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Radiator Fan noise

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 4:30 am
by GDV
My 2006 Vibe is making a lot of noise that seems to be coming from the rad fan. Has anyone had issues with this before?

Thx

Re: Radiator Fan noise

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 6:08 am
by lannvouivre
With the car off, disconnect the fan motor electrical connector and turn the fan by hand. Inspect the inside of the shroud for damage or debris.

If the fan has excessive play or feels rough when you turn it, it's time for a new motor.

Re: Radiator Fan noise

Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2016 7:10 am
by GDV
The fan blades seem to have quite a bit lateral movement. The screws for the motor are very corroded, might have to replace the whole assembly?

Re: Radiator Fan noise

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2016 6:22 am
by lannvouivre
GDV wrote:The fan blades seem to have quite a bit lateral movement. The screws for the motor are very corroded, might have to replace the whole assembly?
Spray with some ATF (automatic trans fluid) and let it sit on them for a day or two without running the car. It works better than actual penetrating oils (and don't even bring up WD-40 because that stuff is meant to repel water and is terrible at everything else). ATF is highly flammable, so I wouldn't recommend getting it hot on a fan motor.

Getting the entire fan assembly on rockauto isn't so bad compared to a motor anyway. I'd probably recommend one from Four Seasons. I'm not sure if there's actually a difference between the manual and auto fan shrouds etc. The most I'd expect is mild trimming.