Front Blower Squealing

[BillW]

I have a 2003 Pilot. Not to long ago my front blower motor started squealing and it sounded just like a dry or worn out bearing. The squealing volume varied with speed change but it squealed loudest at the 3, 4, & 5 speed settings.
I ordered a new one and installed it and I get the same exact noise maybe a bit louder. After about three days the noise stopped. In about two weeks the noise started up again but not as loud as when I first put it in. I mean it sounded just like a bearing. So, I emailed the company that I ordered it from and they sent a replacement. I installed it and guess what, yes the same identical noise and still more prevalent at the 3, 4, & 5 speeds. I thought now this is weird so I took it out and ran my hand around the entire chamber, as I did before, and nothing, not a thing. I ran the blower when it was out of the chamber and no squealing. I put it in the chamber and held it there and then turned it on and the squealing starts up again. I swapped the old one, not the original, with the new one and did the same thing and it still squeals. So now I am thinking that there is something in the car that is causing this but I am totally at a loss at to what is causing this.

Help please,
Bill

[rocky]

Any marks on the fan unit? Does it matter if you are on recirculate or outside air

Check around for debris at the cabin filter and if possible vacuum or blow air in there. Whatever causes the noise probably moved.

[BillW]

Thanks for the tips Rocky. I tried with the recirc on and off and makes no difference on the noise. I also put my hand up in the chamber and felt all around and there is nothing in there.
What is weird is after I discovered the replacement blower making noise I put in the first one that I bought and it still made the squealing noise which I expected. I left it in there and tested it Monday evening when the car was warm and nothing no noise at all except a slight noise in the #4 speed. I tested it yesterday morning when the car had cooled off and nothing except a slight noise in the #4 speed.
Today when it was around 15 degrees I tested it and there was a slight noise in the #4 & #5 speed. So I am pretty sure the noise is not coming from the blower but something else is causing the noise. The noise is coming from very near the blower but I cannot figure out where. The cabin filter is so far away from this blower but is it possible that the cabin filter is causing this?

Bill

[rocky]

I'm thinking that you have part of a mouse nest in there. While its never happened to me in the Pilot, my old off road truck suffered from mice building their nest into the fan.

Doesn't take much newspaper to unbalance the fan. The noise the fan makes when filled with paper varies with fan speed up to quite unpleasant.