Debris in Cabin Fan

[Shiseiji]

Hi all. Anyone else had any debris end up in the cabin fan?

 

Started MINI after riding my bike a couple of days and immediately had a severe vibration. Turning off the fan killed it, so I knew where to look.

 

I pulled the cabin filter and dumped out a couple of cups worth of leaves, but can't get my hand up to the fan. I'm going to try a bore scope and mechanical fingers (because I own a pair) and a small vacuum wand if that won't work, but thought I'd ask if anyone else has been down this path. Bad enough having to police leaves out of the fenders, but the heater???

 

TIA

 

Ron

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

YIKES! No I haven't had this problem.

[Shiseiji]

Hope you never do! I've read over how to pull the fan, the dash has to come out. So I'm really hoping I haven't broken a blade!

Edited September 25, 2013 by Shiseiji
Ops

[cmcveay]

I'm kind curious how you'd get that kind of stuff in the cabin air filter. How long was it sitting? I sure hope you didn't have some kind of vermin building a nest. If you can't get it out with the smaller vacuum, it might be worth getting an industrial strength shop vac to see if you can pull any other chunks back out.

 

Never had this problem with the MINI but my jeep did this a couple of times and I finally just removed the entire fan, heater core and all. Heck, it never had a top on it so it's not like it was ever going to do very much for me anyway...

[RDG_RCR]

Though I'm not too familiar with the MINI, this is a common theme on every car forum I've been a member of. I changed out Sara's cabin filter on her civic SI and found similar items including bird feathers, pine needles, and even cigarette butts. It's amazing what you can find in there.

[Shiseiji]

I'm not sure what the air route is, if cabin air is pulled through the filter into the squirrel cage, vice versa, or both depending on recirculation vs. fresh air setting.

 

I "may" have an issue with Mini of Alexandra who installed a new filter last year during my, ah, annual service (less than 6k miles last year): One end of the filter is crushed in and that could have been the path for the debris to get past the filter into the fan.

 

UPS will be delivering the bore scope, an inexpensive cam on a cable that will connect to my netbook, later today. Other obligations, light, etc. it will probably be tomorrow before I can see if it will work to get a look up in there.

 

Darn MINI, the dash has to come out to get to the fan.

 

RDG, thanks for the comment. Nice to not be the Lone Ranger despite the PIA.

 

More to follow. As always, thanks everyone for their assistance.

[Shiseiji]

 

Field mice at their best! :ahhhhh:

 

FYI, the fan is right up against the filter box, I think I reached up into the external air duct and thought the fan was out of reach.

 

Suck broom took care of it. The filter bend wasn't permanent so I probably did it pulling the thing out. So all's well that end's well. Pictures were taken through the bore scope.

 

Thanks everyone for offering their input and support!

Edited September 30, 2013 by Shiseiji
Left out detail.