DIY: 2005 XC90 2.5T Blower Motor Lubrication Topic is solved

[cn90]

In the video by 1A Auto Parts below, this lady removed all 5 screws without issue!

But this was on a 2003 V70, not sure if the 2003 V70 5th screw is easier than a 2005 XC90?

[oragex]

I got the screws out with a t25 torx 3/8" socket, fits easily in there if you toss a little the sound damping material

[mrbrian200]

That's a lot of work for a temporary fix. Lithium grease isn't really suitable for high speed sleeve bearings. It will gum up, attract dust, and make things even worse in a relatively short time. Fan motors of this type usually have a felt pad surrounding the bearings on each end that when new are soaked with a few drops of light mineral oil like the stuff you'd use on hair clippers. But but short of taking the motor apart and cleaning the dust/junk that's built up on the bearing/armature shaft surfaces I'm not aware of anything you can use on use there that will provide anything other than a temporary improvement.

[cn90]

For me, it is a "permanent fix".
Zero issues on my Volvos and BMWs.
Of course, there is a time when the blower motor quit altogether (when the brushes are down to nothing).
For now, the only issue is dry bearing, and thus the lubrication.

I do the same thing for the Clothes Dryer at home, works great on the bushing.

[thomasjrsharp78]

DIY: 2005 XC90 2.5T Blower Motor Lubrication

- My 2005 XC90 2.5T with 110K miles has squeaky Blower Motor when speed is set at “2 notches or so”. I know the motor needs lubrication. You need to fix this before the friction is too great, causing the resistor to go bad. The whole Blower Motor is $200 (Behr) to $300 (dealer).

I noticed in your original post you said that your resistor is not bad, obviously you know this because it still works, my blower motor works intermittently, it used to work more than not, now that it's 90*+ outside, it works not more than it works. I'm trying to ID which thing is bad. I'm pretty sure that my A/C is cooling, so the CCM seems to be working it just doesn't blow.....well, it kinda blows. How do I determine if it's the BM or the resistor?

[mrbrian200]

Get a spare pigtail/plug for the blower motor off a salvage car. Connect the Blower Motor to a 12v DC power source, such as a spare battery or 10A or greater battery charger. If the motor blows good and strong powered directly by this external DC source, then the issue is the resistor (or possibly the CCM). If the motor doesn't blow strong connected this way, replace the blower motor.

[cn90]

- UPDATE 1.5 years later, this lube still works, blower motor quiet.

- Pinout of connector for trouble-shooting. Google for the images of pinout.
Someone told me you can use a 9V battery (such as in smoke alarm) and provide current to the blower, only for the purposes of testing.

[thomasjrsharp78]

Well, my 5th screw tab is broken because I'm impatient. Anyway, I replaced the resistor and the blower works better than it ever has. However, I pulled the resistor from an '06 v90, so it's actually older. I followed your lube procedure, so hopefully it will last!

[cn90]

UPDATE six (6) years later...

I wrote this DIY in Nov 2017 for the 2005 XC90 at 110K miles.
It is now Nov 2023, and six (6) years later ~ 132K miles or so.

This lubrication trick works, blower motor still runs quietly.

[erikv11]

The blower motor in my S60 started squeaking in the winer of 2018, and got worse until it was almost screeching by the spring. I didn't do anything to it but into the spring the noise went away.

UPDATE 6.5 years later: motor is still whisper quiet.

The procrastination trick works!

Seriously though - because the blower shaft uses a bushing type bearing, it may be that the reason a drop of lubrication is effective long term is not because the lube lasts forever, but because the friction-bearing surfaces change over time. Just like they do to cause a squeak in the first place. If it's that gunk gets lodged in there or similar, the gunk can wear down or get pushed out. Basically, the squeak goes away.

TLDR: A drop of of light oil as lube will likely fix the issue short term but the hassle of removing the blower is not always necessary. White lithium grease may or may not be a good idea as it is more likely to cause gunk accumulation.