AC Heat Actuator Blend Doors, 05 Tahoe, SOLVED

[Rolexus]

Hi All, brand new to this forum and need some help. Recently on a long (hot!) road trip, drivers side started blowing hot air when AC was on. YouTube research said Actuator door needs replacing on 05 Tahoe. Questions:

1. Understand there are 2 - one for drivers side and one for passenger side air control. So - is drivers side located in mid-upper area behind dash (difficult to get at) and passenger side control is above gas pedal, behind shroud?

2. If I replace both Actuator Blend Doors, are they the same part?

Any help would be wonderful! Thanks, Dwayne (Surrey, BC, Canada)

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum from Oregon.

Gonna watch this for info for my 05. Gonna go look at the parts too.

I found 4 options and they all list front and either left or right but all the options confuse me. Might be best to post the last 8 digits of your VIN number and hopefully @915_Tahoe will see and he can help you. I looked up at RA and only would use the genuine GM parts listed.

If you go to this place, https://www.gmpartsgiant.com/, you can type in the entire VIN and look up parts only for your rig and will be GM numbers.

 

[Rolexus]

Thanks PNW VietVet! I’m really at a loss to find if the 2 parts (L and R) are different , or identical. Hope someone can answer. Another thing I found, it’s best to go with OEM, or second choice - Dorman. All others could be a waste of time and money.
Good luck!

 

[OR VietVet]

Do not, I repeat, do not use Dorman. Lots of threads about bad Dorman parts, especially anything electrical. See my edit of my other post for more info about this. The 4 GM actuators I see for the rig at RA is confusing, IMO.

 

[Rolexus]

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[OR VietVet]

Instead of posting the part #'s I will post the 4 links:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=85483&cc=1431156&pt=10721&jsn=935

More Information for GM GENUINE 1573952

More Information for GM GENUINE 1572972

More Information for GM GENUINE 1572971

 

[ks03]

Recently on a long (hot!) road trip, drivers side started blowing hot air when AC was on. YouTube research said Actuator door needs replacing on 05 Tahoe.

Alternative theory and questions
When the system gets low, the drivers side loses cooling before the passenger side.
What were the telltales from watching YouTube that caused you to condemn the blend door actuator?
Was this a gradual change, or lost cooling suddenly?
Does the passenger side cool, but not as well as it used to?
Does the driver side still have limited temperature control? Instead of cool warm hot, does it have warm, hot, and melt your face off?

 

[Rolexus]

Thanks ks03, I’ll try to answer here:
1. I was alone and driving at highway speeds. The temp change from selected AC temp @ ~72 jumped suddenly to HOT on drivers side, with hot air now blowing at feet and chest level vents.
2. I am unsure of the temp on passenger side at the time.
3. When I stopped for gas, all returned to normal, for a couple of hours, then repeated - cool to hot
4. Once the temp jumped to hot, it stayed there, with no response from dial setting knob - temp control.
5.during the height of discomfort, I found I could set back of Tahoe to blow cold with fan turned up. I could also turn ceiling vents forward. AND, I could set the front DEFROST to cold, and turn the temp to max COLD - which made the trip bearable.

The tell tale sign seems to be the sudden jump from cold to hot, and the fact I couldn’t change the temp back to cold - it would just stay in “melt your face off” hot setting...lol

Does that help?

 

[OR VietVet]

Thanks ks03, I’ll try to answer here:
1. I was alone and driving at highway speeds. The temp change from selected AC temp @ ~72 jumped suddenly to HOT on drivers side, with hot air now blowing at feet and chest level vents.
2. I am unsure of the temp on passenger side at the time.
3. When I stopped for gas, all returned to normal, for a couple of hours, then repeated - cool to hot
4. Once the temp jumped to hot, it stayed there, with no response from dial setting knob - temp control.
5.during the height of discomfort, I found I could set back of Tahoe to blow cold with fan turned up. I could also turn ceiling vents forward. AND, I could set the front DEFROST to cold, and turn the temp to max COLD - which made the trip bearable.

The tell tale sign seems to be the sudden jump from cold to hot, and the fact I couldn’t change the temp back to cold - it would just stay in “melt your face off” hot setting...lol

Does that help?

Referencing #1. When you say, "The temp change from selected AC temp @ ~72 jumped suddenly to HOT on drivers side", are you saying the set temp for the a/c remained the same and blew hot air or are you saying the temp setting also changed to a hot temp reading as well as the air coming out was hot? Clear as mud?

 

[Stonefort]

Thanks ks03, I’ll try to answer here:
1. I was alone and driving at highway speeds. The temp change from selected AC temp @ ~72 jumped suddenly to HOT on drivers side, with hot air now blowing at feet and chest level vents.
2. I am unsure of the temp on passenger side at the time.
3. When I stopped for gas, all returned to normal, for a couple of hours, then repeated - cool to hot
4. Once the temp jumped to hot, it stayed there, with no response from dial setting knob - temp control.
5.during the height of discomfort, I found I could set back of Tahoe to blow cold with fan turned up. I could also turn ceiling vents forward. AND, I could set the front DEFROST to cold, and turn the temp to max COLD - which made the trip bearable.

