I have a 97 GXE Automatic. I did the 60k service about 2 months ago, so all the belts and plugs are fairly new. Now that the bases are covered, After I shut the engine off sometimes I hear a soft whining noise. It's not a screeching belt, it's not a normal noise, and it doesn't happen all the time. I have a feeling it's the blower motor for the a/c going bad (heard there was a problem with these in the 4th gen), except it doesn't squeak or rattle while the a/c is on. I figured it would do that if it needed to be lubricated. I could be on the wrong track altogether though. Any ideas?

The blower motor is located just above the front passenger's feet. It is readily accessible. Look at the harness which leads away from the blower motor. Find the nearest electric connector, and disconnect it (temporarily). The idea is to disable the blower motor and see if the symptom vanishes. If it does, you know your hunch was right. Perhaps that soft whining noise is always there but the normal sounds of the engine mask it, so you notice it only after engine shutdown.

i had to replace my blower motor last weekend, and i had to call my dad's cousin(infiniti mechanic) over so that he could do it.