heater blower motor noise help!

[bradjh]

It is about 9degrees here and my blower motor just started making this whining noise like it needs a new belt or something, no matter what fan speed altough on 1 it stops making noise some times, very annoying it is the black box on the far left near the windsheild you can hear it out side of truck...

[HenryJ]

More than likely you are in need of a new blower motor. The bushings get dry and loose. Sometimes you can use compressed air to clean things out and get it to work for a while with a little lubricant, but when you are in far enough to remove the squirrel cage fan, you might as well install a new one.

There is an outside chance that you could have something rubbing the fan, but not very likely according to your description.

[blaz]

Could be ice or snow also, but Brule is probably right as usual!

[bradjh]

Thats what i was thinking how do i replace that and or clean it? Is it something i can get at advance or autozone or do i need to go to gm? Is it hard to replace the blower motor?

I dont think it is from ice or snow...

thanks.

[HenryJ]

You should be able to buy one from any auto parts store. There will probably not be a huge difference in quality. Sadly they are all cheap overseas manufactured units now. I saw little difference between what NAPA sells and the AC Delco unit.

There was a really good thread on replacing the heater core around here. I am sure that will show the heater housing pretty well. It is not going to be hard, but the wires and the PCM are not exactly going to make things easy.
Open your hood and you will see the blower motor right behind the PCM half under the fender.

[roadrunner]

Don't know if the noise is exactly the same as the one you are having but I had similar noises coming from my heater a while back. Later the noise quit but my driver's side defroster didn't seem to want to work right. Very little air-flow and the dash panel and radio got almost too hot to touch when defroster was on for long periods of time. Thought I was going to have to dis-assemble the dash and do the nasty heater repair thing. Started to take all apart and for some reason decided to look down the defroster outlets. Probably desperation to prevent dreaded work. Lo and behold I saw my problem there. Lodged in the duct was a piece of foam rubber about 3"x4"x1/4" with a sticky backing that had lost its stickem. Apparently from somewhere down inside the heater housing possibly off a blend door. I popped the defroster grille out only to find I couldn't reach the foam with my longest needle nose pliers and don't currently have a cable operated parts grabber. Remembered after coming home from the hospital they gave me all the tools and extra bandages not used while I was there and among them was a long thin hemostat. PERFECTO!!! Foamectomy completed and defroster function fully restored! One side note the only way you can peer down those vents is with a good flashlight down through the windshield from the outside and you'd have to have really long arms or a helper to be able to remove the foam other than by "feel" since your head won't fit there. Perhaps in retrospect I could've used a mechanics mirror while grabbing the foam. 2020 hindsight I guess. Anyway problem solved!

[PATRICKH]

Got the noise too, mine almost sounds like a cricket.

[JaVeRo]

I replace one a few months ago. I had to remove the computer far enough to get the coolant reservoir tank out. You will need a 1/4" wobble joint. Getting the bottom screws back in were the hardest part.

James

[bradjh]

do you need to drain the coolant out of the system to take overflow tank out? which is best replacement to use?

[bradjh]

JaVeRo Can you give me a step by step on how to replace blower motor please?

[JaVeRo]

It has been 2-3 months since I did it but I can give you what I remember.

You don't have to drain the radiator. Since it is a closed system just disconnect the hose between the reservoir tank and the radiator. If you disconnect the tank end, be careful not to break the nipple. It is pretty flimsy and seems to deteriorate from the heat. You may be better off splitting the hose to remove it from the tank and replace the hose.

The computer is bolted to the top of the tank. Nuts are molded into the tank to hold it. Remove the bolts holding down the computer and shift it enough to get to the bolts holding the tank. If I remember right, I kept the computer connected and removed the tank while holding the computer up out of the way. I think there were a couple of other things that I unplugged like the AC pressure switch. While the tank is out, I would clean it out and refill with fresh fluid after you remount it.

You will need a 1/4" ratchet, extensions, and a wobble joint to get the fan screws out. There is nothing complicated about it, just awkward getting to the screws. Look at your new fan to see the screw locations. There was one I could not see, had to feel for it.

Put it back in the same way.

James