How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan

ap0gee · 26-10-2006, 21:40

Now autumn's arrived and the leaves are falling from the trees, you might notice that your ventilation fan starts to make humming / vibrating sounds when it's on 3 or 4. This is because leaves get sucked into the inlet of the fan and get stick in the fan blades. Here's how to get them out. You will need a Torx screwdriver (3mm, I think) and about 10 minutes to do this job:

First, turn on the fan, and set it to re-circ. Once the re-circ's come on and the fan starts to blow harder, turn off the ignition (just to be on the safe side!) Doing this will open a flap on the back of the fan that lets the air from inside the car back into the fan inlet - more on this later:

Sorry for the rubbish cameraphone pics -
they should be good enough to do this, though...

Next, open the passenger door and the glove compartment lid, and push off the D-shaped bit of trim down the side of the dash:

Close the glove compartment lid again, then undo the two screws underneath the dash, just behind where the glove compartment lid hinges down:

Now, use your knee or foot to support the glove compartment unit, open the glove compartment (again!) and undo the three screws along the top edge:

The glove compartment unit will now drop down, and you will be able to see the fan housing in front of you. If you reach right round the back, you can get your fingers inside and pull out any leaves stuck in the fan blades. Turn the blades round a couple of times to make sure you've got everything:

Re-assembly is virtually the reverse of dis-assembly, as they say. You will need to be careful of the passenger footwell air outlet (marked by the dotted line), and you may find it easiest to do it with the passenger door open to give you a bit more room to manoeuvre:

That's it! Enjoy your quiet(er) fan!

(Printer-friendly pdf version attached below...)

Lummox · 26-10-2006, 21:44

Thanks.

Moved to guides section.

WW_VRS · 27-10-2006, 07:31

Good guide, thanks for the clear pics as well

skomaz · 27-10-2006, 13:14

Good guide but another way of doing it (if you have small hands) is to remove the pollen filter and reach up into the fan that way... with the fan off ofcourse!

ap0gee · 04-11-2006, 19:43

Further to the above, I've had to do the same on SWMBO's car, and managed to explode the lamp holder for the glovebox. Here's how it goes together - note the way the spring goes (just in case it happens to you!

) Hope the pics are good enough for you to figure out what goes where!

I've noticed it happens when there are leaves down where the wipers are. If you open the bonnet without clearing away the leaves first, they can drop behind the scuttle panel and then get inside the fan. I'll leave it to you folks to figure out the moral of the story!!!

Ruxpin · 01-02-2007, 19:26

I just had a phone cradle changed and the glovebox light now doesn't work.

Whilst unscrewing the glovebox it fell into the footwell no doubt damaging something.

I have taken a look at the light and switch. The car phone place apears to have tried to bodge it back together - the black switch? in the above 2 photos isn't there and the copper contacts have been bent and i can't see where they are supposed to go.

Does anyone have or are they able to take some better images of the lamp holder and switch so i can try and find all the parts and put it back together.

If not any ideas on cost for replacement of the whole lamp and switch assembly

Cheers Rich

Basil · 02-02-2007, 08:47

Nice one! I noticed that my fan was noisier last summer and took it back to the dealers....

Now I know how to fix it myself - POWER!!!

Reespetc!!! Aye!!!

Basil-Z

ap0gee · 06-02-2007, 12:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruxpin

I just had a phone cradle changed and the glovebox light now doesn't work.

Whilst unscrewing the glovebox it fell into the footwell no doubt damaging something.

I have taken a look at the light and switch. The car phone place apears to have tried to bodge it back together - the black switch? in the above 2 photos isn't there and the copper contacts have been bent and i can't see where they are supposed to go.

Does anyone have or are they able to take some better images of the lamp holder and switch so i can try and find all the parts and put it back together.

If not any ideas on cost for replacement of the whole lamp and switch assembly

Cheers Rich

New photos above - hope they've come soon enough!

deren · 31-01-2008, 21:07

Thank you
I'll try this

rik_t · 03-05-2008, 13:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by skomaz

Good guide but another way of doing it (if you have small hands) is to remove the pollen filter and reach up into the fan that way... with the fan off ofcourse!

I may try this first before taking the car apart (never goes back as it was when I do it)
Where is the pollen filter for me to try this?

ap0gee · 06-05-2008, 09:21

It is were the underside of the glovebox meets the left-hand side of the centre console. There is a long, thin cover running front-to-back, with sliding clips at either end. Move these sliders into the middle, and pull the cover down. You should then be able to slide the filter down and get it out. You may want to put newspaper down or have a hoover handy, as quite a few leaves can collect in there!

