Blower motor making noise after filter change

[tobypine2]

2016 LT with 100k on it. We got it with 60k and I figured time to replace the cabin filter. Did so, making sure airflow went down and couple days later, wife informs me the blower motor makes a motor noise when it’s turned up all the way. Doesn’t sound like a bearing to me, more like the motor is laboring. Anyone else have something like this? Is there something I could have missed replacing the filter? There was some odd plastic black filter like material on top of the old one along with leaves and dust and other detritus I couldn’t place.
Any help or suggestions would be welcome. Thanks.
Also, if the motors on its way out, how involved is replacing it? I can do moderate repairs myself but if we’re talking taking the whole dash apart etc I might want to get help for that.

Thanks again

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Did you clean out the blower motor box before you inserted the new filter? Often, larger stuff (leaves, etc) some into the box, and the filter replacement moves them around.

 

[OR VietVet]

1. You should remove the filter and see if the noise continues. If not and comes back when replace it, you have an interference problem of some sort.

2. When you do remove the filter, look up in the cavity and see if you see anything in there.

3. if filter is removed and still have noise, then drop the blower out of there and inspect the squirrel cage and feel for a bearing problem.

 

[tobypine2]

Sorry for the delay in response. Between the storms last Friday, cleanup over the weekend, and kids, I finally got a chance to take the filter back out and run it. Noise continues, with slight variance and air pressure when the filter was put back in. I was able to touch the cage, and I'd think one could spin it a bit with just fingers, but it didn't want to budge much, which makes me think the bearing is going out. I haven't had the time to take the dash apart enough to disassemble it, but I'm thinking I'll just order a newer motor and swap it out. Electrical things are easy enough for me.

BTW OR VietVet, thank you sir. My dad was in country '67-68 with the 716th MPs stationed in Saigon during and after Tet. He's still got a South Viet flag he "acquired" from the airport's flagpole.

 

[OR VietVet]

Thanks for your kind words @tobypine2. The blower motor wheel, used to be called "squirrel cage", should spin freely and motor is likely source of noise. I know in my 05 Z71 the resistor/wiring harness is also a known problem and was replaced at same time when I did my motor. On your newer motor, I am not sure about that but hopefully another member will chime in and share that info.

By the way, if you want a member's attention put the @ sign in front of their screen name and that member(s) will get a notice.

 

[travisk]

Id bet money something was on top of the cabin filter when you removed it, it got raked off the top of the filter and fell down into the blower motor "squirrel cage" when you removed the filter. Had the exact same thing happen to mine and it was a total b***ch getting two tiny leaves out of there using a combination of a mirror, camera on my phone, flashlight and a dropped bolt/nut grabber. I finally got the last little piece outa of there after jacking with it for an hour when I just said fk it and just jammed my hand down in the little slot where the filter came out of and there by peeling a thin layer of skin of the top of my hand in the process. I will certainly try and find a way to clean off the top of the filter before removal next time.

 

[L8T BURB]

I had the same exact thing happen when changing the cabin filter on my 2015 Suburban last month. I pulled the blower motor, and sure enough there was 2 very small pieces of leaf debris that fell into the motor. I removed those, put it back together and it's good as new now!