Thanks for the video. I have completed this many times, but I recently did it and the motor is still squeeling slightly. Any ideas? The motor is not too old as Maxxair had sent me a new one as I had a squeel issue before. Thanks again!
Perfect instructions. One thing to note… you do not need to remove the snap ring. The bottom plate will come off if you angle it and you don’t have to remove the snap ring.
I didn't realize this was a 5 year old video. I recently purchased a 23 Travato and noticed at low speed the MaxxAir has a small squeak that goes away at higher speeds after owning it for 6 months. Now I know how to approach this. Thanks.
Excellent tutorial. I had never taken apart an electric motor so this was a great introduction. Very helpful to point out how to wrap the wire around the plastic tabs to retain the brushes. My maxxair fan has been chirping or ticking at low speed. I cleaned the motor innards (wasn't that dirty) and put it back together. It was still making noise. I immediately disassembled/reassembled and it's been quiet so far. Thank you!
Excellent guide - just cleaned a fan with a squeak that was worsening, and also cleaned the 2nd one while I was at it. Especially appreciate the details about securing them releasing the brushes when reassembling. One thing I noticed - it is challenging to get the long bolts positioned properly so that they fit back into the thread. I realized that this is because they are pulled out of alignment by the magnet. Took some patience and a bit of sweat to fit the pieces back together. One suggestion/request: please decrease the volume of the background music; I was having a hard time hearing some of your words.
Raynor, I don't believe there is anything you can't fix!!! My fan didn't squeak, but one time it did stop working completely and a red light stayed on. I eventually figured out that I had to completely shut off power to it and let it reset. It's been great since then, and now I know how to fix it if it DOES squeak!
Man, you know what you're doing! Just have a new fan, but we're going to keep this tucked away for a rainy, or should I say, squeaky day... Thanks for helping us all out!
Great tutorial format. I was able to follow along and clean out an annoying squeak from my campvan’s maxair fan and now I own a pair of C-Clip pliers as well. Thank you for the content.
Hi, thanks for this video. I have an almost new Maxxfan that makes this noise only in one direction. I'm amazed that there is a brushed DC motor in these and not a brushless one.
I was able to fix the squeak by running the fan on high for 10 hours. I called MaxxAir first, and they suggested I do this to "seat the bearings" by getting it nice and warm. I would have thought the bearings would have already been seated since it had been running almost continuously for 9 months, but apparently not.
Running the fan on high speed will help clear out some of the brush dust from the path of said brushes, as well as sync up the grooves between the brushes and commutator. The squeaking is usually a symptom of running the fan at less than 100% speed
I haven't had much luck, I've cleaned it out twice now, using paper towels and a lens cleaning blower to get all dust and dirt out of everything I could find. But the fan still squeaks. Which bit is likely to be squeaking exactly? If I were to use some lubricant e.g. WD40, on which part?
Another great video. Very informative, clear and precise. Thank you! Two notes: for my fan, the Allen key holding the fan blade was a 3/32...the 2.5mm was too big. Also, because you’re dealing with the guts of an electric motor, be sure to pull the fuse to it before dealing with the internals.
My 2.5mm Allen key was also a touch too large, I simply filed it down a little and then it worked. I didn't have a 3/32, not sure if they exist in the UK. Hope this helps people. 🤞
@@nohandle181 :D As an engineer I can assure you, imperial Allen keys do exist in the UK. It cost £1.42 on ebay. Alternatively you can use a surfboard FCS fin key. That’s also 3/32.
Wow... thank you for this video. I have a new maxxair fan I've used for less than 2 weeks and I have this exact same squeak. Can't wait to try your fix. Is this a common issue?
Thanks! Maxxfan told me the motor wasn't serviceable when I asked about the squeak years ago. I've been just dealing with the noise since. Obviously they lied. Any idea on what could be causing my fan to not spin, or how I can diagnose it? Voltage is sufficient to the fan, the power turns on and beeps with all buttons, but no spinning.
I have a question regarding a Maxxair 6200k. When I run it on the lowest setting it makes a deep humming noise. Any ideas on if this is normal or how to fix it if not?
Mine has been used full time for over a year now and the past 6+ months it has been on practically 24hours everyday. The Squeak comes and goes depending on speed. But it is mainly brought on after a decent gust of wind I have noticed.. also can here the motor actually click on and make a louder humming sound... Going to finally bite the bullet tomorrow and try and clean it out...
