irritating squeal from air con

[john.errington]

My 2009 Octy 2 had a faulty resistor pack when I got the car.

Now that it has been replaced it produces an irritating intermittent squeak from the blower, which happens at all settings but is least obvious when the blower is full on.

I suspect either muck/leaves in the tubes or (worst case) fan bearings or motor brushes shot.

Can anyone advise me how I can remove the blower to clean it and/or try lubricating the bearings?

(OK or worst case replace the whole thing? and if so where do I get a new one at a sensible price?)

Thanks

[john.errington]

Answering my own question!

1: Remove glovebox

The following text is edited from this discussion:

http://www.briskoda....oving-glovebox/

Prepare:

Set the air con to recirculate, then turn off ignition and remove key. This prevents later problems with the airbag warning light.

When you remove screws they are all T20, but not all the same. Remember where they came from!

Remove the end panel, and single t20 screw.

Then the screws (2 T20's) from the bottom front edge,

then those (3) from the front top edge on the inside.

Jiggle the box til it comes loose.

Disconnect the connector from the glovebox light.

The AirCon pipe just pushes on (don't forget to reconnect it)

Disconnect the airbag switch cable by releasing the yellow clip.

NOTES:

Do not switch the ignition on until you've reconnected, otherwise it's a trip to the dealer (or someone with VagCom) to reset the airbag warning light.

Replacing the airbag switch connector is a pain - easy to get off impossible to get back on.

Remove the two screws holding the airbag switch, and reconnect the cable inside the glove box - then replace the airbag screws.

2: Gain access to blower and pollen filter

Remove the air flow pipe to the footwell (1 screw and pull off)

Remove 2 thumbscrews and remove plastic trim cover below the blower.

Now you should see this:

http://img803.images...94/frontltl.jpg

3: Remove blower motor and pollen filter

It looks like this from below:

http://img855.images...belowblower.jpg

Remove plug from blower motor housing. There are clips and its tight so take care.

Lift clip (near the connector) and rotate bottom of blower housing. Blower motor and fan come out downwards.

Pollen filter cover:

http://img818.images...780/belowpf.jpg

Slide pollen filter cover towards car door and carefully remove pollen filter.

Take both outside.

4: Clean everything

You can release the blower motor from its housing by pushing on the rubber clips that hold it in. Then use an airline to blow all the muck out from the motor.

I tried to put a drop of oil on the bearings - worth a try .

Blow out muck or use a vacuum cleaner and brush to clean the pollen filter (OK or get a new one)

Use a paper towel or damp cloth to clean out the tubes as far as you can reach.

Reinstall the motor in its housing.

5: Now put everything back.

Reinstall blower motor, pollen filter and cover

Reconnect the blower connector

Put the air flow pipe back (it just fits around the pipe behind the dash, and 1 screw)

Refit the plastic trim cover below the blower.

Refit the air con pipe, glovebox light and airbag switch connector (see above)

Refit glovebox screws

Clean up!

Edited 31 May, 2012 by john.errington

[Guest liverpoolphil]

great post

[john.errington]

Thanks Phil; unfortunately a month later the squeal has come back. At least its confirmed its the bearings. Just been told price new (main dealer) is £132. B***er!

[john.errington]

The code is 1K2 819 015 C

£95 from Andrew Page inc VAT.

Fitted 3/06/12 seems OK

Edited 3 July, 2012 by john.errington

[hell666]

Thanks John, you just saved me some money!

 

Had this problem yesterday where in the Blower Motor started making a grinding noise when turned on and the whole of the passenger side dashboard was lightly "vibrating". Sounded something like the motor was struggling to turn as something was holding it from doing so. Decided to get the dashboard off to inspect the cause. Everything was going fine when I got stuck trying to get the blower motor off. Then this post came to my rescue, as you have mentioned in point (3) of your post, was able to get it off by pushing the clips down and turning the motor.

 

Was shocked to see so much stuff stuck in the blades, thanks to rodents who have done this. The following pictures should give an idea on what was exactly happening here over time:

 

 

 

[DGW]

That's an incredible volume of debris in the fan! How will you prevent it happening again?

[dannemare]

Wow, that's insane!

[hell666]

That's an incredible volume of debris in the fan! How will you prevent it happening again?

 

Regular clean-up I guess now that I know what's exactly happening and what to expect!

 

I wonder if this is a part of the check-list for a yearly scheduled service though, shouldn't it be?

[DGW]

Have rodents destroyed your car's dust and pollen filter - which is due replacement every 60,000km or after 2 years, whichever comes first - since that should have stopped those bits getting into the blower fan?

[hell666]

Have rodents destroyed your car's dust and pollen filter - which is due replacement every 60,000km or after 2 years, whichever comes first - since that should have stopped those bits getting into the blower fan?

 

No, I checked the filter while the motor was off and it was perfectly alright. As a matter of fact, the filter is changed every 1 year when the car goes in for its scheduled service.

 

I guess air that is sucked in first goes through this motor and then to the filter, that's why the filter is clean as most of the bits were stopped right here at the motor itself.

[DGW]

I live and learn. I would have hope that the filter protected the motor. However, having read other posts about leaves etc getting into the fan, I should have realised I was wrong. What have the rodents chewed in the engine compartment, or have they introduced the debris from elsewhere?

[hell666]

Part of it and majorly is debris from outside sucked inside, while the rest seems to be some kind of cushion behind the dash, probably to seal some thing, but not sure though.

[ISKODA]

My question is:  it is possible to directly remove the blower motor (as instructed in point 3) without Opening the glovebox (point1) and Gaining access (point 2).

 

I opened the 2 thumbscrews and removed the cover, so I opened / cleaned the pollen filter and I can see the fan as shown on the pics.

 

If it is possible please explain how to remove the fan cover in order to clean it.