How to Fix a Blend Door Actuator for Your Vehicle's Vents Blend door actuators, also called HVAC actuators, control the position of the vents that control the flow of air into your vehicle's passenger area. When the blend door actuators are not working properly, this can result in the heating or the air conditioning failing to enter the passenger area. When the actuator is not working, you will get either hot air but no cold air, or cold air but no hot air. The actuators are small electric motors that move the vent doors, mixing hot air with cold air to achieve the temperature that you desire. Most vehicles have two blend door actuators, one on the driver side and one on the passenger side. Fortunately, you do not need to remove the dashboard in order to get to them. Some experts recommend that you disconnect the vehicle's battery to remove and replace the blend door actuators. In all cases, you must make sure that the vehicle is turned off, to avoid electrical shock. Link to an eBay page
Determine Which Blend Door Actuator is Not Working Where to Find the Driver Side Blend Door Actuator The driver side actuator is usually found in the foot well behind the driver side lower floor panel. On some vehicle models you need a 7 mm socket wrench to remove the bolts that hold down the floor panel, and on other models you simply use needle nose pliers to pull out plastic pins. Where to Find the Passenger Side Blend Door Actuator Removing the Blend Door Actuator Most actuators can be released using an 8 mmThey are held in place by two, three, or four bolts. Once you have the actuator lowered to where you can see it, you can test it. Turn the vehicle on, adjust the temperature for your ventilation system, and look to see whether the motor inside the actuator is turning. If it is turning, then it does not need to be repaired or replaced. Simply turn off the vehicle and mount the blend door actuator back where you found it. If it is not working, you will need to repair or replace it.
Be sure to turn the vehicle off to avoid electrical shock. Repairing the Blend Door Actuator Make sure that the vehicle is turned off. Squeeze the clamps on the electrical connector and gently tug to release it from the blend door actuator. If you are handy with tools and small parts, you can open the case and replace any cracked or worn nylon gears inside the blend door actuator. In most cases, however, you will get the best results by replacing the actuator with a new one. Replacing the Blend Door Actuator Left Hand or Right Hand Drive How to Shop for Blend Door Actuators New (91) from $35.99 + $4.57 shipping See more product details Dorman 604-106 Air Door ActuatorDetailsACDelco 15-73952 GM Original Equipment Heating and Air Conditioning Panel Mode Door Actuator FREE Shipping. DetailsDorman 604-112 Air Door Actuator FREE Shipping on orders over . See all vehicles this product fits. Compare to Similar Items Dorman 604-126 Air Door Actuator
Dorman 604-112 Air Door Actuator Dorman 604-107 Air Door Actuator 5.5 x 4.3 x 2.9 inches 15-72971, 16163982, 52402588, 52402598, 52402612, 89018365 4.6 out of 5 stars #10,617 in Automotive (See top 100) #4 in Automotive > Replacement Parts > Engine Cooling & Climate Control > Air Conditioning > Heater Blend Door Levers 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Amazon only ships this item within the contiguous 48 United States. Other Sellers on Amazon may ship this item to Alaska, Hawaii and US Territories. This item can be shipped to select countries outside of the U.S. Learn More Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support? Would you like to tell us about a lower price? Dorman Products, Inc. is well-known as a leader in providing quality auto parts to the aftermarket. We've earned our reputation for excellence from over three decades of experience in providing automotive replacement parts, fasteners and service line products primarily for the automotive aftermarket.
Our prestigious position stems from a unique combination of application expertise, innovative product design, and breadth of product offerings, many of which are not conveniently or economically available elsewhere. At Dorman, we take pride in the quality of our products and in your satisfaction. See questions and answers 5 star80%4 star11%3 star3%2 star1%1 star5%See all verified purchase reviewsTop Customer ReviewsWorks Great!Works great, great priceWorks like it ought toWorks great!Right Part, Right PriceGot rid of the cold!My AC works great now!!! Most Recent Customer ReviewsSearch Customer Reviews See and discover other items: distributor gear, chevy truck parts, discount marine parts Set up an Amazon Giveaway Learn more about Amazon GiveawayHome Articles How to Replace a Blend Door Actuator How to Replace a Blend Door ActuatorDo you hear a ticking noise from your dash when the ignition key is on? your car heater blow cold or the air conditioner blow hot?
