Hey guys,

My 97 328i interior fan starts making noise after a couple minutes of use. It also appears at various blower speeds. I can get it to go away for a little while by adjusting the fan speed higher or lower but then it usually returns and I get annoyed and just shut it off. I'm thinking that it's probably the fan blade but I guess it could be the blower motor as well.
Any ideas would be appreciated!

Cna you be a little more specific than "noise"? ;)

I guess it's kind of a tapping or clicking noise. Hope that helps...

fan motor bearings?

You could have some leaves or soemthing caught in the air duct that have made their way to where the fan is. You're not going to know unless you take it apart and see for yourself.

In my car, you hear this clunking noise as soon as the fan starts and when I shut it off. I really do not know if it is some kind of bearing or loose thing that needs to be lubricated/tightened. Any ideas on this? The noise mentioned above sounds identical to mine.

Um well this sounds like something different. When you start the a/c, sometimes (if not always) some kind of duct gate or something opens up and then closes when you shut it off. I hear that kind of thing happen all the time. It's the sound of something working, not something breaking.

Well, ok I will observe this noise issue a little more and see if I can be more descriptive about it. But, it seems like you are right on. I only wish that the starting and stoping of the fan, with or without utilizing the A/C, was a little smoother. Thanks.

Well, you can take the fan out, put 12V to it and see if it's the thing making the racket.

Ok, I get the same noise and know it is the bearings on the blower motor. I have a 97 M3 and we have the exact same problem.

It sometimes gets worse on hard turns or heavy braking/acceleration. Basically, any movement that will make the blower motor twist at all and put more pressure on the bearings.

Now to my question, how do you get to the blower motor? I found a writeup on an E30 and you get to it from in the engine bay under the wipers, is it the same on an E36, or does the entire dash have to come out? Can I get to it by taking out the glovebox and somehow pulling it out from there? This may be asking a lot, but does anyone have a writeup or general directions on how to remove it?

The part is expensive at around $200, but if for a typical DIY, is it realistic to replace? The noise really sucks at times, and does not exist at others. Thanks.

The blower motor comes out from under the windshield, like the E30. Its a pretty easy installation in my bentley. The bitch is the part itself, it costs a shitload.

Larry

Seriously, so if I remove the shroud below the windshield, I should be able to get to the motor? It just doesn't look like there is enough room to get something in there. I will poke at it when it starts getting really bad.

Can you buy new bearings?