Hi all!

I've been searching for this new "feature" on my 500, but couldn't find it in the forum.


For some reason, in speed 1/2 of the manual air dashboard control there is a whistle coming from the air-vents that is annoying, and since it is going to the dealership next week, I would like to know what could it be.

I went there and they checked the engine of the climate zone and seemed ok, then they said that the noise was only when air was going into the windscreen and probably it was something that went into there.

Well... now even with the air pointing at us the noise is there.


Is it the fan? They said the only way was to remove the whole dashboard and that for me is a no-no in terms of noises and rattles - only as last resort.


Thank you all for your help on this!


Cheers

If the fan is at fault, it's probably more of a squeaky sound. I had this and managed to cure it myself by removing the fan motor - for a right-hand drive car, it was under the left side of the dash - yours may therefore be on the driver's side. To remove, look for one screw (with 5.5mm hex head), undo it, then twist the motor's plastic mounting plate slightly to unlock it and drop it from the heater box.

The fan blades (drum shape) can be supported in a vice and the motor shaft knocked out with a punch.The motor is not designed to be taken apart but is held together by two folded-over tabs which can be opened with a screwdriver.

The problem to solve is that the commutator (rotary copper contacts on the motor shaft) has machining grooves that interact with the brushes (carbon blocks). If you use 400 grit and 1000 grit sandpaper, followed by metal polish, you can remove these grooves and prevent the squeaking noise. Reassembly is, as they say, the reversal of removal.

-Alex

Thanks for that!

I will not try to do it myself since it is still under the 2-year warranty.

Nevertheless I will comunicate this to them when it goes in for service!