How do I access blend door actuator?
- Thread starter hemiwk57
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JLRockies
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What did the service manual say when you looked it up?
tjkj2002
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Oh snap the HVAC box has to come out as does the dash.
Joejeeper420
Full Access Member
From my post over on lost from when I swapped out my entire heater box assembly:
I was finally able to get it done... It took about 3 1/2 hours to do. I really thought it would be a lot tougher of a task... I should have wrote up a how to with pics... But it was way too cold out... Had to power through it. I'll try my best to explain .
I started by disconnecting the battery then removing the center console, then comes the A pillar handles; and everything screwed/clipped into the dash... All of the trim around the steering wheel, the column switch, gauge cluster, as well as both kick panels come out... Then the stereo and all HVAC controls. then the passenger side airbag came out. once that is done you can remove the swing bolts that are located behind the kick panels, then i took out the center mounting bolts as well as the plate. I then unscrewed the fuse/junction box at this point, then disconnected the wire harness starting at the brake switch and working my way over I fished most of it through the opening for the steering wheel. Then I disconnected the vacuum line and electrical connectors on the passenger side that go to the blower motor and the resistor, etc and fished them out a bit. After that its the main bolts that go into the firewall... I never dropped the steering column... I only loosened the two 13mm? Bolts that go up and through the bottom of the mid column up, they protrude just enough that you can't pull the dash towards you without backing them off till the ends are flush. Then there are
Two 10mm washer nuts on the bottom of the heater Box... And that just about finishes off the work in the cabin.
Then ON to the engine bay! You have to move the coolant overflow out of the way to get to the one remaining washer bolt on the firewall and the input output hoses On the heater core... Evacuate the AC then disconnect evaporator... Back in the cabin you can pull the dash back enough to wiggle the old heater box out. Twist it back towards you so the heater core openings face up and pull it out.
Jump around for joy at this point and look at your car in disbelief but be full of confidence because its not rocket science
When re installing take care to be easy and not Force it in... You can make enough space to get it in without forcing it. Also take care when handling your fuse/junction box... When I buttoned everything back up my gauge cluster was dead... I had to reseat the connectors and reset the battery... After that everything should be gravy. Enjoy the heat!
I was finally able to get it done... It took about 3 1/2 hours to do. I really thought it would be a lot tougher of a task... I should have wrote up a how to with pics... But it was way too cold out... Had to power through it. I'll try my best to explain .
I started by disconnecting the battery then removing the center console, then comes the A pillar handles; and everything screwed/clipped into the dash... All of the trim around the steering wheel, the column switch, gauge cluster, as well as both kick panels come out... Then the stereo and all HVAC controls. then the passenger side airbag came out. once that is done you can remove the swing bolts that are located behind the kick panels, then i took out the center mounting bolts as well as the plate. I then unscrewed the fuse/junction box at this point, then disconnected the wire harness starting at the brake switch and working my way over I fished most of it through the opening for the steering wheel. Then I disconnected the vacuum line and electrical connectors on the passenger side that go to the blower motor and the resistor, etc and fished them out a bit. After that its the main bolts that go into the firewall... I never dropped the steering column... I only loosened the two 13mm? Bolts that go up and through the bottom of the mid column up, they protrude just enough that you can't pull the dash towards you without backing them off till the ends are flush. Then there are
Two 10mm washer nuts on the bottom of the heater Box... And that just about finishes off the work in the cabin.
Then ON to the engine bay! You have to move the coolant overflow out of the way to get to the one remaining washer bolt on the firewall and the input output hoses On the heater core... Evacuate the AC then disconnect evaporator... Back in the cabin you can pull the dash back enough to wiggle the old heater box out. Twist it back towards you so the heater core openings face up and pull it out.
Jump around for joy at this point and look at your car in disbelief but be full of confidence because its not rocket science
When re installing take care to be easy and not Force it in... You can make enough space to get it in without forcing it. Also take care when handling your fuse/junction box... When I buttoned everything back up my gauge cluster was dead... I had to reseat the connectors and reset the battery... After that everything should be gravy. Enjoy the heat!
Sounds painful. From what I read the heater box does not have to actually be removed to get the actuator off and replaced, but you do have to remove the dash to get to the heater box. I'm wondering if there is any creative cutting that can be done behind the glovebox (assuming thats where the heater box is) to get to the actuator and replace it. The vehicle is 10+ years old so at this point I am looking for easy vs. perfect if possible. I did blend doors on a WJ twice, and then again when the heater core went.... I swore I would not do it again!
first&lastKJ
Full Access Member
I am having the same problems with my wifes 02. We dont want to spend alot of money on a 11 year old vehicle.
Do you have a service manual for it?
Well, I got in there today and found the culprit. It looks like the actuator did fail, but when it did, it kept pushing the blend door against the plastic stopper in the HVAC housing until it snapped and cracked the housing, along with the plastic tab on the blend door that hits the stopper on the housing. So now I am trying to source the blend door which does not seem to be sold by itself and the upper housing of the heater box. Anyone have experience with ordering either of these parts?
first&lastKJ
Full Access Member
Got any pictures of the location of the actuator?
