Climate Control - Cold Feet - Hot Face

[bigflatdaddy]

Does anybody have problems with the heat setup in the cab on a 2003? If I put selector on floor/defrost, I get an incredible amount of heat out of the defroster and almost none to my frozen feet. If select floor only, same problem. The other functions of the selector seem to work fine. I think I'm going to have to start drinking hotter coffee!



Thanks - Paul - New Member

 

[whamby]

There is a TSB on it. Something to do with the actuator or door not working properly. Mine does it as well and it is a little late for me to try to get a TSB free of charge. 85000 MILES

 

[ChrisTucker]

Mine does it as well and it is a little late for me to try to get a TSB free of charge. 85000 MILES

A TSB means that DC admits there is a problem and should fix it free of charge no-matter what the milage is. It is not a warrenty item that broke when you used it, It didn't work out-a-da-box.

 

[JHardwick]

A TSB means that DC admits there is a problem and should fix it free of charge no-matter what the milage is. It is not a warrenty item that broke when you used it, It didn't work out-a-da-box.

I'm not real sure I agree with that. A TSB is an internal "Technical Service Bulletin" and not a re-call.



I could be wrong and is certainly worth a try.



Mine has been back twice for this problem and is doing it again. I'm gonna tear into myself this time

 

[whamby]

My understanding is that TSB's are generally always covered under 36K and what ever the dealer feels like any other time. Otherwise they charge you.



JHardwick

I will be very interested as to what you find. I too have been thinking of tearing into the dash. Perhaps with you skills and equipment you might be able to make a part to BOMB the heat/ac vent. I would gladly buy the BOMB'd part as I have read about a lot of these doing the same old thing after they were repaired.

 

[JimPatterson]

Floor heat / Defrost door not working

I have had the same problem with mine. I removed the dash covers and found the white plastic part that the door drive motor fits into, broke off a little tab that moves the door open or closed. At the dealer I could not find that part listed, I since found the TSB about it and ordered the lower housing $40. 00 and a new door $ 16. 00. I talked with the service dept and they told me the new parts are an upgrade, I'll see when I get them in. I couldn't have it done under warranty, even though my truck is only 1 1/2 yrs old and the part failed back in the summer, it has 85,000 miles on it now.

 

[JHardwick]

My understanding is that TSB's are generally always covered under 36K and what ever the dealer feels like any other time. Otherwise they charge you.

If still under warranty I couldn't agree more.



A TSB is only a tool for the technician who feels like he is heading into new waters.

 

[Tony T.]

DC done the TSB on my truck, three trips to the dealership an it finally repaired, for how long who knows, but it was still working last time I was in the truck.



1st trip "yep you need the TSB", but we have to order the parts an there on national backorder, three days later they called "parts are here"



2nd trip repair was done! I thought, they had left a bracket loose under steering column an it didn't start making noise until I was almost home an what a rattle the dash made for two days until I could get it back to dealership.



3rd trip repair was finally made on bracket. I'm satisfied for the time being.



Tony

 

[ROCKJEEP]

Jim do you have the part numbers for the parts you got. Mine is doing it to and would like to have the parts when i take it apart.

Kory

 

[opiefire]

I have also had similar problems with my trucks heating and cooling discharge system. Randomly while driving down the road the heating/cooling system would switch with out me touching anything. From the defrost vent to the floor vent, then back to the original setting. I took my truck in twice with this problem. The first time the dealer said they would have to see the malfunction happen themselves. Well, the second time I took the truck in, the service technician witnessed the malfunction. After checking everything out (including the TSB regarding the broken acuator door) the technician found the control panel for the heating/cooling system was the cause to the problem. The technician installed a new control panel and everything has been working just fine since.

 

[Wheezy]

I have had the same problem with mine. I removed the dash covers and found the white plastic part that the door drive motor fits into, broke off a little tab that moves the door open or closed. At the dealer I could not find that part listed, I since found the TSB about it and ordered the lower housing $40. 00 and a new door $ 16. 00. I talked with the service dept and they told me the new parts are an upgrade, I'll see when I get them in. I couldn't have it done under warranty, even though my truck is only 1 1/2 yrs old and the part failed back in the summer, it has 85,000 miles on it now.

How hard was it to get to the malfunctioning part? I have never torn into a dash before.



John

 

[bigflatdaddy]

Thanks Everybody

I appreciate the info - called my local dealer and they will have it in the shop on Friday. I'm a newbie member and didn't realize that we had the TSB's on the site.



Great site, Great friends, Great Fun.



Paul

 

[GDouglas]

If your problem falls under the TSB, then the dash will have to come out along with disconnecting heater hoses and letting the Freon out of the A/C. The defrost door and lower plenum case half gets replaced under this TSB.

The TSB number is 24-004-03, defrost door inop. The link to a copy of it is here: http://dodgeram.info/tsb/2003/24-004-03.htm



The poor technician at the dealer that does this repair under warranty only gets paid 3. 2 hours for this job. This is why I don't work for the dealers any longer.