2012 Chevy Equinox Vent Mode Door Actuator Replacement
Also called, control the position of the vents that control the flow of air into your vehicle's passenger area. When the blend door actuators are not working properly, this can result in the heating or the air conditioning failing to enter the passenger area. When the actuator is not working, you will get either hot air but no cold air, or cold air but no hot air. The actuators are small electric motors that move the vent doors, mixing hot air with cold air to achieve the temperature that you desire. Most vehicles have two blend door actuators, one on the driver side and one on the passenger side.
Fortunately, you do not need to remove the dashboard in order to get to them. Some experts recommend that you disconnect the vehicle's battery to remove and replace the blend door actuators.
In all cases, you must make sure that the vehicle is turned off, to avoid electrical shock. Most actuators can be released using an 8 mm. They are held in place by two, three, or four bolts. Once you have the actuator lowered to where you can see it, you can test it.
Turn the vehicle on, adjust the temperature for your ventilation system, and look to see whether the motor inside the actuator is turning. If it is turning, then it does not need to be repaired or replaced. Simply turn off the vehicle and mount the blend door actuator back where you found it.If it is not working, you will need to repair or replace it. Be sure to turn the vehicle off to avoid electrical shock.
Do you hear a ticking noise from your dash when the ignition key is on? Doesyour car heater blow cold or the air conditioner blow hot? These are signs that a blenddoor actuator has gone bad. With a little help from our team of ASE certifiedmechanics and about a half hour of your time you can replace this part to get your climate control back workingagain. Or you can see what you are paying for when taking your car in forrepairs. What Goes Wrong?A blend door actuator is made up of an electric motor that turns a plasticgear set in one direction or another which is connected to an air control doorpivot at the final drive of the unit. An actuator can go bad in of two ways; first the electric motor canburn out rendering the unit non-responsive so nothing changes when thetemperature or vent mode controls are moved.
Next, the plastic gear set will becomebrittle and break which will sometimes allow the unit to work while making aticking or clicking noise and then stop. This is a common problem in most car's heater and air conditionersystems.
How Does It Work?An air blend door actuator is constructed from a plastic housing, a smallelectric motor and a plastic gear set. A door position sensor is alsoincorporate into the unit to send feed back information to the climate control computer. This actuator then moves temperature and air direction doorsinside the heater plenum (box) which are designed to control mode settings suchas temperature, floor, mid vent, defrost and fresh air or re-circulation modes.They also control hot and cold settings for right and left passenger compartments.Your car's climate control computer gives an electrical command to the actuator to startmoving the actuator motor to change air direction modes.
2012 Chevy Equinox Vent Mode Door Actuator Replacement Video
This direction is according tothe temperature chosen by the driver or passenger on dual climate controlsystems.Most systems have three to four of these units placed in various areas aroundthe HVAC plenum that control mode operation and will vary by the car make and model. Let's Get StartedYou can get an OEM replacement actuator fromAmazon for what the garages pay for them in most cases.You will need a tool set includingan 5.5 mm socket for Chevy, GMC, Cadillac, Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Step 1: Remove the Lower Dash Panel or Glove BoxUsing a small socket and ratchet remove the mounting bolts that hold theunder dash plastic cover on the passenger side.
These screws can be in obscure places so look around for them. Step 2: Remove the Door ActuatorHere is a typical right side temperature actuator used for dual climate controls (also temperature for signal mode units).This actuator hangs below the box which is one of theeasier units to replace.Begin by using a small screwdriver to release the wiring safetyclip on the harness for the actuator. These clips can be brittle and break so begentle.Once released gently pull down on the wiring connector and remove it from theblend door actuator. Inspect the connector for rust or corrosion and clean as needed. Step 3: Remove the ActuatorLocate and remove the actuator mounting screws.
There should be two orthree screws holding it in place. A small universal might be needed to helpremove the screws in awkward places. Once removed place the screws into a smallcontainer so they don't get lost.Once all of the mounting screws have been removed the actuator should become loose.Grasp the actuator and pull it from its mount to remove.Step 4: Turn the Air Door PivotBefore installing the new actuator it's a good idea to manually turn theblend door in both directions to ensure it is not stuck which will cause the newactuator to fail. Grasp the door pivot and move it back and forth to its fulltravel, it should move freely. If you cannot move the blend door an obstructionhas gotten in the way of the door movement which will make the new actuatorfail. These obstructions can include: pen, tooth pick, small toy or bubble gum to namea few.
If the door is stuck the heater plenum with need to be removed and theproblem resolved before installing the new unit.To test the blend door operation and too double check that you are changing thecorrect actuator motor turn the blower motor on and work the door in each way.You will be able to feel the air change temperature or vent level.Step 5: Match the New ActuatorCompare the bad actuator to the new unit. Be sure to check thewiring harness connector terminals they should match identically. Now the newpart is ready to be installed.
2015 Equinox Blend Door Actuator
Step 6: Install the New Air Blend Door ActuatorInstall the new part in place as you insert the mounting screws by hand.Be careful not to cross thread the mounting screws because they thread into the plastichousing and can easily strip, (do not over tighten).Once all screws are in place firmly push the wiring harness connector backinto the actuator. You should hear a click signaling the correct installing ofthe connector.Step 7: Reinstall the Cover or Glove BoxAfter the installation is complete double check your work and reinstall theplastic cover. This can take some jostling to get the bolts holes lined up sohang in there. Once the cover is in place start the installation of the mounting screws byhand, once hand threaded install the remainder of the screws.
Do not tighten the firstscrew you have threaded in until all of the screws because it will make the remainder of the screws harder toinstall.After cover has been re-installed start the engine to test the repair job byturning the climate control on and moving the controls from hot and cold and from defrost to the mid and floorpositions to ensure the new actuator is working as it should.Watch the VideoHere is this job being done to pick up on additional tips and information before you begin. Blend Door Actuator LocationsBegin by identifying the problem either defrost, mid or floor, ortemperature modes not working.
Then locate and identify the actuator to be replaced.These units can be either hanging in front of you or in a little more obscure places such as on the side theHVAC plenum. Sometimes they can be located in inconvenient placeslike the top of the heater box. These repairs can take a little longer becausemore parts need to be removed to gain access to the actuator.You can use a repair resource such as Mitchell1, a paper manualfound on Amazon or a resource like Google images to locate theparticular area in which the actuator needs to be replacement.Here is an example of a Silverado, Suburban and Tahoe locations. Recirculation ActuatorMode (Defrost Mid Vent and Floor) Actuator LocationLeft Temperature Actuator Location - Signal System Temperature ActuatorRight Temperature Blend Door Location.