Awesome video! so helpful thank you! My 7500 Maxxair fan ticks quietly which you can really hear when it is on a low speed. Not sure why. Seems to have a slight wobble in the blades. Brand new fan 1 month old. Good to know I can remove the screen that easily and access the fan that way.
Tried the squeak has turned into a more rubbing squeak sound, I did have the case fall apart a bit the aluminium has ceased on the two bolts holding the motor in had to take the screw out with vice grips after trying phillips screw driver, a JIS screw driver for metal and an impact driver. I strongly recommend lubricating the threads before assembly. As I dropped a few things when taking it apart there was a spacer a wavy washer I put on the end plate (bottom when installed) my bearings are ceased / pressed into the shaft so they came out with the rotor.
For those who have issues with fitting a 2.5 mm Allen key to get the fan rod off, a Torx T10 key works too :) Also the fan rod might need some WD-40 and a bit of a wiggle if it hasn’t come off in a long time but it will come off.
Thank you! I had to do it twice (since I don’t have a compressed air thingy, just cleaning wasn’t enough ~ needed a bit of WD-40), but it worked! All the little details were super crucial & helpful ~ thank you! On a tangent, which light fixtures do you have installed there? I like their size!
Happy this video helped you. The lights were off Amazon.ca and I did not see them after the last time I looked for them. I searched for 12v puck lights to find them. I hope this helps. Happy travels 👍
I've got one of these that squeaks, but it's done that ever since it was new, so I doubt it's due to an accumulation of debris in the motor. Maybe there is a lubricant I can use? Not sure what would be most appropriate in this application
As a followup for anyone who may have a similar issue. I took apart the motor and cleaned it as described, and my fan has now been running for several hours with no squeaks :) ohhh it's blissful. 1) There was indeed some graphite-looking debris I needed to clean out, even though it was new. I wonder if it's because the graphite contacts start out flat, and quickly wear down into a curved shape against the spinning rotor thing. 2) I looked it up and apparently it's not a good idea to apply any kind of lubricant to a brushed motor. The contacts are already made of a block of lubricant.
Great video, thanks for this! Question: Would it be good to add some kind of lubricant to the o-ring seals? Maybe some kind of silicone lubricant or petroleum jelly to ensure water-tight seal?
It is not required to put anything on the seals. If you are having trouble getting them in then yes you could lubricate them to get them back in. The o-rings are your weather seals.
Thanks for the great video! But all I did was remove the fan blade and clean it and that fixed my squeak somehow. Almost. Wait shoot, it's back, but just barely.. interesting...
There are options for a/c if you've got the budget and/or do not intend to use it off grid. I'd love to do a video on it but first need to find the client and rig. You're looking at the very least $5k.
HI Ray, Julie. This is something I've put a lot of thought into. I live in Texas and I am currently building out a 2018 Sprinter. For me AC in the south is a must, unfortunately all of the rooftop AC systems draw way too much power to be off the grid overnight. My solution(hopefully, will find out soon). I found a small 5000 btu window unit at HD only draws 420watts. I'll include link at the bottom. I've paired this with 600AH of 12v Lifeblue Lithium batteries(7200w). Even with the inverter inefficiency I figure this should easily run the AC system overnight. If AC compressor is cycling it won't draw the full 420W either. I plan to install the window unit under the bed in a cabinet with dc fans venting the coils underneath the van. I'll be doing the install over the next 2 weeks. Hope this helps, thanks for the video Ray! www.homedepot.com/p/Frigidaire-5-000-BTU-115-Volt-Window-Mounted-Mini-Compact-Air-Conditioner-with-Full-Function-Remote-Control-in-White-FFRE0533U1/304926708
My 2.5mm Allen key was also a touch too large, I simply filed it down a little and then it worked. I didn't have a 3/32, not sure if they exist in the UK. Hope this helps people. 🤞
These questions are bed directed to the manufacturer. They have voltage range specs. Check with maxxair about this but I wouldn't recommend it as you are passing through a resistor to get low speed.
Damn! I’m not even able to get those two Phillips head screws (that hold the motor together) to budge hardly, let alone come out. It’s like they’re intended not to come out at all. So I’m screwed really. Only solution is a new motor. Anyone else run into this problem?