HTH

26-10-2006, 21:44	#2
Lummox U18 Automotive Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Newport Pagnell Posts: 21,842 Thanks: 22 Thanked 662 Times in 557 Posts	Re: How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan Thanks. Moved to guides section. __________________ Unit 18 Automotive Services

27-10-2006, 07:31	#3
WW_VRS Escorted Estate Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Oxfordshire/Berkshire Posts: 9,746 Thanks: 44 Thanked 70 Times in 61 Posts	Re: How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan Good guide, thanks for the clear pics as well __________________ WW --->> Project Journal (pic links in first post there) Lummox'/Ross thread on Unit18 Automotive progress on my car: here

27-10-2006, 13:14	#4
skomaz Briskodian Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Sheffield Posts: 874 Thanks: 0 Thanked 38 Times in 38 Posts	Re: How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan Good guide but another way of doing it (if you have small hands) is to remove the pollen filter and reach up into the fan that way... with the fan off ofcourse! __________________ If everything was as reliable as a VW... My Skoda would be at the bottom of the JD Power tables! Octavia II 2.0 TDi 4x4 Estate and Fabia I 1.9 TDi Estate and Modified Mk1 Mazda MX-5 1.8iS

04-11-2006, 19:43	#5
ap0gee ASZ Eternal Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Leafy Chesh-shire Posts: 6,523 Thanks: 324 Thanked 317 Times in 273 Posts	Re: How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan Further to the above, I've had to do the same on SWMBO's car, and managed to explode the lamp holder for the glovebox. Here's how it goes together - note the way the spring goes (just in case it happens to you! ) Hope the pics are good enough for you to figure out what goes where! I've noticed it happens when there are leaves down where the wipers are. If you open the bonnet without clearing away the leaves first, they can drop behind the scuttle panel and then get inside the fan. I'll leave it to you folks to figure out the moral of the story!!! __________________ Last edited by ap0gee; 06-02-2007 at 12:45. Reason: New photos added

01-02-2007, 19:26	#6
Ruxpin Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Leicester Posts: 60 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Re: How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan I just had a phone cradle changed and the glovebox light now doesn't work. Whilst unscrewing the glovebox it fell into the footwell no doubt damaging something. I have taken a look at the light and switch. The car phone place apears to have tried to bodge it back together - the black switch? in the above 2 photos isn't there and the copper contacts have been bent and i can't see where they are supposed to go. Does anyone have or are they able to take some better images of the lamp holder and switch so i can try and find all the parts and put it back together. If not any ideas on cost for replacement of the whole lamp and switch assembly Cheers Rich Last edited by Ruxpin; 01-02-2007 at 19:28.

02-02-2007, 08:47	#7
Basil Hardcore Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Bahrain Posts: 3,175 Thanks: 186 Thanked 184 Times in 144 Posts	Re: How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan Nice one! I noticed that my fan was noisier last summer and took it back to the dealers.... Now I know how to fix it myself - POWER!!! Reespetc!!! Aye!!! Basil-Z __________________ Fab vRS - Black Magic - PD160 intake - Forge FMIC - colour coded front grille -SLC Splitter - K&N Airfilter -SEAT Strutbrace - Jabba ARB - IC Waterspray (need to wire it in!) - 312mm TT brakes - Eibach Springs - Skoda Reversing sensors - Devonutopia Tuning (tm) Custom Exhaust (2 1/4" straight pipe) - Short shifter mod- 5 brake light mod - Helix Steel SMF + Organic Clutch + pressure plate - Peloquin LSD - TD stage 2 Hybrid - Washbrook remapped ECU - Uprated injectors - Cupra bushes -Poly-filled dogbone - Allard racepipe - Pirelli Dragons - Forge Rear Strutbrace - DIY SS upper boostpipe delete -Koni FSD's - elephant pipe CCV mod

31-01-2008, 21:07	#9
deren Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan Thank you I'll try this

06-05-2008, 09:21	#11
ap0gee ASZ Eternal Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Leafy Chesh-shire Posts: 6,523 Thanks: 324 Thanked 317 Times in 273 Posts	Re: How to fix noisy Fabia ventilation fan It is were the underside of the glovebox meets the left-hand side of the centre console. There is a long, thin cover running front-to-back, with sliding clips at either end. Move these sliders into the middle, and pull the cover down. You should then be able to slide the filter down and get it out. You may want to put newspaper down or have a hoover handy, as quite a few leaves can collect in there! HTH __________________

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