Good News...Bad News... Recirculation motor

[flyboyron]

Well first, I would like to say thanks to those who helped post information on how to fix the clicking noise in the dash when we turn the Recirculation button to off.

Today, I decided to tackle the job on my wife's 04 Vibe.

I did as the Chilton manual says and disconnected the battery cable and the CIG fuse. I then took the glove box out. I found the motor and felt around and by also looking at pictures posted here I found the two screws that needed to come out. I looked at the electrical connection and couldn't determine how the plug came off, but thought I could remove the motor and then see it better.
The bottom screw, I used a 5.5mm socket and turned it with my hand and removed it. It was not that tight. The top screw, I did the same thing only this screw was a little tighter and it really took me awhile longer to get it out. My hands are considered small, but they barely fit up in there. I did not take the radio or anything else apart, only the glove box.

Now in 1997 I broke my back so sitting on the door threshold and twisting to look up inside the glove box hole was difficult for me. I took a blanket and laid it on the door sill to help give me something to sit on. Also twisting on the front drivers floor to look up under the dash and get to the interior fuses was not easy for me either. Sometimes I wonder why I still do this kind of work.

After I got the motor loose I then saw how the electrical connector was to be removed and got that off and also disconnected the big white connector to be able to move the wire harness out of the way.
I removed the motor and opened it up and sure enough there was a broken tooth on the white wheel. So I turned it 180 degrees and put it back together.

When I went to install the motor, I put the lower screw in first and snugged it up so the top hole would be aligned correctly.

As I was attempting to install the top screw, it dropped and is no where to be found.

As I got my magnetic telescoping tool and was looking for the screw, I got an emergency phone call that my brother was in ICU and was not expected to live the next 24 hours, so I had to get the car back together as it was so my wife could drive it.

So I tightened up the lower screw with a small ratchet tighter than hand tight so I didn't strip the plastic and installed the glove box and the fuse, and the battery cable.

The car does not make the noise anymore and we rushed off to the hospital.

My concern now is that it looks like it will be ok with one screw, so should I leave it or should I get another screw (or 3 or 4) and give it another try at putting in the top screw. The motor is tight, and it does have those plastic pins to keep it from moving so I think it might be ok.

What you guys think?

[joatmon]

Sorry to hear about your brother


Sounds like you got plenty of other things going on. I'd say just leave it and worry about it only if it acts up again