Your kinda in the right spot, but you didn't need to remove your glovebox. You need to remove the lower kick panel, held in by 3 small screws on the top, one plastic screw to the left and one metal screw to the right once you remove the side wall by pulling it twoards you.

Thanks Turbodiesel,
I just looked at the passengerside. In order to get the right side out, it looks like I need to remove the carpet in the footwell. Under the carpet is a black plastic panel, that overlaps the side panel. It
a. has an air-bag warning on not to disconnect a ten-pole connector unless battery is disconnected,
b. seems to be screwed at the bottom to the front.
I take it that has to come out too.
Do I need to disconnect battery or is it still save just to remove that black panel? There is no passenger airbag as far as I know.
Thanks in advance
Reinhard Kreutzer

No need to remove that panel, or the plug. I am taking about the carpet covered duct right above your knees. Sorry if I confused you.

I'm getting confused because I think we're talking about two different fans.

There is an auxilary fan in the kick panel under the dash that Turbodiesel is talking about.

The other fan is the aspirator fan is right directly underneath the passenger air vent, just to the right of the glove box.

I don't know which one is actually making the squeaking noise, but I think it's the aspirator motor fan below the air vent.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Turbodiesel,
I don't think you confused me. It is just that I cannot take the sidewall off in order to get to that screw on the right that holds that "kneepiece". The floorpiece seems to overlap. I 'll try tomorrow with some turning/lifting before I unscrew.

Suginami,
take a look at my photo. It is a shot to the right from where the glovebox used to be. I don't see anything that resembles a fan motor unless it is in that black plastic hose.
Thanks
Reinhard Kreutzer

Mine was in the black plastic hose.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Suginami,
so you push the accordeon-type hose up or down and there it is?
Would have never occured to me to open that up.
I'll give it another try tomorrow.
Thanks
Reinhard Kreutzer

It's been so long that I don't remember.

On second thought, it's not inside the tube, but sort of next to it. I did have to pull off the tube to get to the fan motor.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

You just really have to yank at it. Pull it twoards you, it's held in with two clips.

Well, I got it out far enough to take a look at it, but the lower panel seems still to be stuck at the left side, even after I took out 5 screws and a sixth that connects the black plastic panel to it. A look through it reveals this:
I assume that is the fan motor.
Suginami, you can also see it from the glovebox behind the black plastic hose, but it seems to be better to get to from the lower panel.
Turbodiesel, do you just pull or is there a twist to it?
Thanks
Reinhard Kreutzer

Attached Thumbnails

 

Well, in any event, you found it.

That fan in the picture looks like the aspirator motor, although mine is much smaller.

FWIW, Mercedes is making this part smaller and smaller. My mechanic showed me one from a W202 C class, and it was at least half the size as mine.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

does anyone know if this motor is present on the early model W126's?????
Ryan

__________________
83 300SD.......sold
96 integra SE....sold
99 a4 quattro....sold
2001 IS300.......sold
2002 330i.........current.
2004 highlander limited....current.

It has to be there on earlier models.

__________________
Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

That's the same exact part in my 126 that buzzes for the first 1 minute after cold start up. At a quick glance it looked like a transformer to me.

There is a certain art to taking out that duct, and a real pain in the ass to get back in. It's kind of a puzzle of duct work. It is probably caught on the left side duct, just wrestle with it, it will come out.