blower fan noise

My wife''s 2001 Sebring developed a new noise this week. When you turn on the blower fan you hear a rattling sound from behind the glove box, or someplace under it perhaps. It happens on any control setting (air, floor, defrost) 1 2 3 or 4.
 
Is it hard to get to the blower fan on this model Chrysler? I am hoping perhaps something got caught near the blower motor, but also wonder if it could be the motor itself?
 
Wife is not amused with the new sound, and I hate to take it to the dealer since it is far away from where we live.
 
Thanks!
 
George

The blower motor is accessible from the inside of the passenger compartment. There is a kickpanel to remove that has a couple of push pins that hold it. Then the motor is right there. On another vehicle I was able to remove the dead leaves by opening the incoming air vent at the top of the firewall rather than removing the blower motor. Perhaps you may be able to get in that way as well.

Thanks, I will check into both options. I hope it is something lodged down in the air duct way.

I opened up the incoming air vent in front of the wind shield and saw there was another screen in there prohibiting entry of objects so I backed out.

Then proceeded to remove the kick plate and noticed the blower motor is installed vertically upward. Two screws appeared to hold it in place. When I put my hand on the motor the sound and pitch of the noise would change or go away. Weird.  So I proceeded to take the two screws off.  After taking the first one off, I realized I could not get at the second one easily. Out of curiosity I turned on the fan motor after the one screw was removed and the sound was now gone.  Double weird.   So perhaps I am dealing with a motor that is in the early stages of wearing out?  Strange how removing one of the two screws and also pressing on the motor (even though it is mounted) would make the sound go away or reduce the intensity. 

I am curious to see if removing the second screw will make the motor drop down, or if there is more holding it in place. I would expect from an engineering perspective that two philip screws would not hold a motor in place but it is more a covering of some sort.

Are there blue prints out on the web illustrating removing the motor on a Sebring?

Thanks!!

George

I would say that something has just fallen loose over time, maybe a screw came loose, and is in the blower motor/squirrel cage.  I would remove the motor and check everything out, can''t lose anything by doing that.  Check the casing of the motor itself, as it is magnetic and will sometimes hold a metal object without you knowing it.  I think you are really close to finding the problem.
 
Hope this helps.