It's on top of the HVAC box behind the dash. Completely not visible until you remove the dash. If you want a pic of what the top of the HVAC box and actuator look like, PM me your email address and I will send it over. It is sitting on my kitchen counter at the moment as I think about what to do to fix it tomorrow
first&lastKJ
Full Access Member
It's on top of the HVAC box behind the dash. Completely not visible until you remove the dash. If you want a pic of what the top of the HVAC box and actuator look like, PM me your email address and I will send it over. It is sitting on my kitchen counter at the moment as I think about what to do to fix it tomorrow
I'm not going to attempt to take out the HVAC box. I was hoping to get to the actuator without taking everthing apart.
Phil2020
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@hemiwk57 & @first&lastKJ
"I'm not going to attempt to take out the HVAC box. I was hoping to get to the actuator without taking everything apart."
Did you guys ever get any constructive help from the geniuses on this forum on how to get to the actuator without taking everything apart?
Going to take mine apart soon and replace ALL the actuators and doors!!!
I AM GOING TO TAKE COMPLETE VIDEO AND PHOTOS OF THE BREAKDOWN AND FULL ASSEMBLE!!!
Will be the only one in the WORLD on the internet with REAL help how to do this.
Haven't decided yet if I should put it on free Youtube or Pay Patreon!
"I'm not going to attempt to take out the HVAC box. I was hoping to get to the actuator without taking everything apart."
Did you guys ever get any constructive help from the geniuses on this forum on how to get to the actuator without taking everything apart?
Going to take mine apart soon and replace ALL the actuators and doors!!!
I AM GOING TO TAKE COMPLETE VIDEO AND PHOTOS OF THE BREAKDOWN AND FULL ASSEMBLE!!!
Will be the only one in the WORLD on the internet with REAL help how to do this.
Haven't decided yet if I should put it on free Youtube or Pay Patreon!
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There's a how to on this from 2015. Had to really get into the dash but wasn't that difficult.
www.jeepkj.com
How to: Replace HVAC blend door actuator
Surprised this hasn't been covered before but had to do this a couple weeks back in my 02 limited and thought I'd add a brief description of what I did. I'd recommend getting the FSM for your respective year but I only followed the first few parts for the disassembly. My symptom was absolutely...
www.jeepkj.com
Phil2020
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- Feb 20, 2020
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Thank so much for your reply!
Mine is also a 2002 Liberty 3.7
Thought there were 2 actuators for the heating blend doors. One for the right and one for the left.
One round and one sorta square.
Also got all actuators from wreckers and ripped them apart, then I replaced the all the cheap plastic gears with aluminum machined gears ones I made, (makes them a little heavier but more solid in use). Works great!
BTW, replaced the cheap Dorman motors with Bosch super S11 motors for radio controlled airplanes. (longer lasting and lower heat)
Plus included a reset relay in the PCB board in case they jam up with a slightly lower amperage fuse that will blow to shut down the circuit that's easily accessible from the outside. Electrical parts from Digikey.
Then replaced the plastic toothed blend door gears again with machined aluminum ones, checked out fine when tested, all's good.
Pretty solid actuators now no breakages from now on.
Lastly, when you replace these cheap and nasty actuators, plastic or machined, DO NOT use the grease that comes with them, it dries out really fast. Something I noticed on the ones I disassembled.
What a friend suggested is that, i use is the same thermal grease used on CPU's in a computer.
It's used to dealing with higher heat, so with the heat in the summer and with the heater fans going in the winter, it still takes much longer to dry out than the manufacturers crappy grease that they use nowadays, even on the plastic gear ones.
You can buy a big tube of high heat thermal paste for about $20.
Mine is also a 2002 Liberty 3.7
Thought there were 2 actuators for the heating blend doors. One for the right and one for the left.
One round and one sorta square.
Also got all actuators from wreckers and ripped them apart, then I replaced the all the cheap plastic gears with aluminum machined gears ones I made, (makes them a little heavier but more solid in use). Works great!
BTW, replaced the cheap Dorman motors with Bosch super S11 motors for radio controlled airplanes. (longer lasting and lower heat)
Plus included a reset relay in the PCB board in case they jam up with a slightly lower amperage fuse that will blow to shut down the circuit that's easily accessible from the outside. Electrical parts from Digikey.
Then replaced the plastic toothed blend door gears again with machined aluminum ones, checked out fine when tested, all's good.
Pretty solid actuators now no breakages from now on.
Lastly, when you replace these cheap and nasty actuators, plastic or machined, DO NOT use the grease that comes with them, it dries out really fast. Something I noticed on the ones I disassembled.
What a friend suggested is that, i use is the same thermal grease used on CPU's in a computer.
It's used to dealing with higher heat, so with the heat in the summer and with the heater fans going in the winter, it still takes much longer to dry out than the manufacturers crappy grease that they use nowadays, even on the plastic gear ones.
You can buy a big tube of high heat thermal paste for about $20.
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