Thanks. Im going to pull ours apart today.Ours squeeked from factory. The blades don't look to spin level. Also all the remotes for our TV and sound bar and other remotes set it off. I'd never recomend this product. Absolute trash from the price
Thanks for checking out my video on addressing the fan squeak. Questions or comments? I appreciate your feedback!
V & M Great videos. do u do repairs and van builds in new york city?
Thanks for the video. I have completed this many times, but I recently did it and the motor is still squeeling slightly. Any ideas? The motor is not too old as Maxxair had sent me a new one as I had a squeel issue before. Thanks again!
Perfect instructions. One thing to note… you do not need to remove the snap ring. The bottom plate will come off if you angle it and you don’t have to remove the snap ring.
Nicely done! The cure for a different noise at a different speed every day.
Although, for the price these fans should come with a brushless motor.
I wish they would release brushless motors for these fans.
I didn't realize this was a 5 year old video. I recently purchased a 23 Travato and noticed at low speed the MaxxAir has a small squeak that goes away at higher speeds after owning it for 6 months. Now I know how to approach this. Thanks.
Thanks for the video - it fixed my squeaking issue perfectly. I appreciate that you included the tool sizes so I knew exactly what to grab.
I kept thinking we had a bearing going out, took ours apart cleaned out all the dust and no longer squeaky just clean. Thank you.
Hey, nice meeting you two yesterday at the Badlands VanFest. Beautiful rig you have and thanks for the info on my electrical setup. Happy trails.
What a lifesaver. The squeaking was driving me to madness. Cheers for the great instructions.
Excellent tutorial. I had never taken apart an electric motor so this was a great introduction. Very helpful to point out how to wrap the wire around the plastic tabs to retain the brushes. My maxxair fan has been chirping or ticking at low speed. I cleaned the motor innards (wasn't that dirty) and put it back together. It was still making noise. I immediately disassembled/reassembled and it's been quiet so far. Thank you!
Excellent guide - just cleaned a fan with a squeak that was worsening, and also cleaned the 2nd one while I was at it. Especially appreciate the details about securing them releasing the brushes when reassembling. One thing I noticed - it is challenging to get the long bolts positioned properly so that they fit back into the thread. I realized that this is because they are pulled out of alignment by the magnet. Took some patience and a bit of sweat to fit the pieces back together. One suggestion/request: please decrease the volume of the background music; I was having a hard time hearing some of your words.
Raynor, I don't believe there is anything you can't fix!!! My fan didn't squeak, but one time it did stop working completely and a red light stayed on. I eventually figured out that I had to completely shut off power to it and let it reset. It's been great since then, and now I know how to fix it if it DOES squeak!
Finally got around to it.... squeaking fixed! Thank you !
Edit - it stopped squeaking for about four hours :/
Edit - MaxxAir sent a warranty motor.
Man, you know what you're doing! Just have a new fan, but we're going to keep this tucked away for a rainy, or should I say, squeaky day... Thanks for helping us all out!
Great tutorial format. I was able to follow along and clean out an annoying squeak from my campvan’s maxair fan and now I own a pair of C-Clip pliers as well. Thank you for the content.
Great video. Found this this morning after waking up to squeaky fans for the past month. Now I just have to get brave enough to attempt this.
Good luck with your repair. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi, thanks for this video. I have an almost new Maxxfan that makes this noise only in one direction. I'm amazed that there is a brushed DC motor in these and not a brushless one.
I was able to fix the squeak by running the fan on high for 10 hours. I called MaxxAir first, and they suggested I do this to "seat the bearings" by getting it nice and warm. I would have thought the bearings would have already been seated since it had been running almost continuously for 9 months, but apparently not.
same here... quite annoyed really seeing it cost me $550aud for it...
Running the fan on high speed will help clear out some of the brush dust from the path of said brushes, as well as sync up the grooves between the brushes and commutator. The squeaking is usually a symptom of running the fan at less than 100% speed
Fixed our squeak! This was the perfect tutorial, thanks!
Thrilled to hear! Best wishes!
Thank you for saving my sanity! My fan was squeaking like crickets from day one.
Thank you, would have taken hours to fix a squeaky fan motor without your video.
