WRX Air Con squeal inside cabin?

[bpwain]

Hi folks,

 

I've been lurking in here for a good while, but this is my first post. Hope you may be able to help......

 

After months of searching, today I've put down a deposit on what will be my first subaru, a 60-plate WRX STI saloon. My order has come with a few conditions for the dealer to meet, the biggest of which is to fix an annoying squeak from the A/C... But they're struggling so I'm hoping for some help in diagnosing it for them so I can get what seems otherwise a very good car.

If you have just the blowers on, everything is fine but as soon as (and only when) the A/C is switched on there is what sounds like a squeak or chirp almost like a fan squeaking. This can only be heard in the cabin, the only noise from the compressor under the bonnet is subtle and nothing like the squeak heard inside so I don't feel that this is the cause.

Any suggestions??

I did wonder if there is a secondary fan in the cabin for A/C only?? Seemed unlikely to me.

I'm told that so far the dealer has vac tested and re-gassed the system and this hasn't fixed it. Am I correct in thinking that there's a cabin air filter and blower unit housed behind the glovebox?

 

Any info gratefully received.

 

Cheers,

Ben

 

Sent from my KFSUWI using Tapatalk

 

 

[Jay762]

Wotcha and welcome - There is a pollen filter in the glovebox but that wouldn't give a squeak as you describe - dont know about a secondary blower

this shows the pollen filter and blower

https://parts.northendsubaru.com/a/Subaru_2010_STI-S-SEDAN-25L-TURBO-6MT-4WD/_54104_6025965/HEATER-SYSTEM-HEATER-SYSTEM-BLOWER--COOLING-UNIT/G12-720-03.html

[bpwain]

Thanks for the reply.
I've also now found a workshop manual, and yes as suspected it's a single blower but uses doors/flaps to direct the air. My guess is that there's something going on with either one of these doors or a bit of debris around the evaporator.
Hopefully the dealership technicians can trace it tomorrow, so far they've had no luck :-(

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[Jay762]

Sounds good fingers crossed - the picture doesn't show the small rodent in place to turn the blower wheel - maybe when you are selecting aircon it is too cold for the little fella 😀

[bpwain]

Looks like they've given up and are now saying to me that they can't fix it. Pretty gutting as it's otherwise a nice car. Not sure how big of a rabbit hole it could be if I took it :(

[Jay762]

I think you are correct in associating the flap location and movement with the squeal. Dependant on how much they would discount the model I would consider it and then pull the lot apart. I disassembled my 08 STI to remove a load of leaves from the fan as someone previously had removed the filter. It all comes apart quite easily