Blower Motor Noise

An aftermarket motor would be interesting the thing is I doubt that any other manufacturer has started making any, probably too early yet. Usually on like rockauto they would show up by other manufacturers. The blower wheel and the motor I think are one part so both get replaced. I might try taking the cabin filter out and turning the blower on and see if you can hear it vs it being in. Or I'll remove the blower and check it out and how it looks. Other than that since no one will replace it under warranty it looks like I would have to buy another and swap it myself and see what happens. Another note is that I checked the new 2013 civic parts and the blower motor is the exact same part number. Curious to see if anyone with a new 2013 civic will have any blower motor sounds??
 
amirdieselx64 said:
Mno86 has heard a 2012 civic with a quiet motor I'm wondering if we all have defective motors ? Whenu say quiet it doesn't make any kind of humming or anything at all?
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Well, I spoke too soon, perhaps. I had a 2012 LX sedan rental while my car was in for warranty work.

While it was in for warranty work again a month later, I had the exact same LX as a rental (I knew this because of a ding in the bumper), and the blower motor was MUCH louder with another several hundred miles on it. It was also much colder in Minneapolis, which tends to make the noise more intense.

I also know that my 2012 blower motor wasn't loud when I first purchased it because I specifically looked for it. My first 2012 was totaled and it made the noise, so I made a point to check for any "defects" when I replaced my first 2012. Perhaps the noise comes after it "breaks in", which is very disappointing.

This makes sense, considering my steering column makes excessive clicking noises when I rotate the steering wheel (and the blinker is on) - it didn't used to that. Both 2012 Si's I've owned have done it, and the rental didn't the first time (with around 1,000 miles on it), but the second time, much like the blower motor, it did - which was around 1,500-2000 miles.

I think these cars, honestly, aren't going to hold up over time well. I have watched the quality of parts decline from 2006 to 2010, and two examples of 2012. My 2006 never had issues with the clicking steering wheel or the loud blower motor.

My delaership hooked it up to a machine and compared it to a car on the lot and said "it's absolutely normal."

I am not convinced of this. I have NEVER heard this much noise from a blower motor in any car in my entire life, and it's really annoying for me...sigh.
 
amirdieselx64 said:
Another note is that I checked the new 2013 civic parts and the blower motor is the exact same part number. Curious to see if anyone with a new 2013 civic will have any blower motor sounds??
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Thanks for checking on this. I was wondering, since Honda updated the carpet and headliner from the garbage egg cartons they used in the 2012 model, if they'd go so far as to change the part for the clicking steering wheel and the loud blower motor.

Frankly, I'm noticing that Honda's steering wheels in almost all their new cars make that noise, as the 2012 Accord I rented once also did it. Weird, considering my 2006 Si never did. It did, however, start doing it on my 2010. I also had this same issue with the blower motor noise on my 2010, though not nearly as bad or as loud in my 2012.

I did get a dealership to replace it on the 2010. They told me mine was defective or something. It was quiet for awhile, and then the noise started right up again.

If you ask me, we just have a case of Honda beancounteritis. They cut corners on part quality, which is why we're hearing these noises I never remember hearing on Hondas of "old".
 
Any updates from anyone on this issue? Honda still tells me its normal. Perhaps it is normal. But when my friends that couldn't tell you the first thing about cars tells me my fan is "really noisy", I have a bit of a bone to pick with Honda.

It's bad enough I have to listen to driver's side window or door panel not sealing properly when the window is all the way up, letting road noise in that is REALLY noticeable to me at 60+ mph (but it goes away if you press the window button down for a fraction of a second, so the window is still sealed). Honda told me flat out "we know this is a problem, but we don't know how to fix it - it could just be the engineering of the car." I know my car isn't the only one that has this issue - I've talked to a few other coupe owners with the exact same issue.

As if I needed another reason to think they could've bean counted the 2012's any further...
 
mno86 said:
Any updates from anyone on this issue? Honda still tells me its normal. Perhaps it is normal. But when my friends that couldn't tell you the first thing about cars tells me my fan is "really noisy", I have a bit of a bone to pick with Honda.

It's bad enough I have to listen to driver's side window or door panel not sealing properly when the window is all the way up, letting road noise in that is REALLY noticeable to me at 60+ mph (but it goes away if you press the window button down for a fraction of a second, so the window is still sealed). Honda told me flat out "we know this is a problem, but we don't know how to fix it - it could just be the engineering of the car." I know my car isn't the only one that has this issue - I've talked to a few other coupe owners with the exact same issue.