These are signs that a blend door actuator has gone bad. With a little help from our team of ASE certified mechanics and about a half hour of your time you can replace this part to get your climate control back workingOr you can see what you are paying for when taking your car in for A blend door actuator is made up of an electric motor that turns a plastic gear set in one direction or another which is connected to an air control door pivot at the final drive of the unit. An actuator can go bad in of two ways; first the electric motor can burn out rendering the unit non-responsive so nothing changes when the temperature or vent mode controls are moved. Next, the plastic gear set will become brittle and break which will sometimes allow the unit to work while making a ticking or clicking noise and then stop. This is a common problem in most car's heater and air conditioner How Does It Work? An air blend door actuator is constructed from a plastic housing, a small
electric motor and a plastic gear set. A door position sensor is also incorporate into the unit to send feed back information to the climate control computer. This actuator then moves temperature and air direction doors inside the heater plenum (box) which are designed to control mode settings such as temperature, floor, mid vent, defrost and fresh air or re-circulation modes. They also control hot and cold settings for right and left passenger compartments. Your car's climate control computer gives an electrical command to the actuator to start moving the actuator motor to change air direction modes. This direction is according to the temperature chosen by the driver or passenger on dual climate control Most systems have three to four of these units placed in various areas around the HVAC plenum that control mode operation and will vary by the car make and model. You can get an OEM replacement actuator from Amazon for what the garages pay for them in most cases.
You will need a tool set including an 5.5 mm socket for Chevy, GMC, Cadillac, Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Step 1: Remove the Lower Dash Panel or Glove Box Using a small socket and ratchet remove the mounting bolts that hold the under dash plastic cover on the passenger side. These screws can be in obscure places so look around for them. Once you have located and removed all of the mounting screws grasp the cover and gently pull it from the underside of the dash. This will expose the heater box with various controls including any wiring. Here is what it looks like when the glove box is removed exposing the blend door Step 2: Remove the Door Actuator Here is a typical right side temperature actuator used for dual climate controls (also temperature for signal mode units). This actuator hangs below the box which is one of the easier units to replace. Begin by using a small screwdriver to release the wiring safety clip on the harness for the actuator.
These clips can be brittle and break so be Once released gently pull down on the wiring connector and remove it from theInspect the connector for rust or corrosion and clean as needed. Step 3: Remove the Actuator Locate and remove the actuator mounting screws. There should be two or three screws holding it in place. A small universal might be needed to help remove the screws in awkward places. Once removed place the screws into a small container so they don't get lost. Once all of the mounting screws have been removed the actuator should become loose. Grasp the actuator and pull it from its mount to remove. Step 4: Turn the Air Door Pivot Before installing the new actuator it's a good idea to manually turn the blend door in both directions to ensure it is not stuck which will cause the newGrasp the door pivot and move it back and forth to its full travel, it should move freely. If you cannot move the blend door an obstruction
has gotten in the way of the door movement which will make the new actuatorThese obstructions can include: pen, tooth pick, small toy or bubble gum to nameIf the door is stuck the heater plenum with need to be removed and the problem resolved before installing the new unit. To test the blend door operation and too double check that you are changing the correct actuator motor turn the blower motor on and work the door in each way. You will be able to feel the air change temperature or vent level. Step 5: Match the New Actuator Compare the bad actuator to the new unit. Be sure to check the wiring harness connector terminals they should match identically. part is ready to be installed. Step 6: Install the New Air Blend Door Actuator Install the new part in place as you insert the mounting screws by hand. Be careful not to cross thread the mounting screws because they thread into the plastic housing and can easily strip, (do not over tighten).
Once all screws are in place firmly push the wiring harness connector backYou should hear a click signaling the correct installing of Step 7: Reinstall the Cover or Glove Box After the installation is complete double check your work and reinstall theThis can take some jostling to get the bolts holes lined up so Once the cover is in place start the installation of the mounting screws by hand, once hand threaded install the remainder of the screws. Do not tighten the first screw you have threaded in until all of the screws because it will make the remainder of the screws harder to After cover has been re-installed start the engine to test the repair job by turning the climate control on and moving the controls from hot and cold and from defrost to the mid and floor positions to ensure the new actuator is working as it should. Here is this job being done to pick up on additional tips and information before you begin. Blend Door Actuator Locations
Begin by identifying the problem either defrost, mid or floor, or temperature modes not working. Then locate and identify the actuator to be replaced. These units can be either hanging in front of you or in a little more obscure places such as on the side theSometimes they can be located in inconvenient places like the top of the heater box. These repairs can take a little longer because more parts need to be removed to gain access to the actuator. You can use a repair resource such as Mitchell1, a paper manual found on Amazon or a resource like Google images to locate the particular area in which the actuator needs to be replacement. Here is an example of a Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe locations. Mode (Defrost Mid Vent and Floor) Actuator Location Right Temperature Actuator Location - Signal System Temperature Actuator Left Temperature Blend Door Location If you have any blend door actuators please visit our forum.