Porsche Club GB

Whirring fan noise behind air bag on passenger side

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5 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis

THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW

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YOUR RESEARCHWhirring fan noise behind air bag on passenger side

Reported or suspected cause

fan

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Identified cause: 1
Suspected cause: 0
Reported fixes

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Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that suspect a cause: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suspected cause
The fan noise is probably the fan for the interior temperature sensor, which is located just below the left hand air vent.
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Whirring fan noise behind air bag on passenger side

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Leading evidence: 'fan' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'fan' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). 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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problem

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No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Identified cause: 1
Suspected cause: 0
Reported fixes

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Discussions that suspect a cause: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suspected cause
Try starting the car and switch of the heating fan via the heating control panel, if the noise is still there then Richard's idea is most likely the problem.
Original post Read captured discussion
Whirring fan noise behind air bag on passenger side

Reported and suspected causes (2)

These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.

fan

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Identified cause: 1
Suspected cause: 0
Reported fixes

Read evidence and context

Discussions that suspect a cause: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suspected cause
The fan noise is probably the fan for the interior temperature sensor, which is located just below the left hand air vent.
Original post Read captured discussion
Whirring fan noise behind air bag on passenger side

problem

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Identified cause: 1
Suspected cause: 0
Reported fixes

Read evidence and context

Discussions that suspect a cause: 1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suspected cause
Try starting the car and switch of the heating fan via the heating control panel, if the noise is still there then Richard's idea is most likely the problem.
Original post Read captured discussion
Whirring fan noise behind air bag on passenger side

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Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.

5 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.

Porsche Club GB: 1 discussions

0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.

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Generation: 20261026T174436Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources

POST 1 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

I have just been away for a month, started my 996 1998 carrera 2, let her run up to temp, and gone out for a spin, parked up, turned it off, and what can only be described as a jumbo jet engine, whirring fan noise, has now started, and seems to be coming from behind the air bag on the passenger side. When I turn the car off, it whirrs down, until stop, then when starts up, whirrs up to speed and is a constant noise. Whats behind that space, fan wise, or something that would make that noise. Also tapping engine, had for a while, stays there when warm, doesnt go, Im going to take into UNIT 11, and get them to look at it, but seen on one of the threads a loose spark plug, so Ill get them to check that as well, fingers crossed. Thanks for any help

POST 2Original post

The fan noise is probably the fan for the interior temperature sensor, which is located just below the left hand air vent.

POST 3Original post

I believe that under the passenger airbag, the heater matrix and fan is located. Try starting the car and switch of the heating fan via the heating control panel, if the noise is still there then Richard's idea is most likely the problem.

POST 4Original post

On my car the sensor fan runs even with the aircon switched off! Edit: I think tirfor is correct, in that the heater fan is behind the airbag. I was looking at the workshop manual when I wrote that it was on the driver's side - but the manual shows LHD cars.

POST 5Original post

There is a temp sensor fan there. You can see it if you pry off the round grill. On my 1997 Boxster the fan is on when the ignition is on. It makes no difference if the heat or a/c is on or off.

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