a little more cluttered ....

.. and a microwave for pies = no need to enter the house.

(I'm assuming there's also a supply of beer, of course.)

terry paget · « **Reply #22 on:** 14 February 2017, 16:41:20 »

A mysterious 5 pin socket has appeared below the wiring harness under the heater fan. Hopefully it is a spare that need not concern me. Can anyone identify it?

robson · « **Reply #23 on:** 14 February 2017, 16:47:53 »

Is that a sticking plaster on your hand. I think they are an essential spare for working on omegas

terry paget · « **Reply #24 on:** 14 February 2017, 17:52:22 »

Quote from: robson on 14 February 2017, 16:47:53

Is that a sticking plaster on your hand. I think they are an essential spare for working on omegas

Yes, there are three on my left hand and one on my right. Swopping heater fans is rough work!

Nick W · « **Reply #25 on:** 14 February 2017, 17:56:16 »

Quote from: terry paget on 14 February 2017, 17:52:22

Quote from: robson on 14 February 2017, 16:47:53
Is that a sticking plaster on your hand. I think they are an essential spare for working on omegas
Yes, there are three on my left hand and one on my right. Swopping heater fans is rough work!

At least there isn't any safetywire on an Omega. That makes nice neat 0.032" holes, or ragged tears that both bleed copiously.

Magwheels · « **Reply #26 on:** 14 February 2017, 19:15:54 »

Looks like the phone wiring as best as I can tell.

VXL V6 · « **Reply #27 on:** 14 February 2017, 19:26:20 »

No not phone prewiring, I've seen that plug before but can't remember what it was for now!

terry paget · « **Reply #28 on:** 14 February 2017, 22:41:18 »

Quote from: Magwheels on 14 February 2017, 19:15:54

Looks like the phone wiring as best as I can tell.

There is phone wiring in the radio, with place for my SIM card and half the rdio handbook concerns the telephone.

terry paget · « **Reply #29 on:** 15 February 2017, 16:30:00 »

Job is done, thanks to all for advice.
For some reason there was not enough of a gap to insert a T20 socket into the top right fan screw. I ground a couple down, but they still wouldn't go in straight. I tried a bent T20 allen key, but that was hard to get in straight, and I finally managed it with a bent T15 allen key, a loose fit but went in easily and had plenty of grip to turn the screw. Pic follow of my tools for this job.

cam.in.head · « **Reply #30 on:** 15 February 2017, 16:40:09 »

Excellent.and like the box of plasters ready and waiting .if we dont cut our hands while working on a car then were not doing it right. Just changed my donut bushes today and only got one cut thou !

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Author Topic: Intermittently noisy heater fan (Read 4090 times)