I recently purchase a 2005 XK8 with 43000 miles and it's a great car. However, it just started making a rattling noise from the center of the dash when the heater/air conditioning fan is on. The noise rises and falls in intensity and frequency with the speed of the fan. It sounds like some insulation or a piece of the duct work is in contact with the fan blades. Can anyone confirm this diagnosis and advise me on how best to access the fan blades so I can remove the offending material? Thanks.

Submitted by kenkyle4@earth… on Mon, 08/05/2013 - 23:52

Steve,
Thanks for the info, I suspect you're right about the foam pad coming off one of the recirc doors. Pulling the glovebox for access sounds doable, but I might have to leave the instrument pack removal to the dealer. Just to clarify: Are you saying the XK8 actually has two separate blowers, or just two recirc doors leading to a single blower?

Submitted by stevejag@sbcgl… on Mon, 08/05/2013 - 23:27

Ken,

What you describe sound a lot like one of the blower recirc doors has lost the foam pad from its surface, and it's gotten into the blower impeller. Each blower has a recirc door that's about 7 or 8 inches by about 3 inches. The foam serves to dampen an noise when it closes, and also help seal the door.
It involves some contorting, but you can use a flexible mechanical fingers tool to go thru the open recirc door opening and fish out the foam pad, usually in pieces, but sometimes intact. You just have to determine which blower has lost the foam. On the RH side the glovebox will have to be removed, on the LH side you nay have to remove the instrument pack for access.

Good luck!