Brandon593

I have a 2013 ES 350 with approximately 40k miles. There has been a buzzing sound coming from underneath the glovebox when the A/C is turned on, and the buzzing gets louder and, if this makes sense, faster, the higher I change the fan setting. Heating/cooling work just fine, so I know this isn’t a refrigerant issue. Originally, I thought there was debris in the cabin air filter, so I removed and cleaned it, but the noise persists. I’m sure it’s the blower that needs to be replaced and the part is relatively inexpensive; however, I know if I bring it to the dealership, the repair will no longer be inexpensive. I’d like to try and do it myself, though I would need a little direction on how to do it. Has anyone done this repair before or know where I can find a manual to guide me?

Thanks!

Also, I did see a post in this forum regarding how to clean the blower on an ES 300h, but I’m not sure if what I’m looking to do would be any different or if there is another way. I don’t usually do my own repairs, so please excuse my ignorance. Thanks again.



I attached a photo of what the part looks like.

lesz

A couple of years ago, I had a mouse that built a nest on top of the cabin air filter. When I removed the cabin air filter, some of the debris from nest dropped down into the HVAC fan. When the fan was operating, I heard a sound similar to what you described (plus odor from the nest material that was now being circulated through the cabin). To get to the fan, some of the "duct" below the fan needs to be disassembled. I had the local Toyota dealer remove the fan, clean and disinfect it, re-install the fan, and replace the cabin air filter. They charged me about $100 to do the work, which I thought was quite reasonable.

I can't say for sure that you have the same problem, but, if debris of any kind was sitting on top of the filter and if it fell into the fan, that could well be cause of your problem. Even if your fan does need to be replaced, I would think that the cost of having the work done by a Toyota dealer or independent shop and not by a Lexus dealer would be fairly low.

Good luck.