How to fix Hot Air when A/C is on. Install new air mix/blend door actuator

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WHITEOUT

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I have been having a problem of Hot Air blowing out of the passenger front vents when the A/C is turned on. If I would switch to the heat setting, and then go back to cold setting, heat would still blow out of the vents even tho I could hear compressor working. Have had this problem for a year now, and asked on this forum but nobody new the answer, n some people had same problem, so thought I would help anybody out who may have this problem.

Well I flushed my radiator today and had to turn the heat on high to flush and fill radiator. When I turned the switch back to cold and turned A/C on, still hot air was blowing out of vents. It is way too hot in Arizona to not have Airconditioning!!! So I finally figured out what was the problem and here it is.

It is a faulty Air Mix actuator or Blend door actuator.
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It is located on the passenger side floor board under the dash.If you have the hush panel it will need to be removed using 7mm socket.
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Next you will disconnect the wiring harness and remove the two 5.5mm screw heads.
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After both screw are removed, the rear one is alittle difficult to get to so I just used the socket itself. The actuator itself should just pull right down, may be alittle tricky if fully in stop position.
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I purchased a new actuator, and just reinstalled back into vehicle. You will want to make sure the door is positioned the same as the actuator by moving the arm in the vehicle, NOT THE ACTUATOR. DON'T ADJUST ACTUATOR ITSELF, LEAVE THE WAY YOU PURCHASED. Mine was set in the cold.
DSC02402.jpg


If you buy a new actuator, you need to make sure the part numbers match because they make many different styles of of these actuators for different vehicles and climate controls. Mine may differ from yours so don't base my part number on what you need to buy.

Now here is the tricky part that I had to research. Thanks to a site called Sparky's Answers, I was able to figure this all out and pass it onto everyone here. Very good information recieved, and very thurough. So I am going to use some of his information so everyone will be informed correctly.

Now supposedly if you have a scan tool you can adjust and calibrate the actuator thru the scan tool. Since I don't, he also gave information on how to calibrate without a scan tool. So here ya go.

First once you get actuator, new or used, make sure it can not move( I mean the metal know shouldn't be able to move by hand and diffenently don't move with pliers), if so, it is probably bad, if not go ahead and install the way it comes, and reconnect wiring. Then you will disconnect the battery for atleast 30 seconds. Then reconnect battery, turn the ignition to the ON position for atleast 1 minute, but he suggested 3-4 minutes so that's what I did, and DO NOT TOUCH THE A/C CONTROLS!!! You will then turn ignition to the OFF position for atleast 10 seconds, then start the engine and confirm the new actuator is working correctly by turning the climate knob from cold to hot. If all was done correctly it will work!! I checked the actuator by being on the passenger side, turning ignition on, moving climate knob, and sticking my head under dash to watch for the actuator to move.

SUCCESS!!! Hope this write up helps anybody with this same problem. Any questions please feel free to ask, and I will do my best to help. If I missed anything, or miss typed, very sorry, my kid is trying to help write this!! LOL
 
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WHITEOUT

WHITEOUT

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I hope it helps people who had this same problem, I know I have asked about this before with nobody having a clue how to fix. Atleast at the time I asked, maybe this has already been brought up, just giving a how-to helper. Probably shoulda put in the tech forum tho, my bad if misplaced.
 

Modded

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Nice write up, hopefully I never need it haha.
 
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WHITEOUT

WHITEOUT

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Ya, I remeber awhile back asking about this, and others asking as well how to fix this problem, and nobody knowing, so I had to get mine taken care of the other day in the 110degree Az heat!!! So it should be useful to anybody who has this same problem.
 

amaz

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I have the same problem in my tahoe, but now that the actuator is stuck in cold -position, I haven't got any intrest to fix it, maybe when it's gettin colder and I need to get some hot air into the truck.
 

ballsie

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i have this problem on my driver side about everty 2 months. the actuators are $265 at the dealer and $35 on ebay! looks like I have some directions now! Thanks!!
 

Narco

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AWESOME post bro! ill move it to the tech section. any of you other guys that do this should take pics also and add to this.

Whiteout - what did you pay for your part and where did you get it?
 

Tahoewhat

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I know this a old thread, but its a very helpful thread, thanks whiteout, should definently be a sticky.
But my a/c just stopped working, bad blower motor, replaced w/ new blower motor. But its not blowing hard like it should. I got it once to push air like i used to, even w/ the recirc. air on, but now its just barley even blowing air. Is this the actuator going bad also? Should i go ahead install the actuator also and then disconnect battery like stated to have it all work properly? Also, i have the digital climate control.
 
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smurphy80

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Does this also apply to an '02 yukon with electronic climate control? I have the hot air issue from time to time when I first start my truck and it idles for a few minutes or I pull over and it idles for a few minutes, hot air starts to come out of the vents. But as soon as I start driving it cools right down again. Any ideas?
 

scorpio

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I have that problem with my rear ac, i just got the new actuator think ill do a write up on it.

+1 same problem here but i had went to the junkyard got 3 actuators for the back and as soon as i conect them and turn on the heat they still go to the same position and only cold air comes out. Plz let us know what come up with. Thanx
 

ilmk123

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smurphy80 I had this same problem and my system was over charged. When sitting idling the pressure would build up and sometimes it would even kick off the compresor.
The shop pulled it down and recharged it. The air is cold but only in the back. It blows only cool air out both sides of the front vents. I have disconnected the actuator above the hump and move it by hand and it would get no colder. So I am still tryin g to figure thie out......Scott
 

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