Leaves in vent fan

[idloveaguinness]

Hi all......so, I have leaves in my vent fan. I wonder if that was as a result of me changing the cabin filter and some snuck through as I put the new one in.

I pulled the glovebox as in the cabin filter change instructions to see if I could figure out where this noise was happening and discovered:

To the right of the black housing that contains the cabin filter is another black housing that contains the fan. Towards the top of this housing is a foam filter panel that I "poked" inwards with a finger (oops...it was too easy, but is still attached at the top) and can see inside. The fan (hampster wheel type) is on it's side and there are leaves and shredded paper sitting in it (picture a bowl with leaves in it). As a result, the speed of the air leaving the vents isn't what it should be (of course) and it's quite noisy. (hold a playing card to the spokes of a moving bicycle wheel and you get the idea).

Now what? It looks like that I could potentially remove three screws underneath this housing and drop the fan and it's contents out....but I wanted to know if anyone had a procedure for doing this. Also - is there a way to re-attach that little panel I 'poked"? Perhaps once the fan is out?

Please help!
THANKS!!!

Kevin

[idloveaguinness]

One more request....can someone with a service manual post the pertinent pages, please?

Thanks much,
K-

[smurray]

I'd be interested in this as well. I have something in my vent but not sure where it's coming from. I'd remove the fan if it's as simple as you describe it may be.

[Rapid Rob]

That "foam filter panel" that you poked open is the rec. door. Instead of poking it you can turn the key on, select rec. & the door will open. Might be a safer option than risking damage to the rec. door motor.

Sholudn't be a problem to take the wiring out of the way, unscrew the blower & drop it out as an assembly.

While the glove box is out, operate the rec. button (key on) to make sure it's still working.

[idloveaguinness]

Originally posted by Rapid Rob
That "foam filter panel" that you poked open is the rec. door. Instead of poking it you can turn the key on, select rec. & the door will open. Might be a safer option than risking damage to the rec. door motor.

Sholudn't be a problem to take the wiring out of the way, unscrew the blower & drop it out as an assembly.

While the glove box is out, operate the rec. button (key on) to make sure it's still working.

This sounds promising - thanks for the reply....but silly question: what is 'rec.'?

Thanks,
Kevin

Edit: I just had to check my suspicion that 'rec.' meant recirculate.....and yep, it is, of course. I performed a highly scientific test of whether or not I busted it by opening the glove box, turning the fan on and testing its operation....by the increasing noise of the fan with the button pressed, I'd say I have a working rec door. Will try removing the assembly tomorrow and report back.
K-

[ictvuser]

Originally posted by idloveaguinness
One more request....can someone with a service manual post the pertinent pages, please?

Thanks much,
K-

For more information, see the following thread Blower Fan Access for debris removal. I would recommend removing the kick plate panel to give you more room to work with.

Another option is if your vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment with adjustable suction, get 1-2 feet of 1/2-3/4 inch clear flexible vinyl tubing (like the type used for fish tanks) at your Home Supply store. Use duct tape to attach it to the end of the vacuum cleaner hose attachment and try to create a seal. Get a paper clip and straight it out and tape it to the other end of the tube - such that you can bend the end of the tube and the paper clip will help keep the shape. The tube should be kept as short as necessary to work with and start the vacuum on the lowest suction.

An alternative is to go with a larger tube (e.g., 1 inch) and attach a PVC elbow at the other end (e.g., the type used in water supply lines).

[idloveaguinness]

Thanks for the reference!! Funny how I characterized the fan as a "Hampster wheel on its side" like another poster in that thread. I'm going to have to drop the fan due to the amount and size of the debris - there are also LARGE strips of paper in there as well. Wonder if a mouse found its way in there......will take pics.

Thanks much folks,
K-

[jl_ss]

Originally posted by idloveaguinness
Wonder if a mouse found its way in there......will take pics.

Not uncommon: Link

[idloveaguinness]

WOW. Mice it is. After 2.5 hours (including a trip to 7-11 to get a 22 oz bud to calm my nerves and some unrelated items) of messing around with this, I am simply too exhausted to post pics.

Here are the cliff notes:

Those three screws that look like will drop out the fan assembly do just that. Easily. Whether or not you have changed the pollen filter, you can do this. It is extremely easy. I rate this a 2 on the 1 - 10 scale of difficulty. The only tough part is one of the screws don't give you too much room to work....no biggie with a stubby phillips or a hex ratchet.

I pulled out the fan and found all kinds of crazy stuff, total mouse nest.....so I removed the glovebox to access that panel referred to above. I broke the panel where the servo linkage attaches to it. PS - Crazy Glue wont work on whatever type of plastic this is made of (see 7-11 trip) So, since I NEVER use the recirculate function, I used packing tape to tape the door in place. Hack job, yes, I know. I will revisit this if someone can tell me how / if I can replace that door. It looks like it will be no big deal - it dropped right out.

So, when I get the door out, I notice another door on the far side of the 'box' the fan goes into. I start playing around with the recirculate function while I can see inside, and I notice that when the door is closed, there are about TWO HUNDRED little bite marks in it that removed little chunks of insulating foam. (the pics are priceless - will post in a day or so). I hate mice.

OK - not so Cliff notes. Sidebar: "If I did it..."?!?!? WTF!

Thats it. Moral if the story - if you have something caught in there that is making noise, drop the fan assembly and in minutes you'll have it cleaned out. Forget the vacuum rig. This is wasier. My problems were compounded / time increased by the fact that I broke the recirc. door and went to 7-11.

Thanks to all for the help that got me this far. Ill ask again....any advice on that door? Think I'll have a problem with that tape in place? It doesn't seem to have any detrimental effect with the blower going and the recirc activated.

Regards,
K-

[rocky]

As soon as I read paper, I knew it was mice. Had that problem in my off road truck several times a year, while it was parked in my garage. Now that it lives in my barn or outside I no longer have the problem. They liked the hamster wheel fan, as well as the bottom of the V in the V8

If your Pilot is parked inside your garage, where you for example put all your recyclables is to clean up the garage. I found mice nests in the garage. You have to do this to prevent a reoccurrence. I also put mouse poison out there as well. Make sure you put it out of the way of any dogs.

So far so good and no mice in my Pilot, though I did find evidence of nests under the hood of my wifes car one