Thursday, September 20, 2007

Blower Motor Chevrolet Silverado


My blower motor was out of balance. It was getting pretty loud, and there wasn't much air flow. However, I couldn't see where it was located. Google-fu didn't turn up anything - 1998 and older Silverados have theirs mounted on the firewall. My 2000 obviously didn't. Google did let me know that 1999 - 2003 require the same motor and squirrel cage. OK fine, just let me know how to get the thing out. No such luck

All my mechanic buddies had no idea, either. So I called the dealership in Garden City - you might as well know who, as you will see. The guy who answered the phone told me it was underneath the instrument panel, and went through some of the procedures - I was to take out the pillar trim, the surround around the instrument panel, and so on. I fired up the fan, and it was definitely on the right side - not the left.

These trucks also have cabin air filters, which I had changed before. There is a large tray underneath the dash on the passenger side that covers the bottom of the HVAC system. Here is the procedure to remove the fan motor and change the filter.

You need a 7mm socket, a 6mm socket, and I assume a 5mm socket - which I nor any of my trusted associates had. A 7/32 will work. A mechanics mirror is useful here as well. I also shut off the passenger airbag - who knows what could happen with my meaty paws rooting around the wiring under the dash! There are three 7mm screws that hold the tray in place. Remove the right and center screws, and just loosen the left one. If you take it out, good luck getting it back in. The tray can be lowered and rotated out of the way. The fan motor is to the far right - it is above a plastic cup with two 6mm screws. Good luck with the back one. The air at the shop was blue before I got the damn thing out. The cup is lined with foam, apparently for noise reduction. It didn't get put back on. After you remove the cup, you might notice there are no screws holding the motor in place. There is a two wire lead and quick connector into the motor, but no screws. A call to the Dodge City dealership netted me the information that there was a tab that needed to be loosened, and the fan motor could be rotated for removal. This is where the mirror is damn handy - you can actually see what you are looking for. This was also the correct procedure - kudos to Magouirk Chevrolet's service guy.

Apparently I have a mouse in the Poor Farm Mobile. The squirrel cage was full of cigarette butts, shredded cigarette butts, and shredded paper towels. After it was finally cleared of all the trash, the motor proved to be just fine. Next - the filter. To the left of the motor, next to a step to a larger partition is an L shaped latch - on one end is a 5mm screw, the other is a locking tab. Remove the screw, the latch rotates out of the way, and pull the filter out. I ran the fan for a bit to clear out any trash before installing the new filter. It should have a arrow pointing towards the air flow, in this case it should be pointing to the left. Push the filter in, and replace the latch and screw. Then, swing the tray back over, replace the two screws, and tighten all three. Ok, done.

Now I'll tell you what not to do. Removing the glove box does no good what so ever. Okay, fine, don't listen to me, just try to take it out. Yeah, see that little rubber tab to the right? The one that catches the glove box? Flip it out of the way, and the glove box flips over, dumping the contents on the passenger floorboard. Okay, you say, but it's on a hinge! See the three screws? So don't listen to me, take the damn things out. The hinge seems to be stuck. Wait - it's pop riveted to the trim piece! So, let's try to take the trim piece around the glove box out! Okay, see the two screws to the right, and the one above the latch? Yeah, get those. Now you have a stressed trim piece probably costing a couple hundred bucks - there is the wire to the glove box light, and the chunk o' plastic is still firmly attached to the dash on the left and probably to the center console as well.

I was considering professional help at this point - I had found the fan, but had no idea how to get it out. None of my professional advisers had any ideas, either. As I said before, Magouirk's saved my hiney. I was pretty frustrated that something seemingly so simple was turning into a cluster.

The tab on the motor broke during removal, too. Since getting the motor to rotate to the proper spot for removal is pretty hard, I'm not going to lose sleep. If it falls out, I'll buy a new one and a new squirrel cage - the new one should have a new tab.

I'm just hoping that this might help someone out someday - as many Chevys that are out there, someone is going to have similar problems and be unable to find anything on the web. Hopefully the future audience finds this before going on a complete teardown of the interior, like I was. So here it is, Google! Note, the pic isn't of my truck, but it's pretty close.

24 comments:

IHeartQuilting said...

Well, I can't say I can help you, because I don't have a clue. But, I do drive a 2007 Chevy Uplander, and it is the most awesome vehicle I've owned. Just figured I'd mention that.

ptg said...

I had a leaky heater core on my '72 Chevrolet pickup. Getting it out to solder it called for putting the truck on a lift so the wheels would hang down and allow "access" to a hidden screw holding the fiberglass housing to the firewall.

