Loud Noise from cockpit fan (a/c or heat)

[notsofunny]

Still under warranty, thank goodness.

A/C was working great. Shut down. Returned about an hour later. Turned the ignition switch and before I could start it I get the LOUD, repetive noise from the interior fan box. It sound as if the blades of the fan were beating (the crap out of it) something.

Southern Florida will be fun for the next few days.

Any idea of what the heck is going on? Any chance that the mechanic that replaced my neutral switch in the cockpit left a small tool up on the dash and it rolled into the fan box via the defrost vents? I ran the defrost this a.m. to clear the interior haze off the windshield. So for the first time since the repair, the defrost flaps were opened.

THOUGHTS please.

[notsofunny]

Well,

Thanks to those who have posted in other threads that the fan box is under the passenger's glove box and three small screws later.........

Squirrel cage spilt in half about 75% and clean through the top. So the cage got lose inside and started to self destruct.

Based on the lack of "witness marks" I don't believe that anything made it into the fan box.

It really looks like a design flaw or a manufacturing defect.

Part number on the cage is 52498464. Anybody know if they rolled that part number to a new design?