Whistling Heater!

[Robbo149 0]

Hi all, the heater on my '93 VR has started making a loud whistling noise (canary style!) it only does it on low speeds (1 & 2) & seems to clear up at higher speeds. Can't appreciate my choons with it on! is there a simple fix or do I need a new heater motor? If so, is it a buggery job to replace?!

 

Cheers.

[Henny 0]

new fan time... the bearings in the fan motors die, and play an annoying tune as their final swansong... :roll:

 

Fortunately they're not mega bucks 'cos they're the same as the MKII Golf... 8) (about £55)

 

They're also pretty easy to change (about 30 mins if you've not done one before, 20 if you have ;) )

 

There's a description HERE on how to do it... 8)

[dubster82 0]

OR, you could lube up your old bearings for free...

 

HTH

[Blair 0]

If you lube the bearings you might get a bit more life out of it (if you can be bothered :) ). Mine had been whistling a few months before dying. If you're planning on keeping the car more than a few months though, it's less hassle all round to just change it now - you'll have to do it anyway, and the chances of the new one going before you sell the car are about the same as the chances of you still owning it in 2015 :)

[dubster82 0]

go on then, why would it only last a couple of months? :roll:

[Henny 0]

go on then, why would it only last a couple of months? :roll:

 

'cos they're squeeking now which means that the bearings/bushes are already worn...

The grease that you put in will just act as packing around the bearing/bush making the fan's shaft spin properly with no vibrations... Problem is that as soon as the grease starts to thin out, (which it will do as soon as it gets warm) you'll get vibrations in the shaft which will make the squeeking noise and make the fan motor inefficient again... 8)

 

The only time that grease would have helped is just BEFORE the bearing started to squeek... unfortunately that's when you think that everything's fine with it... :| :roll:

 

I tried the packing with grease method on my old MKII Gti, and it lasted all of about 6 hours of use before the squeeking was back again... A quick trip to a local breakers yard and £4 later, the fan was working again until after I sold the car... 8)

[dubster82 0]

winner

 

so best bet is to get one thaat doesnt squeek and lube that up then?

[Henny 0]

winner

 

so best bet is to get one thaat doesnt squeek and lube that up then?

 

On the nose... 8) Spoke to the guy who's got my old GTI and the second hand fan's still going strong 2.5 years later... shame the engine's had to have a complete rebuild... :roll: (due to him running it without oil, nothing to do with me having owned it, before anyone starts! ;) :lol: )

[Robbo149 0]

Thanks for the swift responses guys, I too thought it might be a dash off job! Glad to hear it's not too bad. I'll have a bash at the weekend.

 

Cheers.

[Blair 0]

Just some hints for you...

 

- The only tools you need are a philips screwdriver (for removing the undertray). A flat-headed screwdriver would be useful for leverage, and a torch VERY useful :)

 

- Before you can twist & remove the motor, there's a plastic lug you need to lift over a plastic "ramp". It's on almost exactly the opposite side of the motor from you - you'll probably need a torch to see it. Just lift that up and twist the motor at the same time - if you can see the lug and "ramp" it's obvious which way to twist it out.

 

- Remember to keep the resistor pack - the thing the cable plugs into. Sheer brute force (and the use of a screwdriver as a lever) seems to be the order of the day for removing it from the old one :)

 

- Put something down on the interior carpets etc. as if your motor is anything like mine, a lot of crap will fall out of it when you take it out.

[Robbo149 0]

Oooooooh, what luck!...

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... egory=9889

 

Thanks Blair, it's always useful to have detailled instructions from someone who's actually done the job.

[Blair 0]

No problem :)

 

As for the ebay item - that's the one!

 

Nice - it's still got the resistor pack so you don't need to faff about with that. It's still worth keeping the old one though just in case, they're about £20 new...! :)