Blower motor keeps going bad

[wallyuwl]

The blower motor bearings keep going bad in my 2003 Vibe.

In all instances the blower still works(ed), but it chirps because (presumably) the bearings have gone bad. I've been through four of them in five years (OEM and Factory Air brand).

I think it is a voltage problem or something of the sort.

Might a new blower motor resistor be what it needs?

It is $30 from Rock Auto and then I'd warranty out (again) the Factory Air blower motor and start from scratch with both parts.

Thoughts?

 

[Quest]

are they denso, mitsubishi or remy?

If denso or mitsu, get a close to OEM replacement as possible. If it's remy,you don't have much option.

I've never have any failures on densos or mitsu so far (been driving for over 22+yrs) all my blowers are OE on 1st or 2nd hand cars and never been serviced/replaced (other than pulling stuck debris in the squirrel cage).

BTW: your blowers run on oilite bushings and not bearings. It's the commutator brush that's causing all the squeaks and not the bushing itself.

Q.

 

[PRND3L]

Have you read up on this issue on genvibe? It is common apparently. There's a lot of info. there, incl. pictorial walk-thrus.

Consensus is that vibe blower motors and resistors are NOT interchangeable with the Matrix.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
The blower motor bearings keep going bad in my 2003 Vibe.

In all instances the blower still works(ed), but it chirps because (presumably) the bearings have gone bad. I've been through four of them in five years (OEM and Factory Air brand).

I think it is a voltage problem or something of the sort.

Might a new blower motor resistor be what it needs?

It is $30 from Rock Auto and then I'd warranty out (again) the Factory Air blower motor and start from scratch with both parts.

Thoughts?


How would a voltage issue or broken speed resistors cause dry bearings in your blower motor? I can almost guarantee they're oilite bronze bushes and not proper roller bearings too.

If it were a voltage issue you'd probably also be blowing fan fuses or noticing flickering lights and such. Were the resistors bad it wouldn't work on low speed settings and only on high speed. IMO those dogs won't hunt.

If you really want to be thorough, pull out the blower motor & lube the bushes. See if that makes it quiet. If so, open it up and install remote lube fittings so you can give them a shot of oil once in a while.

How often are you replacing the cabin filter?

 

[mechtech2]

An old school trick is to drill a small hole in the end of the stamped steel housing and squirt some oil in the bushing, then plug it or seal it.. You don't really want any on the brushes!

But a new blower every year is nonsense. Something is terribly wrong with the parts.

 

[wallyuwl]

Thanks for the genvibe tip. I searched the site and while blower related problems are common on there, noone seems to be having teh same problem I'm having. Well one did, but no solution was mentioned.

We got it in Oct. 2005. In Dec. 2006 the bm had to be replaced. Nine months later it started making noise, we got it replaced under warranty (both OEM). Ten months later, it chirped again and I got and put in a Factory Air unit. Three months later it chirped. I let it go for a while then replaced it under warranty. Three months later the new one chirped. It's been in there chirping over a year.

So... I'm wondering what else I can try that might fix the problem with all these going bad? The Factory Air don't seem as well made as the OEM, so it makes sense they are going bad sooner. But ALL of these parts can't be bad, something has to be making them go bad. That is what I'm trying to resolve.

I don't now if a resistor replacement would do it or not since all the fan speed settings work fine.

 

[mopar_monkey]

does this car have a pollen/cabin filter? i've seen blower motors go bad due to a clogged pollen filter, could be working the motor to hard and or letting dust and other particles through simply because it can't hold anymore, just a thought.

 

[wallyuwl]

I check the cabin air filter every six months or so, and if it has junk in it (bugs, etc.) I dump those out. When it gets dirty to the point I think air flow would be restricted I replace it. I actually just put a new one in a few weeks ago.

I think the problem is electrical, I just don't know exactly what it could be. And if it is worth replacing the blower motor resistor since usually the fan only works on high when these go bad and all the speeds work, it just chirps.

 

[Quest]

Originally Posted By: wallyuwl

I don't now if a resistor replacement would do it or not since all the fan speed settings work fine.


Resistor pack is to drop the voltage (so that you can have low speed) for the blower fan. It's passive meaning that other than dropping the voltage for your blower motor, it has no moving components in itself to contribute to the "chirp".

Simply focus on blower motor itself (that's the primary culprit) and get another one if possible (I don't go with reman in this case for their quality has always been spotty/poor in my case).


Q.

 

[wallyuwl]

Thanks for the advise guys.

I did not get a resistor and just got another Factory Air blower motor like was in there before from AAP because since they have a lifetime warranty so I got a replacement for free. I've had OEM and reman. and both go bad, so I'm not going to pay for one that will probably go bad anyway.

Anyway, the motor itself was closed off with a riveted piece on one end and a welded piece on the other - no way to open it up. So, I took off the wheel and sprayed some white lithium grease in there through the holes around the axis of rotation, trying my best to avoid the copper coil material.

For now, all is fine. We'll see how things are in a few months, though.

BTW: I also greased the garage door and it is smooth as can be now.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
Anyway, the motor itself was closed off with a riveted piece on one end and a welded piece on the other - no way to open it up.


I personally own the rare, magic tools used for defeating the nefarious enemies of engineers everywhere: 'welds' and 'rivets'. These rare, magic tools are known as 'angle grinder', 'drill' and the dimunitive 'Dremel with grinding stones & cutoff wheels'.

 

[CBR.worm]

Could the squirrel cage be off balance? Causing bearing failure over time?

 

[meep]

everyone ignored the commutator comment above. They can squeak.

If you drill the rivets to split the case, reassembly can be done with buts & bolts on some designs. however, 1 you have to fidget lots with the brushes for reassembly, 2 you have to get the 2 halves line up just right or it'll bind.

Could be premature brush wear in the design, in whcih case there's not much you can do, unless you can mod a different motor to fit.

M