# Noise from heater fan



## UpstateNYCruze (Feb 26, 2013)

Has anyone noticed an odd noise when the heater is on the first setting?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Mine's dead quiet until I get to 4.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

mine sometimes makes a ticking sound on 1, quiet on all other settings.


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Nothing that strikes a odd tone or chime or ticking or beeping in IT that would give me pause to describe to others . How blessed I have been to report that you have an Isolated issue with the fan in your car and that it is functioning correctly.


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## blackonblack (Feb 22, 2013)

mine is a little loud, but just normal fan noise, nothing odd....just a little noisier than I expected.


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## UpstateNYCruze (Feb 26, 2013)

Exactly, it's a little ticking noise just on the first setting.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

UpstateNYCruze said:


> Exactly, it's a little ticking noise just on the first setting.


Yeah...very quiet though. I just figured it's turning really slowly.

It kinda sounds like when a wire is SLIGHTLY stuck in a computer CPU fan.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

I thought mine was making a ticking sound because I could hear it coming from below the right side of the dash. Then one day I noticed I could hear it and glanced over to the fan switch only to find it was off. The noise comes and goes but it's not very loud.


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## lifestyle18 (Jun 22, 2013)

Does anyone know what it is?
I hear it too but it goes away after a while. 


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

lifestyle18 said:


> Does anyone know what it is?
> I hear it too but it goes away after a while.


I figure its a leaf caught in the blower motor, or its the start of the blower motor bearing failure. Mine makes an annoying tick/squeak on fan speed 1 & slightly on 2, has for more than a year.


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Time to clean out that cabin air filter guys . Inspect , clean and replace those filters regularely is always a great idea ..that's Nice !


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

brian v said:


> Time to clean out that cabin air filter guys . Inspect , clean and replace those filters regularely is always a great idea ..that's Nice !


Mine made more noise once I replaced the filter, I swear I got all those **** leaves! Mine was 80% blocked with small leaves with 30K on my car in 1.5years. Now I will check every fall. 

My guess I missed one leaf and it dropped into the blower motor. Will have to take apart this spring and see whats going on.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

So far, not with the Cruze, but an age old problem and now a very expensive one. If I can turn back the clock to say 1974, GM MSRP on a blower motor was six bucks, but had screws to hold it together. For about 25 cents worth for new brushes, and a dime each for new bushings, could make it like new again. 

All welded together now to save on a couple of screws, and the squirrels cage to save on a nut or even a pal nut is hot welded on. So a throwaway item. Only lubrication is an oil wick that soon dries up. Two little oil holes could prevent this.

Least the Cruze has a cabin filter, use to call that squirrel cage a leaf chopper. But this does not block moisture that can gather on that POS CRS shaft that can rust like crazy, for what they charge for these things, should have used a stainless steel shaft. Then in cold weather that moisture freezes up locking up the shaft.

This was hazardous to my 92 DeVille when I had to leave it outside, left the thing in auto mode, started up the blower and blew out the PWM power MOSFET transistor. When I looked at it, was only a 25 ampere transistor, fuse is rated at 30 amps. Dealer wanted 250 bucks for a new one that would have the same exact problem. So for under three bucks designed my own that would never blow up.

View attachment 72241


This circuit can take up to a 400 amp surge current. Cruze is using the same kind of circuit, but not continuously variable, fixed at four speeds. The the idiot that wrote the program assumed speed was proportional to the percentage of duty cycle. Not even close if he had any brains. One reason why speeds 1-3 are so slow. I won't go into the math.

See the best price on the power MOSFET module is 110 bucks if it blows, not quite as bad as the DeVille, but for a three buck part, still way overpriced. For the price Chevy wants for that POS blower motor, can buy a 3 phase 1 HP industrial motor with balll bearings that can be lubricated for very long life. Though about this, but won't fit.

Feel their game is, if you have problems like this, want you to trade your vehicle off for a new one. All this stuff adds up quick. That six buck motor used machined pole pieces with a stator coil, replaced by a molded permanent magnet. Brush holders were solid brass, using thin tin now, so you wonder why you have problems. And super expensive ones at that.

Not ranting, just giving you cold hard facts.


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## nybble (Mar 30, 2014)

I had the same problem on my HHR (2010). Turned out to be the blower motor bearing wore out. It was replaced under my extended warranty, so no skin off my back.

I just picked up my cruze last week (2012 Eco), It's behaving exactly like the HHR did. Light noise on 1, and sometimes on 2 and fine on the rest, intermittently. Eventually (on the HHR atleast) it'll get noisy on all settings.

I'd recommend getting it checked out.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

#12 looks like not too complicated to remove, see it comes with the cage. Must heat welded on. Hope the stockholders are happy.


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