As if I needed another reason to think they could've bean counted the 2012's any further...
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not sure if I had the same problem, but is it only making noise when you have the heat on? if so, it's your heater.
 
The tech listened to mine last week and ordered me a new one. I get it installed Wednesday evening. I'll post here what the results are. Hopefully the replacement isn't as noisy.
 
323 said:
Solution = turn radio up
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I shouldn't have to turn the radio up to drown out a high pitched humming from a fan on a brand new car. Call me stubborn, but I'll have it replaced at Honda's expense as many times as I can until my warranty expires or Honda starts using better quality parts.

It is especially bad in the cold weather, not as bad in summer temperatures but again, I do not believe in ignoring an inherent issue. Especially not on a brand new car. Honda can pay for their cost cutting, no matter how marginal. That expense will not be passed on to me.

I should probably just go into anti-trust law, honestly lol....
 
mno86 said:
I shouldn't have to turn the radio up to drown out a high pitched humming from a fan on a brand new car. Call me stubborn, but I'll have it replaced at Honda's expense as many times as I can until my warranty expires or Honda starts using better quality parts.

It is especially bad in the cold weather, not as bad in summer temperatures but again, I do not believe in ignoring an inherent issue. Especially not on a brand new car. Honda can pay for their cost cutting, no matter how marginal. That expense will not be passed on to me.

I should probably just go into anti-trust law, honestly lol....
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Lol. I'm the same way. Funny enough the car was in because the dash makes all kinds of noises when it's cold out. Mostly cracking noises that are really noticeable and annoying. The tech said that was normal......which I don't agree with. A friend just bought a new TW Si and when I went for a ride with him the other day it was silent which tells me that my noises aren't normal.

Like I said, I'll let everyone know if the new blower is quieter.
 
andre12dbsi said:
Lol. I'm the same way. Funny enough the car was in because the dash makes all kinds of noises when it's cold out. Mostly cracking noises that are really noticeable and annoying. The tech said that was normal......which I don't agree with. A friend just bought a new TW Si and when I went for a ride with him the other day it was silent which tells me that my noises aren't normal.

Like I said, I'll let everyone know if the new blower is quieter.
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Glad to know I'm not alone.

I will share this observation that suggests it may very well be "operating as intended" (though I still think it's too loud). I had a 2012 Civic LX sedan rental while my car was getting some unnecessary warranty work performed. It had less than 1,000 miles on it at the time, if I recall correctly. The blower motor was quiet as a mouse and did not exhibit the high-pitched buzzing or humming that we notice in ours.

However, I had the exact same vehicle as a rental several weeks later, now with a several hundred more miles on it, and the blower motor was getting noisy.

This leads me to believe that it is normal and it "breaks itself in" over time. The same can be said about the clicking in the steering column that has been a thorn in my side as well. I've owned two 2012 Si's and neither of them did this when they were first purchased (when I purchased #2, I actually went out of my way to verify this). However, after several hundred miles, when the blinker is on, the steering column makes several audible 'clicks' as the wheel rotates. This only occurs with the blinker on.

While it has been established that this is the cable reel (as I had it replaced on my first 2012, and it only temporary fixed the noise), and I am conceding that it is in fact normal, new vehicles on their lot don't do it. It sounds really cheap, but I've grown to get getting used to it. It doesn't impact the safety of the car, but is one little reminder of the cost cutting of the Honda lineup. I first noticed Hondas starting to do this when the Insight launched, and subsequent model years share this trait, but years prior do not.

They must've switched parts or something. Let us know how the replacement blower motor is (and if it is quiet again, keep an ear open - it will likely start doing it again in time if my experiences are able to be generalized).
 
You guys will be the first to know the outcome tomorrow. You'll be the 2nd to know if it gets noisy again. The service dept will be the first.
 
I got the blower motor replaced tonight. It seems to have resolved the issue although I was so used to hearing the noisy one I could just not notice it anymore. It is much more quiet. It actually sounds like it should on a new car.

Hopefully it's resolved for good. Now if I could get the creaky dash noise fixed.
 
I mentioned a few months back that my new one sounded louder than my original one. I just had my Si in for service a few weeks ago and asked them to look at it again. The tech note that came back on the invoice says, "Compared to new car it sounds normal."

So, bummer for me. Sounds like noisy is the new normal.

