What’s behind this vent making a noise?

It sounds like a fan is behind there and a bearing is real bad. Or like there’s a dry leaf in there. What could it possibly be? As you can see, punching it did not help (it started with light taps and escalated quickly). Got a new vent assembly (used) shipped to me off a buddies parts car but havnt tore it apart yet to see what’s inside there. Is this a common thing?

fouillard13 said:

It sounds like a fan is behind there and a bearing is real bad. Or like there’s a dry leaf in there. What could it possibly be? As you can see, punching it did not help (it started with light taps and escalated quickly). Got a new vent assembly (used) shipped to me off a buddies parts car but havnt tore it apart yet to see what’s inside there. Is this a common thing?

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I know you hear it at the vent, and it sounds like it's inside of it, however, everything electrical is under and behind it.
The duct could simply be vibrating against the 13 hole relay holder, a relay could be hanging and not in the holder. The back of the fuse box could be open and rattling against it also.
I would pull the lower dash and start the car to get it to vibrate and feel around pushing things slightly to see if I can get it to stop.
I have a rattle in my dash and will be diagnosing this weekend.

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Sorry. I forgot to mention it only does it on 3 or 4 setting (high fan). It sounds like a bad bearing. Higher the fan is the higher the sound is. And it’s coming from right in that vent. Guess I gotta pop it off and See. I’ll try to video it.

fouillard13 said:

punching it did not help (it started with light taps and escalated quickly

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this is your typical VW owner

If it sounds like a bad fan bearing, it probably is. It stands to reason that the sound would be carried through the duct along with the air to bring the sound to you.

My question is: what does it sound like from the passenger seat? Are those other ducts open to let air/sound through? Give it a shot and see if the sound is there as well. It may be that the fan needs replacing. Or, like others are saying, there is something loose and vibrating with increased airflow.

Good luck chasing it down, and please return to post the end fix.


Cheers,

PH

Powder Hound said:

If it sounds like a bad fan bearing, it probably is. It stands to reason that the sound would be carried through the duct along with the air to bring the sound to you.

My question is: what does it sound like from the passenger seat? Are those other ducts open to let air/sound through? Give it a shot and see if the sound is there as well.
Good luck chasing it down, and please return to post the end fix.


Cheers,

PH

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Agreed, I had a Tacoma with a bearing that would squeak until it warmed up. Could shoot some graphite dry lube spray and hit the bearings as best as you can, might work.
I never did anything other than turn it up, or down, until it stopped.

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sounds like something stuck in the fan cage, or duct work.

fouillard13 said:

https://youtu.be/x9CaIxtjqPs

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Really sounds like something is stuck in the duct work flapping in the air blowing through. Tape most likely, from the plasticy sound I heard.

Not really much I know to do other than pull it apart until you find it without a camera to go down the duct work. Definitely could be bad bearings, however, that's not what I hear in that video.

Video sounds like wind blowing into the recorder. My first thought was a loose piece of foam insulation that hasn’t completely broken loose. I’ve had some get stuck and make a whistling noise.
One idea could be to crank the fans on high and occasionally take the vent covers off and stick a shop vac in the holes until sorted. If the fans are caught up on something the shop vac assist might set the fan bearing noise back to normal.
Or just tap it gradually becoming more vigorous as needed until the noise ceases. It may take more tapping then seems reasonable, but the noise will stop eventually.
I think opening it up to see what’s happening would be good, but the vacuum assist has helped me.

why not pull the fan and see if it is working, might find some fod in the area.

Something could of gotten past the cabin filter and is hitting the fan just a thought before total tear down good spot to squirt some lube too

Still at work. Still being annoyed by this random sound. Usually keep the fan on 2 or less or keep it on feet mode so it doesn’t make the sound. Gonna pop the vent off and just keep violently ripping stuff off until I find what’s making the sound next week. Will report back.

Drop the bottom of the fan housing and take a look. It can be accessed on the passenger side... seems there are three 8mm head screws holding it. The fan speed resistor is part of that bottom cover....... just unplug and move at of the way.

You can also remove the cabin filter and look inside with a light...