Not with a Mk.3 but with a Mk.1 and also a Mazda 6. If it’s just a ticking rather than the squeal or grumbling of a worn out bearing then the good news is it’s probably some debris like leaf litter as you suggest. In both cars I found that (once the necessary wiring was unplugged) it was just 3 screws and the whole motor/impeller dropped straight down and out. Very straightforward. In the case of my other half’s Mazda 6 it was indeed the bearing which was getting grumbly so I got a used unit cheaply from eBay and that soldiered on for years.
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