Blower motor bearing worn out and needs to be replaced or greased.
The blower motor is located on the passenger side firewall under the hood. On the far left side you will see a power plug going into the plastic housing - around it there are directions like "cut here for motor service."
Disconnect the battery.
1. You will have to remove the PCM (computer.) To do so, remove the three bolts that bolt it to the top of the coolant reservoir. Once the bolts are out disconnect the wiring harness from the back of the computer. First remove the red plastic "lock" that holds each plug in. Once the lock is out you can just pull the connector. Don't worry - these are all color coded and will only fit into the corresponding socket on the PCM.
2. With the PCM out you need to remove the coolant reservoir. again, there are three bolts holding the reservoir down - and you will need to disconnect the two hoses on the bottle itself. One is held in place with a clip coming from the radiator for the coolant inflow. The other is an overflow protection hose which literally dumps coolant on the ground if it reaches too high in the bottle.
It will take some maneuvering to get the bottle out of there but it will come out.
3. Undo the wiring harness clasps and push the harness out of the way. Unplug the power connector going into the blower motor itself. This is a two wire connector.
4. One the blower motor housing you will see directions for the "tear line." This is basically where you are going to need to cut the housing with a utility knife to gain access to the motor itself. There are two little lines running around the outside of the housing - but in between these lines very carefully. It's a soft compound and you only need to cut like 1/8" in. Once you have cut around it, remove three three retaining clips on the housing "joint" and pull out the piece you have cut. You should now be looking right at the blower motor.
5. There are four bolt-headed screws holding the motor in place. Disconnect the hose from the motor on the lower left side. Remove them and remove the motor itself.
6. Put the new motor in place, and screw it back in. Reconnect the hose. If the motor is good, you can remove the tape behind the blower motor and grease the bearing, but if you have the new blower motor, just replace it since your this far in the toe job and just add extra grease to the new blower motor bearing.
7. Replace the cut piece of housing and seal it with weatherstripping sealant. Do not use RTV.
8. Reconnect the power to the motor. Replace clips on the housing seam. Reverse remaining steps to reinstall coolant bottle and PCM.
9. test drive vehicle to store and buy a 12 pack of soda.
10. Take soda home, consume it completely, and think about the good job you did.
