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YOUR RESEARCHA/C Fan Noise Level
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Replace bearing
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Suggestion
If it becomes enough of an irritation, I may investigate means to lubricate or replace the bearing.
Leading evidence: 'Replace bearing' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Replace bearing' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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I'm still new to the 996 world so I don't have a very accurate baseline for normal noises created by this car.
I suspect that the bearing is going bad in my A/C fan. It gets louder as the fan spins faster, and vice versa. How quiet should should the fan be? Is it normal for there to be some fan/bearing noise in these cars?...or no noise at all other than that of blowing air?
Thanks.
At normal speeds -- say at about half speed or less -- the cabin vent fan in either of my cars is not loud.
If the heater/AC is operating at full tilt and the fan speed is up the noise is louder. The noise is not in any way bearing noise, though, just the noise of the air being blasted out of the vents kind of like what you would hear if you sat in front of a fan with its speed cranked up.
In some cars the insulating foam can come loose and can make contact with the fan. At first one can hear just the noise that arises from this but later -- and not much later -- the foam gets busted up and pieces get blown out of the vents.
While it is rare -- at least I don't recall coming across any reports of this -- the cabin vent fan motor/bearings can develop noise as they advance to total failure so depending upon what the noise sounds like this may be what is going on.
Since you have no history with the car, my advice is to take the car to an experienced Porsche tech and have him give a listen and advise you.
Maybe the noise is not a sign of something amiss, or maybe it is. But the tech would be in the best position to make this call.
Macster is right, hopefully someone in here has heard that sound before, but if not then good ears are easier than removing it yourself, not hard but it doesn't just drop out.
These items along with many others are not serviceable. The SOP is to pull the offending assembly and replace it with a new one. All the details of what make the assembly/system work is retained by the manufacturer/supplier to Porsche.
In this way, then Porsche doesn't have to document in its own format this info (might add it is bad enough what it does document: I have 64lbs of Porsche Boxster factory manuals), doesn't have to keep it updated, and filed. Nor does it have to warehouse the documentation for the benefit of the handful of people who would buy it. Also, Porsche doesn't have to warehouse the individual parts and so on.
I've heard what the OP describes occasionally at really low outdoor temperatures for a few minutes only. It leaves quickly. My guess is that it's the fan motor bearing which may eventually fail. If it becomes enough of an irritation, I may investigate means to lubricate or replace the bearing. Here's all the service manual has to say about it.
Here's a link to a DIY piece on the subject:
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...HVAC_Motor.htm
Looks like a replacement motor goes for over $300, For that kind of shekels, it would be a shame to ditch a healthy motor because of a whining bearing.
UPDATE:
After much tinkering around, I've discovered that it is not the blower fan. The strange noise only begins whenever the A/C compressor turns on. If I turn the A/C off, the noise stops.
Any others thoughts with this additional info?
Thanks.
My first thought is the system is low on refrigerant.
If I'm right then you should not use the A/C, at least you should not use the compressor. The lack of sufficient refrigerant can cause the compressor to fail. (The oil is carried by the refrigerant and with no refrigerant flowing through the system there is no oil flowing to the compressor.)
An A/C system check out will confirm the refrigerant level is the problem, or not.
'course, the tech will give a listen and he could make another diagnosis.