And the creaky dash is next on my list, too. They said they couldn't reproduce it...
 
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Anonymous said:
I mentioned a few months back that my new one sounded louder than my original one. I just had my Si in for service a few weeks ago and asked them to look at it again. The tech note that came back on the invoice says, "Compared to new car it sounds normal."

So, bummer for me. Sounds like noisy is the new normal.

And the creaky dash is next on my list, too. They said they couldn't reproduce it...
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Funny. I could have wrote the same post. I got the blower fan replaced a few weeks ago. Although I don't think it's louder than the first one, it isn't as quiet as it should be. From the sounds of the other posts here, it is "normal" according to Honda.

The dash noises aren't normal. I just have to get it to make the noise at the dealer.
 
I found a aftermarket motor (VDO PM325 Blower Motor) but its just the motor itself and not the wheel that attaches to it. I'm curious if the motor itself can be replaced and just reuse the wheel. I know the oem part includes both and I'm unsure if they can be separated. Anyone have any further info. This part was found on the auto parts.com website and jcwhitney.com.
 
Mine now (9000 mi) makes the annoying high pitched sound on the lowest speed setting. It is such a relief to turn the fan OFF. stupid fan.
 
Wow I thought mine was making noise because of my sounds lol was running new version type r 12 on 1 ohm and 2000 watt amp I thought because I pounded that thing so much it made it start rattling
 
I have a 2013 Civic Coupe EX-L Navi with the Auto Climate Control. I never use the Auto function, just adjust the fan speed. I bought the car in July 2013 and a few weeks later the HVAC fan started making a buzzing or ticking noise. The pitch and frequency would change as you adjust the fan speed. The amount of air coming from the vents did not seem as powerful as my 7th Gen Accord that I previously owned. I took the car back to Honda and they heard the noise and replaced the blower fan (79311-TR0-A01).

It was quiet for a few weeks, then the same noise returned. I couldn't get the car in right away, so I continued to drive it. The AC always blew cold air, but the fan was noisy. As the weeks went by, the fan began to fail. At the highest setting, which is 7 indicator bars on the display, there was not much air coming from the vents. Sometimes it happened immediately, other times it took about 30 minutes of driving before the fan would begin to slow down. It got so bad, there was barely any air coming out of the vents at the highest speed setting.

I took it back to Honda and the fan was barely spinning the moment I started the car. I left the engine running with the AC on and had the service advisor sit in the car to confirm the problem. He confirmed it was not normal operation. Since replacing the blower motor the first time did not solve the problem, they did further research and discovered the fault in the system. The blower resistor/transistor (79330-TS8-A02) was burning out the blower fan. Honda replaced the blower fan and the resistor/transistor to fix the problem. So far, that appears to have fixed the problem. The blower fan blows better than it did when I first bought the car, and it is quiet without any noise but air coming through the vents. I think the resistor/transistor was bad from the very beginning and it burned out the fan, twice.

Here are the service bulletins referenced on my warranty repair invoice:
Blower Motor: 09-097: HVAC Blower motor works only on high speed.
Blower Motor: 11-008: A/C - Blower motor is noisy/reduced blower speed.
Resistor/Transistor: 87-003 - Could not find a TSB on the internet for this one.

I was only able to find a link for the TSB 09-097, which was for the 2009 Fit. The cause was excessive current draw from the blower motor causing the blower resistor to fail. Repair was to replace the blower fan and blower resistor. I found a paid link for 11-008, which had the title "Blower motor is noisy/reduced blower speed." I could not find a website with the TSB to view it. I could not find any listing for 87-003.

So if you are experiencing similar problems with your Civic's HVAC system, the resistor/transistor, which controls the fan speed, might be the problem. Below is a YouTube link with a video demonstrating the problem with the blower fan. Make sure your speakers are on because it is the sound you want to hear, not the visual to see. The fan was on 7 the entire time and you will hear the slow buzzing noise as the fan was barely spinning. You will hear the fan try to spin faster, but then slow down again. The fan will continue to fluctuate while the car idles. At the end of the video, I turned off the HVAC system and turned it back on so you can hear how loud the noise was in a quiet car.


View: http://youtu.be/w6PfG2PX6Fk


I hope this helps others that experienced the same problem.
 
I just noticed yesterday that mine started to make some noise! Now I am also wondering if I should get it replaced or just wait until they (Honda) change the part number. Non sense. :(
 
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