Beware Autumn Leaves!

[steve2001]

My aircon fan/blower started to make an annoying buzzing noise recently, which got louder the more you increased the blower speed. Sounded like a propeller on a model plane!

Given how quiet the PHEV runs normally, I booked it into dealers today as it was really bugging me. Out of curiosity, last night I flipped the bonnet up and found lots of dried leaves and dried stalks in the mesh tray where the blower 'sucks' the air in from the outside. Not sure how they got in it there - looks like there is a rubber seal around the tray? The mesh gaps are not very fine though.

Sure enough the dealer just called me - there we leaves inside the blower rubbing against the fan. They are charging me a small 'token' amount as this is not covered under warranty. Respect to Luscombe Mitsubishi Leeds - I had a trouble free first service as well they are very good.

Anyways, you need to watch out if you park under or near trees in autumn and regularly check/clear the mesh tray under the bonnet. This has never happened to me before with any other car in 30 yrs of motoring, but there is a first time for everything I suppose?

 

[maby]

Same issue that was indirectly to blame for the spate of Vauxhalls catching fire recently. In that case, the leaves were blocking the air intake, causing the fan to overload and burn out and an inappropriate repair was causing wiring to overheat and catch fire.

 

[westdevon]

It seems a bit unfair to charge you for this!

It's not unusual to get falling leaves in autumn is it?

Nothing in the manual under regular maintenance about clearing the intake out either :!:

 

[steve2001]

Same issue that was indirectly to blame for the spate of Vauxhalls catching fire recently. In that case, the leaves were blocking the air intake, causing the fan to overload and burn out and an inappropriate repair was causing wiring to overheat and catch fire.

Now you mention I remember seeing some videos of Zafira's on fire. I am glad I got it sorted now!

 

[steve2001]

It seems a bit unfair to charge you for this!

It's not unusual to get falling leaves in autumn is it?

Nothing in the manual under regular maintenance about clearing the intake out either :!:

I am in two minds about this.

On the one hand I agree was far too easy for the leaves to get sucked into the fan because the mesh has quite large gaps. There is no other filter out stop them and nothing in the manual as you say. You could call it a design fault.

But the dealer charge was very reasonable and they are not a charity I guess.

 

[greendwarf]

It's not unusual to get falling leaves in autumn is it?

Tell that to Network Rail :lol:

 

[Driver5]

Token payment or not, i would of not been impressed to be invoiced for a design fault.

What happens if the fan had overheated and burnt out? I would expect the dealer to pay but going by them having to charge you for been proactive it would suggest it would be your fault to pick up the bill.

To clear the leaves, if it involves removing any plastics the dealer should be doing it at regular servicing.

Its not up to the owner to start remove trim pieces really is it ? Fair do's with blocked draining....

 

[greendwarf]

I really don't understand this - so I've just looked under my bonnet and yes there were a few leaves in the grill trap (this is after 2 autumns under the wisteria across my car port) but the grill is fairly small so I find it difficult to believe that anything of a serious size would get thro'. Certainly not big enough to interfere with the fan - most would be shredded anyway.

However, what might get thro' (especially from the wisteria) is one of the long leaf stalks which are stronger but you would have to be very unlucky to get one to drop into the tray (which it would have to do horizontally) and then turn 90 deg to get thro' the mesh in such a confined space.

The arrangement seems no more of a "design fault" than on any other car.

 

[jaapv]

If this is a design fault, just about all cars I know have it; it is always possible for stuff to enter the intake

 

[Neverfuel]

The mirror glass will also accept anything as big as an oak leaf which can jam the mechanism if enough get in - most will come out if you spray the mirror with a high pressure washer, but others need to be prized out once wet with something like a wooden skewer.