I'm smarter than that (and don't own a lift) so I took a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel and made a neat access port. After soldering the leak, I just replaced the new hatch with 100 mph tape.

Anonymous said...

Thanks a bunch nearly tore apart my hole truck trying to get to the blower motor!

Anonymous said...

Great help. Thanks! I was able to dis-assemble, clean and, most importantly, re-assemble my blower without damage to vehicle or intrepid mechanic.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, mine starting making a racket just this morning. i am hoping it has some trash in it. Your post should help considerably.

Anonymous said...

I am forever grateful for you directions. I too, googled and no help. thanks again
Jonathan

Anonymous said...

Thanks for being the pioneer! It took me about 30 minutes to take the motor out, clean it out, and replace it including clean the cabin filter! I appreciate you!
Mark

Unknown said...

God bless you man. You have given me my greatest mechanical achievement to date (I don't fix much). Evidently we had a string beaded necklace in the blower motor. Your experience saved me money and a bunch of frustrating time. Thanks a lot.

Nate from Kansas City

american122 said...

For 10 years I have wish my 1999 Silverado had a cabin air filter. Will Sir, you have solved that problem or me an one other.

The fan was making noise and knowing I had to replace the fan, I began searching the internet for parts and information. As in your case, replacing the filter and cleaning out the blower seems, as this time, to have fixed the problem.

Thank you so much for the TIP!

Anonymous said...

I have a 99 Silverado that we use in case we get snowed in. I just lived thru the Christmas Blizzard of 2009 (snowed in for three days) and was just leaving the grocery store we my fan suddenly started vibrating my truck. It started making noise (I had a mouse also) at 12 o’clock and was fixed by 3:30 (I wasted 2 ½ hours before I found you post. I just wanted to say thank you for the advice!

You’re awesome

Anonymous said...

Fantasitc Post. It really helped me out. I was getting pretty frustrated trying how to take the blower motor out. After finding your post, it was a 5 minutes later and it was out. There was bout two coffee cans full of mesquite beans in there from packrats.

Streyker said...

It's sad that this blog was the most helpful advice I found relating to the blower motor and filter assembly. Even when I had a Chilton manual in front of me wondering where the ac filter was. I want to say Kudos to you. Chilton let me down. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Hey, thanks for the instructions. Just changed mine on the weekend and would not have been able to do it without your help. The back screw was a pain, but once I bought a two inch socket extension it was out in no time.

Anonymous said...

Thanks a million! I've had my truck apart three times and don't have that noisy blower motor out yet, but I will this afternoon thanks to you.



Jim KY

Anonymous said...

Unbelievable!!! I spent an hour and a half yesterday and got no where. After reading your blog today, 15 minutes and I had it out, cleaned and back in. I've listened to that noisy motor (thanks to mr. mouse seeking a warm place)since winter.


Jim KY

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE BEEN LOOKING ALL OVER THE INTERNET FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!

Blowers manufacturers said...

Thanks for the excellent post. Great Info.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the clear, concise, and specific "how to" remove and repair blower motor on Chevy trucks. I have a 2000 Chev Silverado and was able to take the motor out and remove the paper that somehow got lodged in the motor. The whole operation including replacing the cabin air filters took me about an hour.

Anonymous said...

I just had some crud in my harness, but thanks for letting me know where the blower was!! You are a good man sir!

Anonymous said...

Where is the tab to lossen to rotate the blower out?

Jeffro said...

I did this about five and a half years ago, so I do not remember exactly where the tab is in relation to the rest of the assembly, but IIRC it is one of those locking arm over a protruding edge kinda dealios that you have to unsnap to get it out of there. I broke mine in the first place, still have the pickup and have had no problem with it coming loose.

Unknown said...

What's up with Chevy Silverado blower motors and mice? I also had a mouse fill mine with dash insulation and sticks, the screws were a bitch to get to and I also broke the damn tab on the motor while removing it as well, hope it doesn't effect it to much because I'm putting it back that way. YouTube has a good video now that eliminates a lot if the guess work.

Anonymous said...

yeah very helpful buuuut...would like to know how friggin critters are accessing the blower motor....cant find a vent diagram anywhere

Michael Noe said...

Thank you so much for the post. Its really helpful. I'm warming up my truck right now to hopefully heat up that tab and make it more flexible. My heater does get warm with a little bit of airflow out of the vents. But not as it should be. So hopefully I will have as good luck as you did...thank you again