Blend Doors - Dodging the Problem for 16 Years!

[JDeMont]

Broke out in a sweat literally, then figuratively followed by a strange "Happy Ending."

As a TDR subscriber since 2004, I am aware that the HVAC system blend doors are weak plastic pieces of (choose your expletive). My unscientific method to keep mine alive has been to avoid all possible use (changes to their configuration).

So, on a recent hot day when I hit the "recirc" button & high fan setting the result was a loud noise sounding like a Mazda Speed or a Subaru BRZ with a trumpet exhaust. Noise was tolerable on speed 1 & 2, so I had A/C. My bullet sweating assumption was broken blend door.

My son's 2006 recirc blend door did break. his quick no-cost fix was to remove the broken door through the fan-motor hole. This "fix" means that you always have outside air. So, I asked him to do the same for me while I contemplated if it is worth the high price of a dash and unit removal repair or a YouTube work around.

GOOD NEWS (At least for now): The noise was caused by a paper label applied during assembly 16 - 17 years ago. See Picture.

 

[Ozymandias]

Good you solved it
I wouldn't recommend the solution with the removed Recirc door to everyone.
At a certain outside temperature you need the recirc to keep inside temperature at the desired level.

 

[Blakers]

The recirc air is most useful for air conditioning when it's hot outside. Cooling the cooler inside air is more efficient and comfortable.

I had an issue several years ago where the screen for my heater outside air intake got completely blocked up with weed seeds (from driving off road through 5 feet high weeds to get to gas wells I was servicing daily), so there was no outside air coming in. I didn't figure out the problem right away, and didn't have time to fix it right away anyway. The biggest problem created with the heater was, since it was in the winter, every time I tried to use defrost the mix door went to outside air only, so there was no air flow to the windshield. To temporarily relieve the problem until I had time to fix it, I made a little 3/4" square piece of wood and put in the mix door (through the glove box) to keep it from closing. This I zip tied in. It worked until I had time to clean out the screen and fix it right.

 

[Kevin M Robinson]

You can put in a new door without removing the dash. Just pull the glove box, pull the blower motor, you have to snap the grate that is there, you don't need it anyway. Now look thru the hole left by your glove box and you'll see the actuator motor that operates the blend door, unscrew it and move it out of the way. Stick the new door up thru the hole where the blower motor was and then into the actuator, screw the actuator back and replace the motor and glove box. I did this in about an hour to my 05.

 

[wcjp]

The aftermarket metal recirc door is easy to install.

 

[bigceltic]

You can put in a new door without removing the dash. Just pull the glove box, pull the blower motor, you have to snap the grate that is there, you don't need it anyway. Now look thru the hole left by your glove box and you'll see the actuator motor that operates the blend door, unscrew it and move it out of the way. Stick the new door up thru the hole where the blower motor was and then into the actuator, screw the actuator back and replace the motor and glove box. I did this in about an hour to my 05.

I did the same thing to fix a broken recirc door and it was an easy job. I did not have to snap the grate on my truck.