Firstfives.org

Chirpy blower fan. Pull top plate cover (635), motor sits in place with two circle straps, flip clips. Fan cylinders on axle enclosed in black plastic shrouds.

Easy enough to get the motor (?), center axle w/ fans on each end out, but what is squeaking, chirping when the dash dial around the clock, fan switch, is turned on ?

Assembly is clean, tight. As I am an electrical boob, I'd like to apply the correct lube ( silicone, WD 40, grease) in the right place to make the third try final.

Probably the bearings that hold each end of the fans shaft. Not an unusual problem. I would use oil......they are hard to get to !
It can be done without disassembling. Like add a length of very small tubing to a small oil applicator.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=64&fg=35

You need to pull out the fan assembly and lube it properly, which is trying to get lube to the felt in what amounts to the bearing housings. Turbine oil works well and has a extension tube, I use a combo of Triflow and ATF or motor oil. I do it repeatedly over a couple of days. Do not use WD40 or liquid wrench or anything like that, they are not lubricants. You need to lube the bearing, but you need to get some into the felt too.

T-
If one removal and refitting is the goal, then it's hard to argue with simply replacing the motor.
I felt the same way, and didn't want to mess with repair of my squeaky motor. I have no regrets. Sure, I lubed the bearings, put the motor back in, and waited (with all plastic shrouding removed) for the new motor to arrive, driving with it as it was in the meantime. The old motor never again squeaked with my re-lubing, but when the new motor arrived, I installed it and buttonned things up. The car sat all winter except for weekly starts. I feel like the money I paid for the new motor is the reason I was nearly guaranteed no squeaky motor when I put the car back into use this spring. The most "correct" thing to do would probably be a fan motor bearing removal and replacement. I cracked (not broke) one fan blade tang while removing the old fan motor. The plastic had become brittle. I have no desire to replace the fan assembly onto a re-bearinged fan motor 12 months down the line, so I think the decision was more safely hedged. I have too many projects (and too many cars) to invest that much effort into resource saving measures.
hth,
-Brian

Thanks to all.

The silly motor is nothing; pulling the eight screws and the top cover, then the six piece plastic flub a dub shrouds, clips, straps is stupid.

When I cleaned everything with electronic spray cleaner I'll bet that cleaned out the bearings too. I used silicone spray on the bearings with the unit out, tipping etc. ( before I read Mike's choices.), ran it without the shrouds. All nice and quiet, even reassembled.

Or maybe the mouse got out with the cover off. Either way I know what's goofy and the choices now, so I win.

We should always win without paying anybody.