Noisy Climate Control Fan (1 Viewer)

[Topmounter]

Today the fan for my climate control system started making noise. It's loud on the lowest setting, slight less loud on the 2nd setting and pretty much inaudible on the 3rd and 4th settings.

There are a few other threads about this issue, but no pictures or specific instructions beyond "remove the glove box and it's under there".

So do I just need to remove the screws from the outer ring of what appears to be the fan unit on the right of the attached image and the fan unit just drops out and I can clean it? Or is there more to it?

Also, where are the air filters located exactly?

 

[hoser]

Yes, remove the three screws surrounding the fan and disconnect the power cable and the fan unit will drop down. The box to the left of it is where the cabin filters are but yours does not look like it has the access door... as some LC's don't. I'm not 100% sure though since it has been awhile since I had mine apart.

 

[Topmounter]

Super, thanks... it was a pine needle. Now how did that get in there? And that power connector is crazy hard to unhook. And when replacing the glove box, be sure to make sure the screw is going in the right hole I accidentally threaded one side into the guide hole for the plastic nib :whoops: You can see the two holes in the upper left hand corner of the first picture... top one good, bottom one bad.

 

[offroadkid]

I was going to say you were probably going to find some tree debris in there! I see it a lot at work in customer's cars, except it's tiny oak leaves! They just build-up in the cowl at the base of the windshield and when the fresh air flap is opened, they get a chance to work their way into the HVAC box. One leaf/pine needle makes a bunch of noise!!

 

[ShottsUZJ100]

Ha...you're lucky. When I replaced mine it looked like a box/pile of dirt. We dropped it on the ground from about a foot and poof and ton of crap flew all over.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I haven't checked on the 100, but on my 80 there was a catch can on the bottom of the air filter box that would collect all kinds of crap. If the 100's got on, that'd be a good thing to dump too.

 

[jatman]

As mentioned above, I had found a leaf in mine, when I opened it up after hearing what I thought sounded like a bearing going out in the fan. I'll add that I accessed it only by removing the three screws in the fan motor assembly, I did not need to remove the glovebox door.

 

[Topmounter]

As mentioned above, I had found a leaf in mine, when I opened it up after hearing what I thought sounded like a bearing going out in the fan. I'll add that I accessed it only by removing the three screws in the fan motor assembly, I did not need to remove the glovebox door.

Yep, you don't need to remove the glove box. Some of the other threads suggested it. It might give you a tad bit more room to work or light, but that's about it.

 

[smm3]

Super, thanks... it was a pine needle. Now how did that get in there? And that power connector is crazy hard to unhook. And when replacing the glove box, be sure to make sure the screw is going in the right hole I accidentally threaded one side into the guide hole for the plastic nib :whoops: You can see the two holes in the upper left hand corner of the first picture... top one good, bottom one bad.

So can the blades be cleaned Easily or can you replace it? All my blades are very dusty and cleaning them with a Q tip is not how I want to spend an evening...

I didn't know if anyone had removed the blades from the base. I tried to pull on it but didn't want to break it.

 

[Topmounter]

Unless you have something really nasty stuff caked on the blades, then it should be no problem to wipe them down with a wet rag.

 

[Yotato]

I use a citrus cleaner on the blades and it works instantly.

 

[pkhart]

No leaf in mine, any other ideas of what could cause it? I felt around everywhere I could nothing felt loose.

 

[ntsaint]

No leaf in mine, any other ideas of what could cause it? I felt around everywhere I could nothing felt loose.

I just had this exact same issue. Fan motor was shot, had to replace.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[liveoak]

someone should make a screen for the top of the cowl that snaps right into the raised hole. it is not only open to a leaf or two, this is the main entrance for mice and rats. i live around many oak trees and unfortunately the acorns feed all kinds of varmits. they take the acorns and put them inside the fan. after i removed my fan i cut a metal screen a little bigger than the hole and carefully siliconed it up there on all three of my toyotas. i haven't had a mouse, acorn or leaf inside since.

 

[00N8]

I just had this exact same issue. Fan motor was shot, had to replace.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

How did you determine it was the fan motor?

 

[FJ62INTX]

I had a noisy fan when I bought my 2006 100 about a month ago.

I did the following the day after I brought it home.



I took mine down and found where someone had kicked it with a boot or something had hit the fan housing on the bottom and broken part of the plastic housing and the little metal retaining clip on the bottom of the shaft had come unseated off the shaft and was rubbing on the housing when it turned.

I clipped the retaining clip back where it was supposed to be, peeled back part of the broken plastic and shook out the rest of the broke plastic and reinstalled.

VOILA!

Nice and quiet fan...


and just think, that was one thing that got me a pretty sizable discount when I purchased it with this A/C fan noise.....



Also, thanks to this thread as a starter, I figured out that I didn't have cabin air filters, but I wanted them, so I have ordered the door and some filters to add this system to my rig soon.

 

[Texasknowhow]

I had to show everyone what was in mine. Crazy.

Was as easy as 1 2 3 to pull this out and clean the fan.

...via IH8MUD app

 

[Sandroad]

Here's my solution to the mouse in the fan problem. They get in via the gap on the edges of the black cowling directly under the hood hinges on the left and right side. I custom cut and bent a piece of 1/4 inch mesh heavy screen and fastened it down with a screw/washer. The mice can't get in but the water that runs off the cowling can get out. Most debris can flush through the screen too.

 

[adrenalinefjz80]

This made my day after reading this. Just went out to clean a tiny piece of bark between the fan blades to resolve the minor noise I've had for at least a year. It is whisper quiet now! Funny how the cheap easy fixes bring a smile just as the bigger more tedious items

 

[KlausVanWinkle]

Be sure to make sure the screw is going in the right hole .... top one good, bottom one bad.

That's what she said.

Thanks for this. Mine is making noise too.