C5 MkII Estate - AC / heater fan removal

[Chapron]

Hello,

And many thanks for admitting me to the forum.

We have a C5 MkII Diesel Estate and the fan (heater) has been playing up recently. I won’t bore you with the details but the mechanic we take our cars to has just had a look and says there is nothing obviously wrong with it apart from a slight imbalance. He thinks it will be quite a task getting to it, possibly involving the (presumably rather costly) dismantling of the entire dashboard.

Is he correct or is there an easy(ier) = less expensive way to get to it?

Many thanks for any advice in advance.

[Gibbo2286]

I think we need more about the symptoms but to actually get it out (if with air-con) it's going to need the air-con degassed first. then it's still not a five minute job so not cheap.

[leithant]

So, can't just get the fan? Mine has a vibration at high speed, looks like I'll live with it.

[Clogzz]

Does it start and stop and changes speed ?
Most likely a control module fault.

[Chapron]

Hi, thank you for the replies.

It was a little strange. For quite some time, whenever the fan was running, there was a rattling noise audible. Obviously, due to the pandemic we didn't use the car very often so in between we simply forgot about it. Then one day a few weeks ago the heater was on and all of a sudden I had what looked like whitish smoke coming out of the vent to the left of the binnacle / steering column. I switched it off but a few days later inadvertently switched it on again - this time with NO rattling or smoke.
Now the mechanic says he opened something in the engine bay from where he can see the fan but not actually fully access it (hence my question how to get to it to replace it). They had it running for a few minutes without any sign of smoke or the noise. Maybe some dirt or other had accumulated and had been pulverised? As I said, it’s a strange one.
I just wanted to know what replacing it with a new one might involve in terms of dismantling etc. because if it weren’t too complicated (= expensive) I might have gone for a new one simply to be on the safe side. Not the least because he also said there was a mild imbalance visible when the fan was running.
However, if it is a big job I will leave it for now in the hope that the problem will have solved itself and only have it done if it is unavoidable.

[Clogzz]

The fan is only visible and accessible by removing the glove box.
The pollen filter is accessible from the left side foot well.
Air filters there rarely get changed because they’re a contortionist’s job.