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    ellehcim88 New Member

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    Location:
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    Your Vehicle Year:
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    I am having the same problem with my 2008.

    I found a blower motor assembly for $34 ($50 with shipping)
    here autopartsfair .com

    And I found out how to fix it here
    selidori.com/tech/prius/DOC/Tech2006/AC%20-%20Air%20Conditioning.pdf

    Wish me luck!

    ~Michelle
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    ellehcim88 New Member

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    Oh, and BTW I'm at 37,500 miles. Just 1,500 past my warranty. :mad:
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    awonaut New Member

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    Model:
    Three
    The cheapest way to fix this problem, as was stated earlier in this thread:

    A medium sized kick to the underside of the glovebox, way down by the firewall (that's where the motor is mounted), just an upward kick to that plastic panel does it every time. Old school style.

    I think the fan motor just needs a little jolt to get it going, sometimes driving over a pot hole will do it.
    1 people like this.
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    Montex New Member

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    Thank you for the post regarding the Prius blower unit replacement pictures. I contorted myself into a pretzel under my passenger-side dash to perform this. Upon close inspection of my failed blower (on y 2008 model), I noticed a rust on the top of the motor shaft. The removeable bottom 'pan' of the blower housing has a WATER DRAIN in the LF corner! So, it was designed to carry WATER out and away from this pan! The design engineers KNEW this - hence the drain hole, that must exit under the vehicle someplace. The cabin air filter is of marginal quality and design - very thin and seemingly fragile. I could see that it did not do a very good job of filtering, due to the internal carbon-looking dust layer that resided on all surfaces of the bottom 'pan.' After I removed the 'pan', I took it to the sink for a quick wash and dry.

    I would recommend inspecting and replacing the cabin air filter often (every 6-months in a smoggy city driving environment like I drive in each day). As for water invading the blower housing and fan assembly - its designed such that water is able to enter directly over the blower unit, collect at the bottom of the pan, and drain out of the vehicle via this drain at the LF corner of the pan.

    Re-installing the blower and the pan is a pain-in-the-tail. Get help from your favorite contortion artist to perform this task. It took me over an hour, with a few breaks in between. Marginally designed for serviceability, the pan and blower assembly are quite hidden under the dash. If it weren't for your detailed pictures, a casual mechanic might be hard-pressed to see how to remove the bottom 'pan' to discover the blower mounted within. This is R/R is not a fun task, but is rewarding when you get your blower working again! :rolleyes:
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    Montex New Member

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    Yeah, I smacked the dash for awhile too. It worked for me too, but ultimately had to replace the blower unit. :cool:
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    pEEf Engineer - EV nut

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    The "black stuff" in the bottom of the motor is carbon from the worn brushes. This is normal for a brushed DC motor, is it not something that somehow got through the cabin filter.

    Eventually we will probably see these motors move to a BLDC design that has no brushes, then the only wear component will be the bearings. Until then, they all have a limited life, this is just a limitation of the design.

    Once the brushes are nearing the end of their life, this is when you will start to see intermittent behavior and the "kick to restart" fix will work for a bit.

    It may be possible to take the motor apart and find some new brushes, but with a whole new assembly not being that expensive, it's probably not worth doing.
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    StephGuida New Member

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    Just found this thread...our heater isn't blowing. :mad:
    2007, 63k on it. Have performed all suggested maint at dealer.

    My control panel is working & I can feel the faintest of heat coming from vents but no blowing at all. When I needed defrost & hit the button, no air or sound but eventually windshield cleared. When heat/ac is turned on, I am hearing a very low, constant hum type sound.

    Not sure what to try 1st & if someone as car "un-savy" as myself should try & figure this out.
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    pEEf Engineer - EV nut

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    Set the blower on high, and then try the "kick" method described above. If this works, then it is indeed your blower motor.
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    sendconroymail One Mean SOB

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    I had the same problem with my blower. Whenever it happens I would open the glove box (pull off the tabs so it swings down), pull out the filter for the a/c, turn off the a/c, spin the blower a good spin by hand, and then quickly turn on the a/c again. Worked ever time. Eventually I sprayed WD40 in the blower with the filter out and let it sit overnight. It has not done it since.
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    sendconroymail One Mean SOB

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    BTW kicking the dash is not a good idea. Your going to break something else.
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    pEEf Engineer - EV nut

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    Probably your foot if you kick that hard!
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    BigFatGuy Junior Member

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    I just did this tonight and wanted to add a couple things.
    First, this is easy. I looked over the thread, looked at the pictures in here, and went at it. 45 minutes, and a Philips and a flat head screwdriver... done. If you've changed your own oil, you can do this.
    Second, I found the blower motor on rockauto for $45 shipped. It works fine.
    Last, thanks for help. This forum is great. :)
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    Greatgarage New Member

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    THANKS SEAWATER!! Worked like a charm!
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    Mike Mc Junior Member

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    I had to replace the blower motor in our '06 2 years ago. It would run intermittently and then stop. A little bang on the glovebox (not recommended) started it back up. I ordered a new blower motor from Rockauto it's only $36.89 today! I got the TYC put it in and it has worked fine for 2 years. The installation was rather easy, it took me 30 min from start to finish.
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    priusbee Member

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    This maybe is a design defect. The brush from the assembly housing is not exerting enough tension to the commutator in oder to have a good connection to cause the electric motor to turn.
    Is it possible to bend the tensioner in the brush so it will have more tension.
    Also, check the brush to see it is not warned, replaced with new brush if warned.
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    Biking Maniac Junior Member

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    This thread saved us a lot of worry and a bunch of money. Thanks to all who contribute. My daughter has a 2005, one of our 4 Prius ('01, '05, '06 and '12 PIP) in Florida, a long way from Wisconsin. Two nights ago, the AC stopped, the engine stopped, and she was on battery only for a few miles. She was ready to call for a tow truck, but called me and I hopped on to Prius Chat. I think what happened is the fan stopped, so the computer shut off the AC, and for reasons we cant explain, the car went to stealth mode. I had her tap the fan with her foot (actually she kicked it) and sure enough it started running. Off to Advance Auto parts for a replacement, but driving in comfort instead of 95 degree heat. The sum of the knowledge of Prius owners is incredible. Thanks!!
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    AwesomeAccessory New Member

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    Frustrated as hell with the AC not working all the time, I decided to try the kick idea.

    I took an empty 2 liter soda bottle, and one whack later, I had AC.

    I felt like a real mechanic after that.
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    popptj2001 Junior Member

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    hm
    Last edited by popptj2001, May 13, 2013 at 12:41 AM
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    nh7o Off grid since 1980

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    The fan motor ends up with sticky or worn brushes. It is possible to free them up, replace the brushes, or replace the motor entirely. Definitely better alternatives than whacking.
    Britprius likes this.

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