2016 AWD Rogue HVAC blower issues

[darrylwmiller]

Back at it with more car repair fun. A couple weeks ago I started the car after coming out from a store and I noticed there was no air movement from the vents even though it was set to high. I assumed it was the blower motor and started driving - after about 2 minutes it came on and was working fine. Both cold and Hot worked as well as all fan speed settings. It has been fine since then, until today.

This morning same thing happened but after a minute it kicked on, but I feel like it was not blowing as much as it once did. I turned it off and back on, and it would start up right away. I left work today and the same delay in the blower starting, however this time when I turned it off and back on it would take a minute to kick back on. I did this several times on the drive home with the same result. Hot and Cold still work and all fan speeds seem to work once it is started.

I have the standard red and blue manual knob to adjust temperature and nothing digital but now I am not sure if it is the blower motor or something else causing this strange issue. Most threads I have read indicate the blower is not working at all.

Looking at Rockauto opens up more things I am unsure of. Blower Motor, Blower Motor control module / resistor, relay. It would almost seem like it would be easier to check if it did not work at all, haha.

Additional Note: I did notice periodically the fan sounded lile it was humming or running a little louder than normal. Almost with some faint clicking noise but now the aound is gone.

[VStar650CL]

The gen2's have brush motors, so it's likely you have weak brushes which are only making contact after you hit a bump or vibrate them a bit. It's also possible the blower relay (located on the back side of the fusebox) has crappy contacts and is doing the same thing, but the motor would be the prime suspect. You can check with a voltmeter if you want to pull the glove box to access the motor connector. If the Yellow wire shows near battery voltage while the fan is misbehaving, the relay is good and the blower is shot. If it shows less than battery and rises sharply after the blower starts, there's resistance in the circuit and the relay is the likely cause.

Clicking from a blower is almost always from pine needles or leaves stuck in the cage. Sometimes the culprits will work themselves loose or break apart, that's probably why it disappeared.

[darrylwmiller]

Thanks Vstar650CL. I will check tomorrow morning when the light is on my side. I just got back home now, and I noticed on my way the blower was substantially lower even turned all the way up. Seems like it keeps getting weaker until it would not start at all during the last 5 minutes of my trip. Dropping the glove box tomorrow.

[VStar650CL]

If the speed is jumping around and it isn't simply a startup issue, you could also be looking at a bad bearing or a blower cage full of debris. The blower isn't hard to remove once the glove box is out, I think I'd pull it and see how easily it spins and what if anything is in the cavity. If the cage is free and there's no mountain of debris, then bolt it back up and take some voltages. This may help you out:
blower-basics-t628180.html

[darrylwmiller]

If the speed is jumping around and it isn't simply a startup issue, you could also be looking at a bad bearing or a blower cage full of debris. The blower isn't hard to remove once the glove box is out, I think I'd pull it and see how easily it spins and what if anything is in the cavity. If the cage is free and there's no mountain of debris, then bolt it back up and take some voltages. This may help you out:
blower-basics-t628180.html

Thanks Vstar, I appreciate the information. Speed is not really jumping around, just not as much power as it once had. I did smack the dash last night and the fan started back up albeit noisy. Heading out in a bit to drop the glovebox and see but I am pretty sure after hearing it last night that I have an issue with either the bearing or blower motor itself.

https://youtu.be/BmG-_kSPO_A?si=hM790jfzIt7Fqilq

Thank you for the blower basics information. Very informative.

[VStar650CL]

If a smack started it then it's almost certainly bad brushes or a debris jam. If you don't find a clot of junk in the cavity, replace the blower.

[darrylwmiller]

Well, failed attempt. I removed the glovebox and 4 screws but could not get the panels to flex enough. I was able to get my hand in and remove the wiring and the screw holding the blower motor in but I could not get enough force to turn the motor clockwise to get it out. I am going to pick up a new motor just in case as I will have to go the route of taking apart some of the dash and do not want to do it twice.

[VStar650CL]

Use a prybar or a long screwdriver to tap-tap the blower past the detente. Once you get it to rotate past the detente, it will pop out easily.

[VStar650CL]

Oh, PS -- The connector is a lot easier to remove with the blower in place so you can put effort on it. Take that loose before you spin it out.

[darrylwmiller]

Will it slide out past the glove box even though I can't get the bottom to flex. I watched a video of a guy doing it but I can't seem to make the plastic bend away like he does in the video even after removing the 4 screws.

https://youtu.be/ImZ04XiDBso?si=pAbyiDcV51ioEgG_

[VStar650CL]

I's a bit of a chinese puzzle, but it should come out. Do you have the upper screws loose on the glove box frame? If you only take the two loose in back, it can be hard to bend the plastic enough, especially if it's cold. You kind of have to warp the whole frame.

[darrylwmiller]

Well, I got it out. Ended up taking dash apart which was fairly quick. It was working when I put a new blower motor in it but I heard clicking like leaves. Silly me pulled it back out shop vac inside the hole and got rid of the leaf. Plug it back in and now it blows the 15amp fuses as soon as I try to turn on the blower.

[VStar650CL]

The only way it can blow both fuses instantly is if the motor is completely stalled. Stalled DC motors can draw up 4 times their rated run current. Take it loose again, something has to be jamming the cage.

[darrylwmiller]

It blew the first 15amp fuse first I believe but cannot be sure, I uses the spare and it blew as well. I exchanged the blower motor for another one this morning and picked up some fuses for backup. I also bought the resistor just in case as I can always return it if I don't use it. The second time I put the fan back in I very gently tapped it counter clockwise so it would lock into place. Could that possibly damage the blower motor? Thanks again for all the support Vstar.

[VStar650CL]

Oh, wait a sec. There are always two 15A fuses in parallel. Did you change both? The blower won't run long with only one, it will work for a few seconds and then pop.

[darrylwmiller]

I only changed one as there was only the one spare. After I got the leaf out of the blower hole when I plugged the fan back in and locked it into place I turned the car back on and I heard a pop from the driver side fuse panel. I took my multimeter and checked the 15amp fuses closest to the driver and it was dead so I replaced it with the spare. It blew as well along with the one further back (I just don't know if initially they both went at the same time). I picked up a bunch of extra fuses today so I can replace both at the same time. The fan was not even getting a chance to start pushing air before it blew.

[VStar650CL]

Well, if you replace both and it still blows both, something is jamming it.

[darrylwmiller]

Thanks for all the help Vstar!!! Put new fan in that I got today after making sure nothing was getting caught on it, changed both fuses and it is working again.

[VStar650CL]

[V6er]

uuuuh, baby... fan replacement was fun thing to do!