That annoying clicking sounds by the a/c/heater fan...

I read several threads on this problem on here like this one, but I'm not convinced I have the exact same problem. I've got a 1st Gen, 2000 PreRunner, about 80k, all stock.

I noticed a clicking sound when I turned on the heater fan about a month ago, and thought there was frozen moisture inside the fan or maybe some fragments of plastic, dirt, or whatever. Guess I should have checked then, because this morning the problem was worse.

It doesn't squeak or squeal like some of the others I've read on here. It sounds like a piece of paper is rubbing against the fan, more like a brushing sound, or a loose wire fell down and gets caught intermittently in the blades. It happens at all speeds.

I'm going to start by cleaning it, but here's the weird thing, that I didn't see in any other posts on this: my outside air vent is suddenly harder to switch open or closed, either way.

Same problem, or something else?

 

i have the same problem on my '06 dc but cant seem to find the problem. I think i might be a piece of something like you said because the higher i turn on the heat/cool the clicking gets quicker

 

So yeah, took the blower off and checked the air filter and looks like Fivel's been living in my air system for God knows how long. Problem is I don't know if he's still in there so I set a trap in the filter box. Also a little concerned the mouse could be further into my engine after taking the air filter off, but we'll see.

The blower still works, but there was black mesh netting all tangled up in the motor that I have no idea where it came from?

Any ideas? Is there a filter for the blower? I can't seem to find one, but I have no idea where else this fabric would have come from, other than maybe around the housing where the fan sits.

Any ideas?

 

My dad had this happen in his Corolla. I was changing his cabin air filter, i pulled it out and it was full of some really randow crap. As i went to put the new one in it wouldn't go. Thats's because apparently there was a mouse nest inside his a/c. It was a mess there was insulation from inside my parents house, some thread, pieces of newspaper and to make matters worse when i pulled the filter out it all fell into the blower. I think he has to clean his dash daily. Good luck with your adventures.

 

I'm wondering if that's what the black mesh stuff is. It's all tangled up from spinning in the blower motor and doesn't look like it would be very good insulation, so maybe the mouse pulled it in there?

But there's quite a bit of it, which makes me wonder how on earth it got in there in the first place? It looks like it was inside the passenger side fender where the filter is, and I guess it could have gotten in when the vent was open.

There weren't too many droppings so it may have left long ago, but I set two traps in the truck and one outside, so we'll see.

 

how do you get to the air filter? isnt it behind the glove compartment?...

 

try this..taken from http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=215238&page=2

 

I found a bunch of leaves and some droppings in the air filter in the engine compartment. I didn't see any cab filter behind the glove box. If there was, it was around the blower and that could be the crap I pulled out of it.

All the replacement blowers I found didn't seem to show any filters.

I have a 2000 PreRunner. If I'm not mistaken the newer ones have the cab filters behind the glove box, but I'm not sure.

 

That mesh netting I mentioned? The lining on the under side of my hood.

The lil' punk mouse was ripping it off by the yard and shoving it into my a/c ducts and blower.

Cleaned it out, put everything back, and there was more the next morning. Set traps that night, next day nothing. Traps are still set for the day, but if I don't get this guy it'll drive me nuts.

My concern now is how many other places there are droppings in the my ducting that I'll be inhaling every time I run the blower.

Any suggestions on how to check or clean out my ducting?

 

Another update:

Mouse alive and kicking and pissing me off, because now it chewed through a wire and truck won't start.

I've attached a picture of the plug that goes into the engine block (circled in green) and the other end that was connected to what was left of the wire (green arrow), which I was able to remove. The one in the middle is about 3/4in in diameter, right behind the radiator hose mount, on the engine side of the belt housing.

My first question does what is this wire control? I am guessing something to do with fuel injectors.

Second, how do you get disconnect? It's really hard to access, or even see, but it feels like there's a clip on it, but I can't get it.

 

I'm getting the same ticking sound from my 2010 Tacoma! Is the procedure you outlined the same for this vehicle?

 

I used the procedure mentioned above for my 2010 Tacoma. I loosened the screws in the faceplate and that definitely reduced the sound but didn't eliminate it. I bought some graphite (not WD 40) to spray into the base of the motor because there was still a little bit of that annoying sound. Seems to have disappeared. We will see what happens after a few days.

 

stupid mouse !

 

After a year of hearing that god awful noise its finally gone!! Thanks!

 

I believe mine just started making the clicking noise too. Starting to get annoying!

 

Have the fan on when you are putting screws back in, this seems to make all the difference. One screw tighter than the other and it will off balance and start the clicking again. Found this out after many of do overs.