Blower fan chirping driving me nuts!!!

[Steve McF]

Well my fan has been squeaking ever so slightly, but it's doing it more so now, and getting right on my turbos   

I wanted to try to lubricate the bearings, and wasn't sure if that can be done by accessing with the glovebox removed? I saw a youtube video on a left hand drive car, where there was a rubber bung you could remove to get your wd40 straw in to spray the bearings, but not sure if the same was true of the right hand drive?

I saw the Cyclone Sid video where he did spray some in from the outside air inlet.

[TomPaine]

Before you do anything funky have you tried having the fan on full blast for a few minutes? I've cured all manner of grating noises over the years that way ...

[sgould]

You can get at the fan bearing through the pollen filter. 

[aerojon]

to lubricate the bearings properly you need to remove the fan and use oil..

[smurkenstein]

I had mine get rusty due to water ingress and it failed. It happened in the cold weather and the car became undrivable due to condensation. Its definitely worth getting on top of in case it goes

[Steve McF]

Before you do anything funky have you tried having the fan on full blast for a few minutes? I've cured all manner of grating noises over the years that way ...

Yes did that, and it didn't sort it unfortunately.

[sgould]

If you have lubed the spindle, check for wear and sideways movement. If the fan is wobbling the outside may be touching the frame.

[Steve McF]

Whilst I had the scuttle panel off for the water leak issue in my other thread, I checked the fan. Couldn't feel any noticeable play in it, so squirted some silicone spray onto the upper part of the spindle/bearing, to see if I could stop the irritating chirping!!

And hey presto....it seems to have worked!!! For now at least If I can sort the leak out first, I may take the fan out for a proper clean and lube the bearings with oil at some point

So that's two good jobs I've managed to do this evening!!

[carrera]

I think Will has a coupe of issues on his car. Fancy sorting them out for him while you are having a good day 

[sgould]

Well done!  

And, yes, I could do with your luck if you have some to spare...

[Steve McF]

Well it has lasted more than a year, but has just started the mild chirping again. I am going to sort the pollen filter housing, but wondered if that would be a good time to check/replace the fan as well?Looking online fans seem to start at about £35, and oters at over £120, with several others within that range.

Any recommendations on what to go for if I do order one?

[aerojon]

see post#4

[Steve McF]

Yes, if I get a chance, I'll have a go at that. Last time I managed to spray silicone lubricant on the bearing, accessed from the scuttle panel/pollen filter housing area, which would be my first port of call again, when I have a go at resealing the housing itself. The silicone spray has lasted a good 18 months though to be fair.

But if I can get the fan out at some point, and it still seems OK, I'll certainly use oil as suggested.

Earlier this year (or was it lates last year?), the fan on our Nissan Qashqai died, and I bought a new fan to fit. That was a bit more of a nightmare job than I'd hoped (access looked OK on the videos, but it was very fiddly, and awkward to see what you were doing. I think the Saab unit is in a better location behind the gloebox, and comes out a bit easier, so we'll see!!