Xantia V6 squealing radiator fan ?

[Mandrake]

After coming back from a longish drive today I got out of the car while it was still running and heard what sounds like one of the radiator fan bearings squealing for its life. I managed to catch this on my phone while it was still doing it:



It was still doing it with the key on, fan running but engine stopped, so it can't be anything mechanical on the engine. I've heard a faint squeal/whine while driving on rare occasions before and been paranoid enough to think it was the oil pump in the gearbox but it looks like it could have been a radiator fan all along.

I couldn't really tell which fan it was or whether it was both, what are my chances of fixing it ? I assume its a bumper off job to get at the fans... if I removed the fans can they be stripped down so the bearings can be greased or are the bearings likely to be shot meaning I need a couple of new fans ? Anyone been down this road before ?

[citroenxm]

Not on a V6 I havent.. only on TD xantias..

The Securing Bolts for the fans are tricky to get at.. IIRC from behind the radiators..

If they are ALL the same I may be able to sort some replacment fans, after a few TD's that have gone lately..

[RichardW]

Doesn't sound too happy Simon!

Vert vega has chapter and verse here - http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... 11&t=35706

Got to be worth at least taking the fan off, and introducing the front bearing to some lubrication. I'd take the battery off to avoid any possibility of a fan starting unexpectedly when you were working on it! I've got some old cranked ring spanners that won't be too upset if they need an end chopping off - one of my fans is not exactly quiet, but not as noisy as that one....

[Mandrake]

Nice find Richard! I didn't realise that on the Series 2 you can remove the grill below the middle of the bonnet and get the fan blade out without taking the bumper off... that makes it a much easier job. I'll see if I can pick up a sacrificial 10mm ring spanner for the job.

I agree - it couldn't hurt to try to get some grease into the bearings, they only make that noise very occasionally and only when everything is good and hot, that's the only time I've caught it making the noise when I'm not actually in the car. It does sound like a completely dry bearing rather than a damaged bearing as such so if I can get grease into the bearing it should help. Failing that I guess I'll need to pick up a couple of 2nd hand motors and recondition/grease them before swapping...

[addo]

I have found that Series 2 car fans have the rear self-aligning porous bush under-clearanced to the motor shaft. When it binds, you are hearing the bush spin inside the retaining "fingers". Soon enough these lose their temper and you have two options - a bodgy fix with excess clearance and some fan wobble, or new motors.

It takes long term immersion to damage the front (sealed) bearings.

[Mandrake]

So you don't think a bit of grease on the bush would be worth trying ? Is it a teflon bush or metal ? If they come out as easily as it looks with the appropriate modified spanner I might give it a try anyway. It's not like it squeals all the time, this is the first time I've caught it red handed squealing, although I have occasionally heard a few seconds of what is probably the same noise when driving long distances, but its very faint inside the car so hard to be sure. Worst case I pick up a couple of motors somewhere.

[xantia_v6]

I have not had much success with lubrication when they get noisy.

Note that Xantia fans come in at least 3 power ratings, depending on the engine size and expected climatic conditions. For a V6 without the cold climate pack, the fans are the same as a 1.8i, for a car with cold climate (i.e with headlight washers), a smaller fan is used (but I cant remember which models it crosses to (see service.citroen). If in doubt, fit a pair of fans from a donor car (to keep them balanced).

[Mandrake]

Thanks for the advice guys. I picked up a sacrificial deep reach 10mm ring spanner from B&Q tonight for £4.95, I think this will do the job nicely with the other end cut off: (if I've judged the reach of the spanner properly from vert vegas pictures)



Don't worry Richard, I don't plan to tackle the fans as well this weekend, (unless you're feeling like a glutton for punishment!) but if you could put "Mr A Grinder" to work on cutting the spanner to length that would be much appreciated, somehow I don't think my hacksaw would be up to the job.

[xantia_v6]

I think that that spanner might struggle to fit, as the nuts are in a recess that is only a few mm larger than the nuts.

[addo]

Possibly.

My solution used a 10mm quarter drive socket with hex flats ground on the outside; then turned with an open-ender because I don't have a set of the Blue-Point dead flat ratcheting spanners. A magnetic pick-up tool is handy to have close by as well, for the nuts will inevitably have a crack at a running away.

[Mandrake]

You could be right, I'll give it a try anyway. I was thinking that a modified socket might be another way to go - just weld a small rod onto it at right angles!