Heater fan blower motor removal - beware

[SwedeXC90]

Took out the heater fan from the XC90 D5 the other day and what an awesomely complicated job so a few tips for anyone wanting to get rid of that annoying squeak.

- First off, don't order a new blower motor from FCP or IPD as the American LHD cars have a mirror image reverse motor screw clip layout. I found this out the hard way as I ordered a new one and it looks great, until you try and fit it in and realise the screw holes are in the wrong place. Anyone need a new LHD blower motor???
- Secondly, on RHD cars this is a really hard job as the front left screw can not be undone. The head of the screw sits about 4mm above the steal of the bulkhead/arch. One has to break the plastic tab off this screw to remove the unit which is easier said than done. I broke the good screw tab (rear left) that you can undo trying to break the tab off the one you can't undo so try and avoid that
- Once the screws you can get are out and you have broken the plastic tab off the one you can't, it is really hard to wriggle the blower motor out and some sound deadening will need to be cut out at the front to allow the motor to be removed.
- I then screwed the screw down you can't get out with a pair of pointy nose plyiers until it hit the bulkhead, then cut the head off with a hacksaw blade, then screwed the remaining part of the screw out. I did this thinking the new fan I bought would fit in but if you are fitting your old one then you can leave this screw in.
- Once out, blow the carbon from the motor and oil/grease bushes. Clean off any rubbish from the aluminum heat sink/resistor.
- To get in, I had to remove a fair chunk of the sound deadening up under the front of the fan as there was no way I could get it back up into place otherwise. It looked awful and had to butcher it out as it is hard to cut.
- Slip the fan assembly back in and put screws back in.
- Maker it look as good as you can with wiring and sound deadening you would have disturbed. Put the drain pipe back on.
- Enjoy low fan speeds without the squeak!

Some photos attached:
You can see the old RHD motor next to the new LHD motor in the photos.
You can see the screw that you can't get in the other photo.

[binty]

Thanks for the write up and pictures.
I have done mine three times now, (due to being too tight to buy a new fan).
I have managed to get my fans in and out without cutting the bulkhead sound deadening but it is a real pain, physically as well as metaphorically.
Pulling the motor down a fraction then rotating it about a third of a turn anti clockwise eases the process. (As does hanging upside down with my legs over the back of the passenger seat to get my head where I can see, and I am getting too old for it).

The first time I replace the resistor with one from eBay as it had overheated, (Failed after a few months)
The next time was with a second hand fan, it squeaked so I sprayed the bearing with lithium grease, don't do this!!!
It worked great for a while then failed, when I removed it, the lithium grease it had set like plasticine, making the fan stiff to rotate and causing the failure.

Third time lucky with another second hand fan.