The tell tale sign seems to be the sudden jump from cold to hot, and the fact I couldn’t change the temp back to cold - it would just stay in “melt your face off” hot setting...lol

Does that help?

My 2004 has done this exact same thing randomly 5 or 6 times since I bought it back in October of 2020. Drivers side only will suddenly get hot. Not hot like hot outside air, but actual heater air hot.....friggen super hot. If I run my hand over to the passenger side it's still ice cold coming out.

I haven't researched how to fix it yet, because if I shut the vehicle off for a couple min it returns to normal. I am afraid one day it's going to get stuck on hot.

I will be interested to see how this thread progresses. Good luck!

 

[Rolexus]

Referencing #1. When you say, "The temp change from selected AC temp @ ~72 jumped suddenly to HOT on drivers side", are you saying the set temp for the a/c remained the same and blew hot air or are you saying the temp setting also changed to a hot temp reading as well as the air coming out was hot? Clear as mud?

Yup, totally clear. When this happened (and each time since) the control for AC temp was set ~65 and stayed set there. However the air temp coming from vents (as noted in previous reply) was “hot enough to melt my face”.

another thing I just thought of - when this happened, I may have braked, or hit a bump in the pavement, etc., which may have triggered the event…?

 

[Rolexus]

My 2004 has done this exact same thing randomly 5 or 6 times since I bought it back in October of 2020. Drivers side only will suddenly get hot. Not hot like hot outside air, but actual heater air hot.....friggen super hot. If I run my hand over to the passenger side it's still ice cold coming out.

I haven't researched how to fix it yet, because if I shut the vehicle off for a couple min it returns to normal. I am afraid one day it's going to get stuck on hot.

I will be interested to see how this thread progresses. Good luck!

Yea, this has happened to me 5-6 times, always in hot weather. It does seem to reset after stopping then restarting engine. I’ve also “recalibrated” the AC, per a YouTube video, which also works, but after a few hours on highway, back at it!

 

[Rolexus]

Referencing #1. When you say, "The temp change from selected AC temp @ ~72 jumped suddenly to HOT on drivers side", are you saying the set temp for the a/c remained the same and blew hot air or are you saying the temp setting also changed to a hot temp reading as well as the air coming out was hot? Clear as mud?

Hi PNW... I tried replying sooner, but must have got lost in cyberspace. Quick answer : the air temp coming from vents jumped to HOT, the dial setting was still set about 65 degrees. Then it didn’t matter if I tried adjusting temp air with controls, the unit still blew hot air (hot enough to melt my legs and my face...lol)

 

[Rolexus]

Instead of posting the part #'s I will post the 4 links:

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=85483&cc=1431156&pt=10721&jsn=935

More Information for GM GENUINE 1573952

More Information for GM GENUINE 1572972

More Information for GM GENUINE 1572971

 

[Rolexus]

Hi PNW VietVet, in this reply, I think I have chosen the correct door for replacement from Rock Auto, hopefully my screen shot come through for you. Keep in mind, I’ve used my vehicle RPO codes (here a CJ2) to search for the correct part. There are two of these doors, same part number, one each for left and right.

Cheers, Dwayne

 

[OR VietVet]

According to application that looks correct to me but IMO, I would not install anything but Genuine GM parts and stay away from the "Economy" list of aftermarket options. It is your money and your call but for all that work, I would use OE parts and stay away from Dorman and this may be even a more iffy part than even Dorman. There is a reason it costs $14.00 after all.

If I absolutely had to use something else, I have had decent luck with Standard Motor Products and Four Seasons. Again, your call. Hopefully others will chime in about this. Good luck.

 

[treehan77]

You can try the relearn procedure or replace the one on the right side of the console up under there. Pretty easy

 

[Rolexus]

According to application that looks correct to me but IMO, I would not install anything but Genuine GM parts and stay away from the "Economy" list of aftermarket options. It is your money and your call but for all that work, I would use OE parts and stay away from Dorman and this may be even a more iffy part than even Dorman. There is a reason it costs $14.00 after all.

If I absolutely had to use something else, I have had decent luck with Standard Motor Products and Four Seasons. Again, your call. Hopefully others will chime in about this. Good luck.

 

[Rolexus]

Sorry, but the link you provided (1 of 4 above) was for Rock Auto, so that’s what my search in their website revealed. I agree, OEM is the best.

One thing out of this - one door for both locations. So part of the problem is solved.

On to AC Delco I go

Cheers!

 

[Rolexus]

You can try the relearn procedure or replace the one on the right side of the console up under there. Pretty easy

Thanks treehan77. I’ve tried the re-learn (reprogram AC per YouTube) once. Worked for a few hours on highway, then reverted to hot air again.

However, I will try and replace the one door, as you’ve suggested. Video I’ve seen on this one looks easy enough, as you’ve said.

One question I have that no-one has answers... is the right side ‘door’ under the console the correct one to replace if drivers side is blowing hot?