RunnerDriver

Went to run the front heater blower yesterday and nothing except a relay clicking. Dropped the blower fan today and a few cups of water came out when I pulled the three retaining screws. Reached up inside. Looks like motor was being jammed by a block of ice. Needed to replace the noisy motor anyway. Have also been seeing water dripping on the driver side after rain storms.

There is an fresh air intake grill between the wipers that has a screen over it. Is it possible that the drain on that manifold is clogged causing water to get into the heater blower fan? Have the RM046U manual, but don't see anything about drain tubes off that intake box or how to service it. What is the correct name of that fresh air intake assembly and how does it drain?

300k miles and just getting broken in.....

Many thanks!

RunnerDriver

Removed the cover plate with the grill between the wipers. No rust. Looks like water is supposed to drain to each side down the fender or somewhere. With some of the windshield trim molding off, I can see the last wind shield replacement was botched. Installer just put new sealant over some rusted metal. My guess is that is how the water is getting in. Off to find some videos on how to pull the windshield and do it right.

I am gong to try to get down to bare metal, but any recommendations for rust treatments / paints?

RunnerDriver

With the Cowl Louver pulled off, I was able take this photo of the air intake duct that sits directly over the blower fan. Had to shine a flash light up the blower housing to illuminate the far wall of the duct shroud. The big rod is one of the wiper control arms. Theory is that water should flow around the duct shroud and out the fenders. Looks like there are some small cracks in the polymer filler material that seals the duct shroud to the body. If there was a build up of ice/slush/snow around the shroud, I suppose water could have gotten to the blower by seeping through the cracked seal. Next step if it is warm enough, I'll get the garden hose and dump some water in and see if anything is getting through.