Blower motor quit working then starts working. Ideas?

I leave the store today and notice no air coming out of my vents. I have the fan on but it's not working. I turn it on and off but nothing's working. I then drive over some railroad tracks and the fan starts working. I guess the jolt did something.

For the past few months, the fan has been making a light noise like something's stuck in a bicycle rim going around. I've been meaning to take the fandout and look at it.

Does anyone have any ideas what's wrong? Loose ground wire somewere, brushes in fan motor going out, bad relay, or ?????

 

mine has done this a few times. but it keeps on kickin'...

I think the motor and fan gets a bunch of shit built up in it that causes it to freeze up.

I have never really looked into it.

 

my 2000 tacoma starting doing this off and on in 2008. Maybe 3 or 4 times a yr. It finally went out for good in 2010. If i remember correctly the blower motor was about $160 from a toyota dealer. Thats the ONLY part i've had to replace on my truck. Other then normal tires and oil change stuff. I have 300,000 miles on it. Solid little truck!!!!

 

Mine did that for a while before I got it replaced. I just had to reach over to the passenger floor board and tap the bottom of it and it would start working again