PDA

View Full Version : Fixed our noisy AC/Heater fan and leaky duct work.



ripper
12th December 2010, 09:24 PM
It was a nice surprise to find how easy it was to fix the noisy fan.
Three screws, a vent hose, and one wiring clip which came apart easily.

Here's the problem :-)
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/ripperdeals/GQ/RubbishinFan600x450.jpg

Finly Owner
12th December 2010, 09:42 PM
Can't leave them in there .........

I'm bloody halarious I know

Hehehehee.

Tim

mike
12th December 2010, 09:44 PM
cool nice to have an easy one once in a while.

Cheers Mike

ripper
12th December 2010, 09:47 PM
.
This is a beginners guide. Anyone with a bit of experience wont need it.


The AC didn't seem to be blowing much air, when I looked under the dash near the passengers foot well I could see why.

There was a big gap between the fan housing and the AC evaporator housing where there should have been a seal. Heaps of air leaking out before it got cooled.
I forgot to take a before photo so retouched this one to show the problem.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/ripperdeals/GQ/FakeBeforeACduct600x450.jpg

While fixing the noisy fan I took the chance to remove the bottom half of the fan housing which let me fix the gap. Access is easiest if you remove the scuff panel from along to floor where the door closes, then remove the kick panel from the side of the foot well. This lets you get at all of the screws which hold the lower part of the fan housing.

I found more rubbish in this part of the duct work.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/ripperdeals/GQ/ACduct1600x450.jpg

To fix the gap I got some concreters expansion joint which has a 10mm strip along the top which tears off easily. This gives you a piece of foam which is about 10x10mm. Added some silicone to keep it in place and it was just right for the job.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/ripperdeals/GQ/ACduct2600x450.jpg

Only needs silicone on one side of the foam. It keeps everything in order until the fan housing is put back in place.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/ripperdeals/GQ/ACduct3600x450.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/ripperdeals/GQ/ACduct4600x450.jpg

All done except for putting the fan in it's housing.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/ripperdeals/GQ/ACduct5600x450.jpg

Finished.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/ripperdeals/GQ/AfterACduct600x450.jpg

Not hard to do, well worth the effort.

ripper
12th December 2010, 09:51 PM
Slow typer aren't I :tongue:

Bigrig
12th December 2010, 09:56 PM
Top job mate and well done for posting it with photos ... none of this process let's gas escape then (stupid question , but I thought you couldn't mess with the evaporator without losing gas??).

ripper
12th December 2010, 10:00 PM
Nah, it's just the duct work. No gas involved. You can see the evaporator but you don't need to touch it.

Bigrig
12th December 2010, 10:01 PM
Nah, it's just the duct work. No gas involved. You can see the evaporator but you don't need to touch it.

Bootiful - thanks mate ...

ripper
12th December 2010, 10:08 PM
Just keep the hammers in the toolbox with this one Bigrig :p

YNOT
12th December 2010, 10:14 PM
I had the same problem in my last GQ, fixed it in a similar way. Check for a gap on the other side of the evaporator housing as well.

Tony

ripper
12th December 2010, 10:19 PM
You mean between the evaporator and the heater? Checked that, ours is still good.

Bigrig
12th December 2010, 10:22 PM
Just keep the hammers in the toolbox with this one Bigrig :p

hahaha .. will do mate!!!

First Nissan
18th December 2010, 04:47 PM
noisey fan had been annoying me for months. Not any more!!!!!

Thanks Ripper

PissantPatrol
18th December 2010, 05:16 PM
Nice work ripper.

Any suggestions for getting crud out of the evaporator fins (that don't involve degassing and removing it first)?

Cheers,
Rick

ripper
18th December 2010, 06:16 PM
I thought about how to clean the evaporator fins (as you can see, ours aren't great), but other than a quick blow with the compressor decided to leave it alone. Have to be careful or the air pressure can bend all the fins over.
Our local auto sparky is really helpful, might ask him if there's something good to clean them with.

PissantPatrol
18th December 2010, 11:05 PM
Yours are pristine by comparison. I've tried vacuuming, including with a smaller diameter hose taped into the nozzle to up the suck per unit area or air velocity (whichever comes first), while scrubbing gently with an old toothbrush. At least I think it was an old one ... hmm, might be in trouble with wif. Moved a bit of it but it goes deeper, much deeper. Maybe I'll try the local carwash vac for some more powerful suction.

If you can come up with something from your bright spark I'd be most appreciative.

Cheers,
Rick

Barrie71
16th April 2012, 06:35 PM
Thanks Ripper.I have had my Troll for only a week and has a few minor probs .Your great pics and step by step guide has just fixed one of them.
Cheers Bloke
Baz

philfree
16th April 2012, 08:06 PM
hi
what we use as work is a short piece of copper pipe bent to 90 degrees with the end almost closed attached to the hose we remove the fan speed resister that bo that goes into the side with a heap of wires coming out of it and with the help of a torch clean the whole evaporator this generally works well as most of the mud is dust hitting the wet evaporator and sticking we normaly keep quite a few rags underneath and near by to keep the water at bay.

ripper
19th April 2012, 08:52 PM
If you can come up with something from your bright spark I'd be most appreciative.

Well at looong last I remembered to ask him about it. Unfortunately he doesn't have any magic solution. Sorry.


short piece of copper pipe bent to 90 degrees with the end almost closed attached to the hose
This sounds like the best you'll get if you can't pull it out to clean it. Thank you.

nismine01
19th April 2012, 09:12 PM
MK driver and my A/C needs some attention, trouble with this one (MK) A/C only works with internal air (combination switch, you want recycled air you get it air conditioned) but not very much of it. I will follow your lead and check what the fan etc is like, photos are great help too, thanks.

Cheers

Mike
:icon_bonk:

97_gq_lwb
20th April 2012, 07:31 AM
I have seen an evaporator cleaner wich might be worth a try i have never used it myself though.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LUBEGARD-KOOL-IT-EVAPORATOR-HEATER-CORE-CLEANER-AIR-C-/8035444800?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1def32840

I was thinking of trying throttle body cleaner when i do mine lol

vixim
24th April 2012, 12:18 PM
Thanks, ripper.

I had exactly the same gap and fixed it much the same. There was also a bit of seal coming out on the other side of the evaporator, but managed to just poke that back in to place with a screwdriver.

Should have taken you advice on removing the kick panel though, I dropped a screw down behind there while removing the fan housing and it took ages to get it back. lol

bentron
24th April 2012, 05:15 PM
Found a cherry ripe wrapper in my ute after i bought it.

Robo
28th April 2012, 08:51 AM
There's another thread on here that mentioned smell and how to eliminate it.
Good spray of Glen 20 was the answer, ( apart from vac manual hand cleaning ).

Set to fresh air next time you drive on home.
Leave aircon off, give box a good chance to fully dry.
Excess moisture will make it harder for glen 20 to kill germs that are the cause of this smell.

Set to recycle, cool, no aircon, fan set to medium.
give a few good squirt of glen 20 at the air recycle intake under the dash.
may need to do it a couple of times.

might be worthwhile setting to heat also and another squirt.
incase smell has somehow managed to take hold also in the heater box.
cheers