S60 blower fan - hideous noise

[S60RDesign]

Evening all. The ventilation fan on my S60 has suddenly got very noisy and sounds like a diesel boat (ironically it started in the Norfolk Broads and sounded just like one of the holiday boats). I initially thought the engine had knackered and called Volvo Assist - the mechanic said it was the fan bearing and the whole dash will need to come out, probably around 5-6 hours labour. Is this a job that an independent would be able to do or is it best to have it done at a Volvo dealer?

The car is out of warranty but does have a full Volvo service history, and after the number of faults the car has had I’m wondering whether any goodwill could be offered.

In the last three months and all since the warranty expired, the front windscreen bonding failed and started leaking water, a wheel bearing failed and now this, together with paintwork repairs and a set of tyres this car is bankrupting me!

Has this fault happened to anyone else here?

[Clan]

Originally Posted by S60RDesign

Evening all. The ventilation fan on my S60 has suddenly got very noisy and sounds like a diesel boat (ironically it started in the Norfolk Broads and sounded just like one of the holiday boats). I initially thought the engine had knackered and called Volvo Assist - the mechanic said it was the fan bearing and the whole dash will need to come out, probably around 5-6 hours labour. Is this a job that an independent would be able to do or is it best to have it done at a Volvo dealer?

The car is out of warranty but does have a full Volvo service history, and after the number of faults the car has had I’m wondering whether any goodwill could be offered.

In the last three months and all since the warranty expired, the front windscreen bonding failed and started leaking water, a wheel bearing failed and now this, together with paintwork repairs and a set of tyres this car is bankrupting me!

Has this fault happened to anyone else here?

very rare they give a problem , the fan motor drops out the bottom of the casing under the glovebox , not quite as easy as it sounds , take the carpet and underfelt out to give clearance , there are two casing screws around the back of the fan housing which are a bit tricky but a worthwhile job .

[S60RDesign]

Originally Posted by Clan

very rare they give a problem , the fan motor drops out the bottom of the casing under the glovebox , not quite as easy as it sounds , take the carpet and underfelt out to give clearance , there are two casing screws around the back of the fan housing which are a bit tricky but a worthwhile job .

Thanks Clan, I assume the fan motor would need replacing - how much would you estimate your dealership would charge for the job?

[S60RDesign]

Just to update the thread my local dealer quoted £1300 to install a new blower motor - while they were helpful, going ahead at that price just wasn't an option. Goodwill wasn't offered despite contacting Volvo UK.

It's been very difficult finding garages willing to do the work. The local Volvo specialist refused anything related to a dashboard disassembly and other dealerships or garages said they'd call back with quotes but failed to do so. Most clearly didn't want to provide quotes without paying for their own diagnostics first (it had already been diagnosed twice).

Today the car has gone to a trusted indy who quoted £765 using genuine parts, the blower itself is £370+VAT from Volvo so not a cheap item despite looking quite basic. Hopefully by the end of the day, the car can be used in comfort again!

[Clan]

Originally Posted by S60RDesign

Just to update the thread my local dealer quoted £1300 to install a new blower motor - while they were helpful, going ahead at that price just wasn't an option. Goodwill wasn't offered despite contacting Volvo UK.

It's been very difficult finding garages willing to do the work. The local Volvo specialist refused anything related to a dashboard disassembly and other dealerships or garages said they'd call back with quotes but failed to do so. Most clearly didn't want to provide quotes without paying for their own diagnostics first (it had already been diagnosed twice).

Today the car has gone to a trusted indy who quoted £765 using genuine parts, the blower itself is £370+VAT from Volvo so not a cheap item despite looking quite basic. Hopefully by the end of the day, the car can be used in comfort again!

Removing the fan can be much easier if you remove the carpet , there are about 6 screws around the bottom and you can just about force it out , there is one screw difficult to get to as it is up against the left side of the car . Depending on the nature of the noise you might not need a motor at all if it has sucked up a bag and it is spinning around in the fan blades !!! Remove that from under the windscreen panel ...

[S60RDesign]

Originally Posted by Clan

Removing the fan can be much easier if you remove the carpet , there are about 6 screws around the bottom and you can just about force it out , there is one screw difficult to get to as it is up against the left side of the car . Depending on the nature of the noise you might not need a motor at all if it has sucked up a bag and it is spinning around in the fan blades !!! Remove that from under the windscreen panel ...

Thanks Clan, but it had been diagnosed twice as a worn fan bearing. The indy has called to say it's taking longer than expected and it won't be ready tonight...

[S60RDesign]

It’s fixed, the indy did a good job...definitely worth shopping around if this happens to anyone else