I haven't had much luck, I've cleaned it out twice now, using paper towels and a lens cleaning blower to get all dust and dirt out of everything I could find. But the fan still squeaks. Which bit is likely to be squeaking exactly? If I were to use some lubricant e.g. WD40, on which part?
Another great video. Very informative, clear and precise. Thank you! Two notes: for my fan, the Allen key holding the fan blade was a 3/32...the 2.5mm was too big. Also, because you’re dealing with the guts of an electric motor, be sure to pull the fuse to it before dealing with the internals.
My 2.5mm Allen key was also a touch too large, I simply filed it down a little and then it worked. I didn't have a 3/32, not sure if they exist in the UK. Hope this helps people. 🤞
@@nohandle181 :D As an engineer I can assure you, imperial Allen keys do exist in the UK. It cost £1.42 on ebay. Alternatively you can use a surfboard FCS fin key. That’s also 3/32.
Very thorough instructions. I appreciate it excellent video.
Wow... thank you for this video. I have a new maxxair fan I've used for less than 2 weeks and I have this exact same squeak. Can't wait to try your fix. Is this a common issue?
Thanks! Maxxfan told me the motor wasn't serviceable when I asked about the squeak years ago. I've been just dealing with the noise since. Obviously they lied.
Any idea on what could be causing my fan to not spin, or how I can diagnose it? Voltage is sufficient to the fan, the power turns on and beeps with all buttons, but no spinning.
Thanks!! This was exactly what I needed.
Great video! We’re going to need to do this soon, just started squeaking.
Thanks for the tips! 👍🏼
Great tip, thanks, this squeak is exactly what I have and you fix is what I needed to know.
I have a question regarding a Maxxair 6200k. When I run it on the lowest setting it makes a deep humming noise. Any ideas on if this is normal or how to fix it if not?
Awesome video!
Thanks so much. Have you also experienced the MaxxAir Fan squeak?
THANK YOU!!! no more squeaky nights 😅
Mine has been used full time for over a year now and the past 6+ months it has been on practically 24hours everyday. The Squeak comes and goes depending on speed. But it is mainly brought on after a decent gust of wind I have noticed.. also can here the motor actually click on and make a louder humming sound... Going to finally bite the bullet tomorrow and try and clean it out...
Great video, I'll be trying this myself in a few minutes. I see this was over 3 years ago now have you had to pull the motor out again since?
Nice tutorial
Awesome video! so helpful thank you! My 7500 Maxxair fan ticks quietly which you can really hear when it is on a low speed. Not sure why. Seems to have a slight wobble in the blades. Brand new fan 1 month old. Good to know I can remove the screen that easily and access the fan that way.
Tried the squeak has turned into a more rubbing squeak sound, I did have the case fall apart a bit the aluminium has ceased on the two bolts holding the motor in had to take the screw out with vice grips after trying phillips screw driver, a JIS screw driver for metal and an impact driver. I strongly recommend lubricating the threads before assembly.
As I dropped a few things when taking it apart there was a spacer a wavy washer I put on the end plate (bottom when installed) my bearings are ceased / pressed into the shaft so they came out with the rotor.
Nice fix.
Thanks! Sometimes you just have to take things apart. :)
Thanks for the info, I just fixed mine with the help from this video!
Worked perfect, great video
Thanks for the great information. Was able to fix my fan squeak. Runs quietly again. What size circlip pliers did you use?
Hey Ray! great video. Any recommendations on what to look for if the fan has stopped turning on in general?
Nicely done. You made this look easy :)
For those who have issues with fitting a 2.5 mm Allen key to get the fan rod off, a Torx T10 key works too :)
Also the fan rod might need some WD-40 and a bit of a wiggle if it hasn’t come off in a long time but it will come off.
You need an imperial 3/32 Allan key. It cost £1.42 on ebay. Alternatively you can use an FCS surf fin key. That’s also 3/32. (2.38 mm)
Thank you! I had to do it twice (since I don’t have a compressed air thingy, just cleaning wasn’t enough ~ needed a bit of WD-40), but it worked! All the little details were super crucial & helpful ~ thank you!
On a tangent, which light fixtures do you have installed there? I like their size!
Happy this video helped you.
The lights were off Amazon.ca and I did not see them after the last time I looked for them. I searched for 12v puck lights to find them.
