Hey everyone, I'll try to keep this as short yet detailed as possible. My prius that I got about 1 1/2 years ago (2013 model) was making some noise. After conducting a few experiments I came to the conclusion it was the heat that was causing it. I removed the glovebox and lower plastic panel as well to see if it was actually the blower that was making the noise. And yup it was the blower. So now it's like 20 degrees outside and I haven't used the heat because I didn't want to blow something so gotta get this fixed ASAP. Like I mentioned glovebox and lower panel are open Ive removed 2 of the 3 screws necessary to remove the blower. So the problem lies with the 3rd screw. There is a plastic socket with wires that is preventing me from reaching the 3rd screw so I have to remove that socket. So I have a couple pictures and if any of you have any idea how I can remove this so I can access the blower motor please let me know. Pictures are attached. Also isn't it strange that the car isn't even 3 years old and the blower is giving me problems? <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=6tl26g" target="_blank"><img src="http://i64.tinypic.com/6tl26g.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=r2t3rp" target="_blank"><img src="http://i64.tinypic.com/r2t3rp.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> <a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2afkdg9" target="_blank"><img src="http://i67.tinypic.com/2afkdg9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> The last screw is behind that socket of wires UPDATE: There was a screw in the metallic plate that I was able to remove (huge pain) so the blower motor came out. Now that I have the blower motor I cannot tell what.was causing the noise. So I have attached pics of the motor along with the noise the car was making. If you have any ideas on what it could be let me know please as it is odd the motor is going out in such short time.
It wouldn't let me upload the video of the sound I'll try to get that up however when I removed the motor there was no debris or anything along those line. It was super clean. The only thing I noticed is the black marks around the edges of the blower motor...is that just normal wear and tear? Never really dealt with a motor blower issue and the initial removing of the blower took me around 3 hours just because couldn't find a proper guide for a newer Prius since this problem usually happens when the car is a bit older.
Drill a small hole close to the shaft insert wd 40 straw and spray . noise should go away.if not you need new motor
Things don't change much. Your pictures show a blower that's almost identical to the one in my 2002 Tacoma. The problems that I have had all relate to mice building nests in the blower and one of them died in there when the centrifugal force was too great. I found them on eBay for approx $35.
Where exactly would I drill the hole? On the blower itself? Yeah I'll try to see if there are more debris maybe where I can't see them. Also since I'm in canada my lucky self gets to pay around $100 for a blower motor
UPDATE: OK so there was nothing in the cabin where the blower motor was and there was nothing in the blower motor itself so I removed the cabin air filter and underneath it were some small pieces of paper that must of fell in there from my glovebox. I drive a lot in areas where there are annoying speed bumps so Im going to come to the conclusion the papers were knocked back and in some mysterious fashion ended up below the air filter. Which is also guarded by a flap that you have to remove. Thank you everyone for your replies.
Am I the only that thinks he should've gone to the dealer to troubleshoot a car that is fully under warranty?
Yeah that would be lovely lol. Only problem is I'm currently in canada for work for a bit. I dont think US cars are covered by canadian dealerships. Also that and I'm pretty sure I've exceeded my miles for the warranty (the 3 year 36,000) but not sure about the manufacturer warranty. Needless to say I didn't want to drive 10 hours to get my car checked. But hey at least I know how to replace my blower motor if it ever comes to that lol.
Haha, okay, that makes more sense. Goodness gracious, what if you had opened up interior body panels in a car known to have a lot of rattles and not fix the problem..... Oh wait, you'll find that out on your next trip.
I'm pretty sure the Canadian dealers will fix a US car under warranty, if it is still on warranty. I had a Subaru (Canadian) fixed in Flagstaff Az under warranty. Rear wheel bearing. But you found your problem! Great job. And as you said, you now know how to get in there and fix things! That's gold!
Hahahah gotta love lux Yeah I'm gonna definitely call and ask them to verify, it's good information to have lol
Tankyuong I am in the same situation. I've narrowed it down to a rusted shaft. The nozzle/metal tip is rusted. When I rotate by hand I can feel it drags uneven like a rusted shaft. When I roll it in cabin, while holding it in my hand, at time it runs ok, at time it whines and sketches with a low high pitch noise - just like a rusted piece grinding on plastic/glass (like nails on a chalkboard). The shaft insert, you mean the drilling should be done at the top of the cone? What about removing the electrical underneath and reaching for the shaft with WD40 from underneath through the spokes of the white blower wheel? The way this guy dismantled it in here: AC blower motor issues | PriusChat
