Having issues with my ac today. The front would start blowing hard, then gradually reduce, until it stopped blowing. Then it would start blowing hard again. It just repeats this cycle with the front vents. The rear cabin vents continually blow hard with no issues.

I pulled the cover located underneath the glove box. The white actuator arm keeps opening and closing and there is a humming noise from the general area.

 

When it starts humming and stops blowing, if I bang on this it will stop humming and start blowing normal again.

 

Sounds like you need to get a new blower motor in there, STAT! Pretty easy replacement... takes about 20 minutes if you can twist yourself into the pretzel shape needed to access the seven bolts that old it in there. Just be careful to line up the plastic molding properly so you don't have to pull it apart to try again! If you haven't done so recently, it is a perfect excuse to change the cabin air filter, too, which is located just to the left of the blower and is held in there with two screws (same size/design as the ones for the blower).

The blowers are readily available and should be no more than about $120 (I'm sure Amazon has cheaper). ECS Tuning and FCP Euro offer lifetime warranty.

 

Yes, I believe you’re right. I

 

+1

The only thing that throws me a bit is the fading in/out of the fan, which could indicate that the variable resistor for the fan motor is involved. That's a separate part that regulates the fan speed according to signal it receives from the HVAC control module. I would pull fault codes on the car to see what's there, if anything.

I'd also dink around with the fan control speed manually from low and gradually stepping it upwards to setting 12 to see what happens at different fan speeds I selected, and any blower noises heard, etc., to help determine whether the fan's resistor (controller) is involved or not. You don't read a lot about the resistor going out on these, but I've seen a few posts where it was just the resistor going out and not the blower failing. You might search for some posts around that issue.

If the blower motor has been making any type of odd hums/creaks/screeches during use or when turning off the car and motor spools down, then you'll definitely need the blower...those very commonly go out, but often they will give you some odd sounds or behavior as a warning prior to locking up the bearings in it. Ours made odd noises several times months before, then nothing for a while, then it locked up the blower. A fairly easy swap with basic tools besides being upside down in the footwell, and getting a light on those bolts. IIRC, used a headlamp and and adjustable LED shop light as bit dark under there.

Definitely R&R the cabin filter unless it has recently been replaced.

 

I’ll check for codes. The blower definitely is making a vibrating /humming noise. Upon further inspection I think the fading in and out odd just the blower slowing then speeding up because it’s going bad. When it slows or stops, if I bang on it, it will go back to full speed for a short while.

 

Two codes.

00003 control module
01273 fresh air blower speed difference to great

 

You need to look up both codes, and pay attention to where they fall underneath inside the VCDS scan data, as it'll show you exact module that the code relates to, etc. This hierarchy /system data is just above the actual fault code. Also, pay attention to time/date stamps, etc., as that will let you know if codes recent or not....really speaking to that 003/control module code right now. That typically means a control module is not programmed correctly, requires adaptation or recoding, etc, etc.

Follow the codes in Ross-Tech Wiki page for codes lookup. The blower motor is done, no doubt, but could also be issue with the resistor, as per that particular fault code. Ours didn't throw any fault code until it completely locked up, which is why I'm leaning into more discovery/checking the resistor while you are in there. There's videos online to watch regards to both types of failure and codes you got.

 

Where is the resistor located?

 

It's in passenger footwell pretty close to the blower fan motor...just to the left of it, IIRC; you can't miss it once the trim panel is removed. Videos online also show owners checking the resistor/fan motor controller. Granted, I've ever only once had to replace the fan blower resistor in one of my 'older' cars, an old Volvo, and I changed one out for a friend of mine in her Ford P.O.S.-mobile, and also removed/replaced her cabin filter, which she didn't know the car had. The cabin filter looked like a chia pet...could have grown vegetables in it it was so full of dirt, but I digress. An elderly woman, she'd been driving around in TX Summer with no A/C, no blower, nada, and she hadn't mentioned it was broken to anyone.

Like said prior, the resistor/fan controller going out is much more a rarity, but it does happen, so I'd just follow those fault codes on Ross-Tech Wiki page, and do whatever they suggest for checks & validations. You know the front blower motor is going out since it has the 'creaks & moans' going on, so it's fine to just start with that part and see if that resolves all issues or not. Since you got VCDS, you can easily verify if the control module linked to the 003 fault code has a coding/programming problem or not, and the coding also shows up on the scan details as well, so easy to find and verify.

I bought the Febi-bilstein branded blower off FCP Euro at a good price (lifetime warranty too) and I literally couldn't tell it from the OE blower motor except for the accumulated dirt on the original part. Very high quality part.

Just glancing at FCP Euro site:

Febi-Bilstein 34788 front blower motor $130

The OEM part; Mahle-Behr AB113000S is listed for only $131!!!!

I'd still cross-shop and be sure it is the FRONT blower motor you are looking at.