I hope this helps. Happy travels 👍
Ray Outfitted ~ thank you!
How much would a repair like this cost?
I've got one of these that squeaks, but it's done that ever since it was new, so I doubt it's due to an accumulation of debris in the motor. Maybe there is a lubricant I can use? Not sure what would be most appropriate in this application
As a followup for anyone who may have a similar issue.
I took apart the motor and cleaned it as described, and my fan has now been running for several hours with no squeaks :) ohhh it's blissful.
1) There was indeed some graphite-looking debris I needed to clean out, even though it was new.
I wonder if it's because the graphite contacts start out flat, and quickly wear down into a curved shape against the spinning rotor thing.
2) I looked it up and apparently it's not a good idea to apply any kind of lubricant to a brushed motor. The contacts are already made of a block of lubricant.
Great video, thanks for this! Question: Would it be good to add some kind of lubricant to the o-ring seals? Maybe some kind of silicone lubricant or petroleum jelly to ensure water-tight seal?
It is not required to put anything on the seals. If you are having trouble getting them in then yes you could lubricate them to get them back in. The o-rings are your weather seals.
Thanks for the great video! But all I did was remove the fan blade and clean it and that fixed my squeak somehow. Almost. Wait shoot, it's back, but just barely.. interesting...
There are some cases that fixing an imbalance in the fan blades by cleaning them will lessen or fix the noise.
Happy travels 👍
Hi Ray, any solutions for van air conditioning? The lack of air conditioning while I sleep is what is currently stopping me from outfitting a van
There are options for a/c if you've got the budget and/or do not intend to use it off grid. I'd love to do a video on it but first need to find the client and rig. You're looking at the very least $5k.
Oh yeah, my intention is off-grid use, without loud generators.
Yah, no problem. It's just money. 😋
HI Ray, Julie. This is something I've put a lot of thought into. I live in Texas and I am currently building out a 2018 Sprinter. For me AC in the south is a must, unfortunately all of the rooftop AC systems draw way too much power to be off the grid overnight. My solution(hopefully, will find out soon). I found a small 5000 btu window unit at HD only draws 420watts. I'll include link at the bottom. I've paired this with 600AH of 12v Lifeblue Lithium batteries(7200w). Even with the inverter inefficiency I figure this should easily run the AC system overnight. If AC compressor is cycling it won't draw the full 420W either.
I plan to install the window unit under the bed in a cabinet with dc fans venting the coils underneath the van.
I'll be doing the install over the next 2 weeks.
Hope this helps, thanks for the video Ray!
www.homedepot.com/p/Frigidaire-5-000-BTU-115-Volt-Window-Mounted-Mini-Compact-Air-Conditioner-with-Full-Function-Remote-Control-in-White-FFRE0533U1/304926708
@@RonjoV Thanks for sharing your plan. Let us know how it works. I've seen a somewhat similar approach. Best wishes!
Love this video you guys are the best
On my wish list for a subie Outback.
Looks good can you come to Europe. I have one like a year
A year of fan squeak? Yikes! Where in Europe? 🤔🤔
Thank you!
Ive been trying to remove my fan blades for cleaning but the 2mm allen key is too small and the 2,5mm too big, any ideas? is it imperial?
My 2.5mm Allen key was also a touch too large, I simply filed it down a little and then it worked. I didn't have a 3/32, not sure if they exist in the UK. Hope this helps people. 🤞
@@nohandle181 Thanks Alex. I did manage to do it in the end the same way. I filed an allen key down until it fit. 👍
Will using 18v on this fan hurt it? What about if I set it to Low?
These questions are bed directed to the manufacturer. They have voltage range specs. Check with maxxair about this but I wouldn't recommend it as you are passing through a resistor to get low speed.
I followed directions and my fan motor no longer works afterwards. Just realize that maybe a possibility when doing this.
Damn! I’m not even able to get those two Phillips head screws (that hold the motor together) to budge hardly, let alone come out. It’s like they’re intended not to come out at all. So I’m screwed really. Only solution is a new motor. Anyone else run into this problem?
Thanks boss shit was squeaky driving me crazy
Thanks. Im going to pull ours apart today.Ours squeeked from factory. The blades don't look to spin level. Also all the remotes for our TV and sound bar and other remotes set it off. I'd never recomend this product. Absolute trash from the price