Hi all, I've noticed over the last few days that the heater in my 2008 fiesta doesn't work on speeds 1 and 4, and also it now makes a whiny screechy noise that's linked to fan speed, it sounds a bit like something is catching slightly somewhere, and oddly it's worse when I turn left, if I'm driving in a straight line it's intermittent and if I'm turning right it almost stops altogether.

I'm guessing it'll be the resistor pack for the speeds and possibly a new blower motor for the noise, is it as much as a pig to remove the unit as I think it might be, as from what I've read it looks like I might need to employ the help of a contortionist.

Thanks in advance 🙂

Might not need a new motor, it might just need the bearings on the ends of the armerture shaft lubricating. 

7 hours ago, clarkey1984 said:

the heater in my 2008 fiesta doesn't work on speeds 1 and 4, and also it now makes a whiny screechy noise that's linked to fan speed, it sounds a bit like something is catching slightly somewhere, and oddly it's worse when I turn left, if I'm driving in a straight line it's intermittent and if I'm turning right it almost stops altogether.

It is worth changing the resistor first, though if speed 4 is the max, it is a bit unusual, as that is a direct connection. I am not 100% on the Fiesta, but on my car the resistor was cheap, and even I managed to change it without too much swearing! I am much too ancient and stiff to be anything like a contortionist. Though it was fiddly. A typical case of look at the area, and remember key points, then work entirely by feel to remove & install the thing.

Giroscopic forces on a rotating mass like the fan will cause appreciable up or down force on the impeller when the car is turning. Enough to make duff bearings squeal, or to allow a cracked impeller to touch the casing, maybe. Changing the fan is probably a very time consuming and difficult job, sadly.

19 hours ago, Tdci-Peter said:

It is worth changing the resistor first, though if speed 4 is the max, it is a bit unusual, as that is a direct connection. I am not 100% on the Fiesta, but on my car the resistor was cheap, and even I managed to change it without too much swearing! I am much too ancient and stiff to be anything like a contortionist. Though it was fiddly. A typical case of look at the area, and remember key points, then work entirely by feel to remove & install the thing.

Giroscopic forces on a rotating mass like the fan will cause appreciable up or down force on the impeller when the car is turning. Enough to make duff bearings squeal, or to allow a cracked impeller to touch the casing, maybe. Changing the fan is probably a very time consuming and difficult job, sadly.

Thanks isetta and tdci-peter, that's very informative, I'll have a look next week as I booked it off early so I get a decent Christmas break, if its going to be a real pain (I suffer with lower back problems) then I'll elect to simply turn the radio up a bit haha.