Just in case someone has the same issue, I figure I would provide a my blower fan fiasco.
About a month ago, I replaced my cabin air filter and decided to try the lifetime K&N filter. It cost about the same as an OEM filter, so I figured I’d save money by cleaning and reusing it instead of buying replacements. The airflow from the vents seemed stronger, but the blower fan was also a LOT louder. It made an annoying roaring noise at the higher fan speeds. I thought I might have installed the filter incorrectly, so I removed it and checked the fitment. Everything looked fine, but the noise continued. I called K&N and spoke with a technician. They offered to send me a replacement because they had never heard of this issue, but I decided to return it and go back to an OEM filter.
I installed the OEM filter - and the roaring noise was still there!
At that point, I assumed the blower motor was beginning to fail and scheduled an appointment to bring the truck to the dealer the following Monday.
Over the weekend, I decided to investigate further. I removed the cabin filter and ran the blower at different speeds. When I switched it from low to off, I heard a faint clicking sound as the fan slowed to a stop. I pulled the blower motor to inspect it, and it’s a good thing I did! There were two acorns inside the blower fan that must have fallen in when I removed the original filter. I doubt that would have been covered under warranty!
How in the world did acorns get past the air-intake screen?
Needless to say, the blower fan is quiet again. For future filter changes, I made a cardboard cutout the same size as the filter. Not sure it will work, but I plan to slide it underneath the filter before removing it so it catches any debris sitting on top and prevents anything from falling into the blower fan again.
About a month ago, I replaced my cabin air filter and decided to try the lifetime K&N filter. It cost about the same as an OEM filter, so I figured I’d save money by cleaning and reusing it instead of buying replacements. The airflow from the vents seemed stronger, but the blower fan was also a LOT louder. It made an annoying roaring noise at the higher fan speeds. I thought I might have installed the filter incorrectly, so I removed it and checked the fitment. Everything looked fine, but the noise continued. I called K&N and spoke with a technician. They offered to send me a replacement because they had never heard of this issue, but I decided to return it and go back to an OEM filter.
I installed the OEM filter - and the roaring noise was still there!
At that point, I assumed the blower motor was beginning to fail and scheduled an appointment to bring the truck to the dealer the following Monday.
Over the weekend, I decided to investigate further. I removed the cabin filter and ran the blower at different speeds. When I switched it from low to off, I heard a faint clicking sound as the fan slowed to a stop. I pulled the blower motor to inspect it, and it’s a good thing I did! There were two acorns inside the blower fan that must have fallen in when I removed the original filter. I doubt that would have been covered under warranty!
How in the world did acorns get past the air-intake screen?
Needless to say, the blower fan is quiet again. For future filter changes, I made a cardboard cutout the same size as the filter. Not sure it will work, but I plan to slide it underneath the filter before removing it so it catches any debris sitting on top and prevents anything from falling into the blower fan again.
