I completely disassembled the unit and thoroughly cleaned the blower assembly; this improved air flow markedly. The foam strip requiring cooling air to be drawn through the motor was completely deteriorated; it was replaced. The motor was lubed and run prior to re-assembly; very quiet and no odd noises.

Upon reassembly I ran the motor for about 30 minutes without the heating elements engaged. The motor quit again about 30-35 minutes after the heating elements were turned on. After shutting the heating elements off, the blower resumed operation after about 8 minutes. When it was not operating I checked the power going to the motor at the junction box; it was uninterrupted. Is there a thermal cut off inside of the electric motor? Must the entire motor be replaced in order to repair this problem or is a component part available to accomplish a fix?

I own a Jenn Air Electric Grill, about 25 years old and subject to average use. The blower has recently begun to shut down during use. If only the blower is turned on it will run for 45 minutes without any problem, however, the end of the motor near the shaft will become quite warm. But when the electric heating elements are energized, the fan will shut down after about 15-20 minutes. When the heating elements are shut down, the blower will come back on after about 10-15 minutes. While the heating elements are energized the shaft area of the blower motor becomes extremely hot, but no noises are heard out of the ordinary, no grinding, no bearing noise. No difference in performance is noted by having the fan in manual or automatic mode.

Is there a thermal switch that may be reaching the end of its service life? Or am I looking at needing a new motor?

Also, the efficiency of the unit in gathering and moving "smokey" air from around the grill has been gradually degrading over time. Will cleaning the squirrel cage improve this area of performance? The vent system has been periodically cleaned to prevent any dust, accumulations, etc.