So here's an interesting story; For a few days over this past winter when I would turn the air on (vent, heat, anything) I would hear what sounded like the fan blades hitting something. The higher I put the fan control knob, the faster/louder the sound would get, and then I noticed a rubber smell as well as tiny black pieces being blown onto the dash from the vents! Of course I turned the fan off when this would happen, and that didn't make for very fun winder driving. (no heat or defrost in New England, bleh!) then one day, the sound, smell, and small black bits stopped, and it hasn't happened since! What the heck could that have been! I thought maybe the serpentine belt may have slipped off for a bit somehow, but it looks fine to me and isn't loose and doesn't squeal.

 

Seems to be fine now but, I was just sitting up at 5:30 am and that just popped into my head so I figured I'd share it, and see if anyone else knows about that. Maybe just a freak occurrence?

The Subaru Heat/AC Fans that I have seen are all direct drive. I have seen everything from leaves to mice in the Fan box.

 

Drop the fan which is under the passenger side front counsel. Clean out the junk and inspet the fan.

 

Year and Model would help.

That's airbox foam sealing tape that's getting eaten by the HVAC squirrel cage fan. Pull the fan and motor (behind glove-box) and remove the debris from the fan blades.

 

GD

Ah ok, thanks. Oh it's a 93 Impreza btw.