HVAC Blower Noise

425 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by ahmelvin, 7 d ago

4Canada

Discussion Starter · 12 d ago

Hi guys,

My 2016 has developed this noise from the blower - playing card in the spokes kind of sound.
Seemed to spit something out through the vents and go away, but it's back with no sign of stopping this time.
Happens on every door damper setting, inside and outside air, with and without AC on, etc.

For fear of damaging the motor, I've stopped using the fan. But it's about to get hot out where I live.

Any thoughts as to how to access the blower assembly to identify/remove the foreign object that is likely stuck inside?

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goldmax

· #2 · 12 d ago

Is it bonnet off time ? I've looked on Alfaworks but can't find anything.

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alphaboy1

· #3 · 10 d ago

Have you tried blowing back into the vents to clear them of any obstructions? A few good blows may help release the foriegn material.

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tibby

· #4 · 10 d ago

alphaboy1 said:
..... A few good blows may help release the foriegn material.

This

So, ask your wife???

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4Canada

Discussion Starter · #5 · 10 d ago

alphaboy1 said:
Have you tried blowing back into the vents to clear them of any obstructions? A few good blows may help release the foriegn material.

I'll give it a try (perhaps with compressed air, @tibby , don't get excited).
But it sounds like it is lodged in the blower, so even if I free it up, it will likely get sucked in again.

From the sound and vibration, the foreign object seems more substantial than a leaf or maple key (have had that before), hence my fear of burning out the motor or damaging the blower if I just continue to run it and see if it gets chewed up and spat out.

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goldmax

· #6 · 10 d ago

Could you try an inspection camera?

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4Canada

Discussion Starter · #7 · 10 d ago

goldmax said:
Could you try an inspection camera?

It'll probably make a louder noise!

Possibly - I found where the lower (footwell) air vent is, and judging by the volume of the noise from there, I expect that the blower is pretty close by.
As long as I don't damage the damper door, it's probably easiest to go in that way for a look-round.

Good idea. I actually picked one of these up on sale a while back - might as well put it to good use!
It's this or a DIY colonoscopy.

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KarlB

· #8 · 9 d ago

@4Canada

I really hope you didn't have a tenant nesting under the hood over winter and s/he pulled in a bunch of bits to nest in.

Not long ago I opened the hood on our Bolt EV to add some washer fluid only to find a tidily built nest sitting on top of the motor/power-controller - and that car was used all winter! Although in that case it kind of makes sense because of the battery heater running so much.

I know it's unlikely, but I would prob still pull the hood just for peace of mind to be sure there's not more stuff waiting in there somewhere.

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4Canada

Discussion Starter · #9 · 9 d ago

KarlB said:
@4Canada

I really hope you didn't have a tenant nesting under the hood over winter and s/he pulled in a bunch of bits to nest in.

Not long ago I opened the hood on our Bolt EV to add some washer fluid only to find a tidily built nest sitting on top of the motor/power-controller - and that car was used all winter! Although in that case it kind of makes sense because of the battery heater running so much.

I know it's unlikely, but I would prob still pull the hood just for peace of mind to be sure there's not more stuff waiting in there somewhere.

I now what you mean.
Pretty certain there won’t be anything obvious, as I had the bolt tightening done this spring (track car) so they would have had the hood off and seen it.
But you are right that this does not preclude a nest in the ductwork. I’ve got a pretty sensitive nose to that sort of thing and have not noticed any odd odours.
Still, will look into that this weekend.

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ahmelvin

· #10 · 7 d ago

4Canada said:
I now what you mean.
Pretty certain there won’t be anything obvious, as I had the bolt tightening done this spring (track car) so they would have had the hood off and seen it.
But you are right that this does not preclude a nest in the ductwork. I’ve got a pretty sensitive nose to that sort of thing and have not noticed any odd odours.
Still, will look into that this weekend.

I have the same problem. It started suddenly without much progression (ie became loud like yours all of a sudden). My mechanic was doing some other routine maintenance so I asked him to take a look and he said the fan needs replacing. I'll report back when I go and see him and the old part to see if a new part was actually necessary.

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