whirring noise on Rover 800

[Carol Anne]

All of a sudden there is the sound of a little motor whirring behind the A/C / Heating cluster on the dashboard, even with the system off. I could hear it over the sound of the engine and thought it was a vibration, but on turning on the ignition lights alone I can hear it starting up and whirring away. (nothing else switched on) Anyone got a clue as to what this might be. I have never noticed it before, and I reckon to know every noise and rattle my car makes!!

[trevHCS]

Suspect the fan might not be switching off as it's the only thing I can think of that would be whirring, and my parents Rover 25 has the same fault but thats only 18 months old. As for rattles and noises - considering this is a Rover, thats probably an awful lot to keep track of.

[1960darrenh]

I have a Rover 800 too. The fan you speak of is behind the cluster. You get access to it by pulling the little cover off to the lefthand side (has a small grille on it) The fan is used to keep the electrics cool (A/c etc) The fans always get noisey after a while and is usually because of the all the dust and dirt that clogs it up. Take the grille off and give it a good blow. It should quieten down for a while at least.