Blend Door Actuator Problem?

Morning Gents,

I noticed the other day while xmas shopping with the wife that somethings wrong with my ac/heat controls. I have the dual zone climate control in my Limited. I can change the temperature for driver/passenger in any direction, but one specifically doesn't seem to work. I can sync driver/passenger side and turn it to 65 or 85 and get that from the vents in either direction of the temperature. If I do 65 driver and 85 passenger that works as well. If I flip and try 85 drivers side and 65 passenger side I don't feel the heat on the drivers side. What's odd is that if I put both sides to 85, then cool the passenger side down the driver's side will still maintain the heat. Thinking it's probably a blend door actuator issue? Not a big deal, but I do want to get it fixed. I'm due in another 1K miles for the next oil change at Toyota and will have them look at this. My blower motor is getting loud as well (bearings) which I've been putting off until my next service to have it replaced (under warranty), but I don't think that has anything to do with the other issue I'm seeing.

Has anyone else had this before? Any thoughts what it might be?

 

Do you actually set your temperatures driver/passenger with such a variance like that?

 

Not normally that large of spread. Wife had her side at 67 and I bumped mine to about 76 and that's when I noticed it the other night. After that, I just messed around to see what was going on with it.

 

My 2019 limited does the same thing but also if I switch to feet I've noticed it still blowing out the circle vents, haven't checked defrost vents.

 

I have an appointment for Friday morning at 9am for an oil change with the dealer. I've asked them to check this out also. Will update with their response after they take a look at it.

 

Can you update this on the outcome? My blend door actuator is getting louder and louder - have a feeling I’m on borrowed time.

 

What does it sound like?

 

Looking back at my service history Toyota did replace the blower motor at the next service due to the slight bearing noise it was making. This was a separate issue.

As for the blend door actuator issue I don't think they really took the time to diagnose anything at all.

For a good laugh, this is what the tech notes state. The service advisor didn't even mention the blend door in the concern or anything temp related and I'm pretty descriptive when relaying any information to them.
CUSTOMER STATES WARRANTY CONCERN

CUSTOMER STATES WARRANTY CONCERN ~|~C/S WHEN AIR IS ON HEARING NOISE FROM PASSENGER SIDE DASH ~|~ ~|~FOUND NOISE COMING FROM VENT WHEN VENT WAS CLOSED. OPENED VENT AND NOISE WHEN AWAY

I think I just blew it off and didn't ever have it looked at again after that. Never had an issue since, but now I'm curious to go back out and give it a try 3 years later to see what happens...

The one issue that I do get once in a while (of course Toyota can't replicate it because it's sporadic) is that I'll enter the truck and start it up and the ac display will be blank like it's turned off. It loses the last temp setting and when you try to press a button or change the temp you have to wait about 30 secs before the display comes back on first. Once the display lights up it defaults both sides to 72 degrees. I believe its from an issue with a blend door being out of sync based on my research, but not sure. It's random when it happens and now that I'm out of warranty probably not worth the cost of the repair. I posted a thread about the issue here: Climate Control Not Saving Last Setting | Toyota Tundra Forum (tundras.com)

 

I had this problem two years ago. Would blow hot air on passenger side and cold air on driver. The dash has to come out. The blend door failed. The HVAC system is sold as a whole unit. Ya it sucks. Was like 2500$. Takes 8 hrs good tech to replace.

 

Like a stuttering groan. Sounds like the servo doesn’t have adequate power to move what it’s trying to move.

 

Yup blend door. Did you happen to run extra wires to your head unit? I ran wires behind the head unit and went right over the blend door gears (who the fuck designs exposed gears?) and fucked it up.

 

Of course I’ve run a billion things behind the dash. Get to rip it all out and try to reroute some items I guess.

 

I hate to say it, but that is exactly what mine sounded like before it went kaput. I hope yours is not what mine was, as the blend door shaft ended up snapping and the entire unit had to be replaced.


And the crappy thing...the replacement unit they installed failed (at about 12 months) for a different reason and the entire dash had to be taken out, again.

 

My 2007 developed the grinding sound when you would try to move between defrost and front vents it finally gave out in the defrost position. I get AC through the defrost vents so I haven’t been in a hurry to fix I knew it would be at least $1k to fix thinking the dash would need to be removed. I have since seen a few YouTube videos where you don’t have to take the top dash off but can access the area from the bottom



https://youtu.be/_udGpW7QKHk?si=Q6BwwlSbpjRFDSMU

 

To add…. I had my blend door actuator go under warranty. It’s a heck of a job and it was in the shop for two days. Complete open dash surgery for a small part. Probably the most painful interior repair outside of replacing the harness.

 

I owe you more beer - I had to replace a non-functioning front camera and had everything opened up. Was able to identify the wire impacting the blend door (it made the noise when pulling on it) and rerouted that shit. Stuttering groan is gone.

 

Sorry to revive an old topic...

My actuator motor bit the dust when my battery died.

I can get the whole assembly for $180. BUT, is there a reason I can't just pop a new motor on without taking the whole assembly apart???