Blower Motor Issues

[Ronald Platt JR]

A couple of months back the blower motor on my 2016 EL XLT would go to high speed setting and after a little while it would become loud and the air flow would reduce. I have been using the speed setting one notch below the highest setting and have been successful with air. That all stopped this week and I am now experiencing the same issue on ALL settings. I went to the local NAPA and grabbed a resistor after doing research for weeks. Pulled the resistor and installed the new one tonight and no change. I changed that back and went to the blower motor. I pulled the blower motor and found a piece of plastic stuck in the air channel and three little pieces of round packing foam. Cleaned everything up and plugged the motor in and positioned it so that I could test out of its position under the dash. No issues during the test and I thought all was good. I put it back in place and experienced the same issue of reduced air flow and loud motor again. I took the motor back out a second time and positioned again and tested for a longer period of time and numerous tests at different speeds, no issues again. I grabbed my little snake camera that I got for cheap and began looking around in the hole where the blower motor was removed. I noticed a lot of debris such as leaves and other normal yard debris on top of a screen. This particular year does not have the cabin air filter due to Ford being cheap I guess. Here is my current dilemma, how in the world do I clean the debris that is on the top side of the screen? Anyone else have similar issues with blower motors that make this loud racket? I saw one post of a person that removed a bag from the screen but not sure how that was done. The screen is not directly above the blower motor but off to the side.

 

[stamp11127]

Welcome to the site. The fresh air intake is usually around the bottom of the windshield passenger side. You should see a form of grating on the plastic cover there.

 

[Ronald Platt JR]

How do I get to it? I looked everywhere and cannot seem to find it.

 

[stamp11127]

Don't know, my access to the software manuals is only during the week. If the blower motor is installed you can run it on the highest setting while listening to it outside. That should give you at least a general area it is pulling the air from.

 

[Ronald Platt JR]

I will post some videos with sound later of the blower motor working on all settings while not installed. I also have video of the part installed and the racket it makes once it is installed.

 

[Ronald Platt JR]

 

[Ronald Platt JR]

 

[Ronald Platt JR]

Here are the videos of the blower motor uninstalled and installed. Should illustrate the difference well.

 

[stamp11127]

Take the motor loose, hold it in place but slightly out of the plenum box. Run the fan at whatever speed you feel safe with. If the sound goes away, the end of the squirrel cage is hitting something in the box. If not then the blades may be hitting something. Mirror time.

 

[Ronald Platt JR]

I adjusted the squirrel cage by pressing it slightly further down on the spindle. That did the trick. Still would like to clean out the debris but that is my last worry right now.