Front mode actuator problem

[murf69]

New at this so have patience:
04 Blazer: bought second hand, will not blend from vents to floor, I pulled the old one. Bought new actuator, installed, (I hope the door was in the right position), and turned on the switch. Watched it move half way between the marks and stopped there. I reset with pulling fuse and it reset to the middle position. Took if off and made sure the door was in the vent position. Once again it moves door but only maybe half the way between the notches, will not close to fully floor position. I'm about at the end of my rope... Can anyone help? sorry if I was suppose to start a new thread! Hell, I don't know if I will be able to find this one again so murphygjr@charter.net HELP!
Actually the old one moves the same, thought it was bad...

 

[The_Roadie]

New at this so have patience

When you post in a thread, as long as you have email notifications turned on, you'll get email with a link to your thread.

Assume you're talking about an EXT rear HVAC unit. I'd guess you have a jammed or physically broken door, although I can imagine an electrical issue in the actuator's position feedback sensor. Are you pulling the fuse for a reset, then putting it back in, then turning on the ignition and leaving everything alone for 90 seconds while it goes through its paces?

What's your experience level and meter knowledge for electrical troubleshooting if we talk you through the schematics?

 

[murf69]

When you post in a thread, as long as you have email notifications turned on, you'll get email with a link to your thread.

Assume you're talking about an EXT rear HVAC unit. I'd guess you have a jammed or physically broken door, although I can imagine an electrical issue in the actuator's position feedback sensor. Are you pulling the fuse for a reset, then putting it back in, then turning on the ignition and leaving everything alone for 90 seconds while it goes through its paces?

What's your experience level and meter knowledge for electrical troubleshooting if we talk you through the schematics?

Sory Roadie; I see it asked the question in the wrong area. If I need to change please let me know and how to.
It is the front system and I have limited meter knowledge, but can read a meter and follow instructions.
When I first plugged the new actuator in I had the unit in the off position with the knob in the dash vent position and watched the actuator turn clockwise and stay in that position. (Having reset it before for the old actuator trying to get it to work.) It stayed in that position so I reset it and it went back to the netrual or center mark on the actuator. So I took it off to make sure the door was in the position that would allow it to blow in the upper vents. At this point it stll is also coming out of the floor vents. When I move the knob to the floor bilevel the actuator moves some. When I move it to the floor only it moves some more, but the air it still coming out of the upper vents. When I move it to defrost the upper actuator closes the floor vent but the upper vent still has some air coming out. Confused!

 

[The_Roadie]

OK, moved to a new thread. Forums are arranged in a hierarchy. If you're viewing a thread, you can add a new post. If you're up a level and viewing a forum, you can add a new thread.

Have you ever pulled the HVAC B fuse and forced the system to recalibrate?

 

[murf69]

OK, moved to a new thread. Forums are arranged in a hierarchy. If you're viewing a thread, you can add a new post. If you're up a level and viewing a forum, you can add a new thread.

Have you ever pulled the HVAC B fuse and forced the system to recalibrate?

Yes, after I plugged it in and it went clockwise and stayed in that position. Pulled the fuse and it went back to the center position. I then pulled the actuator off again to make sure the door lever matched the actuator, which in the middle position of the actuator alines with the door lever being up and I think this would or should have the floor vent closed.
The top actator, or highest one closest to the dash rotates as I turn the blend knob along with the center actuator rotates clockwise close to the right mark on that actuator. But, there is still air coming out of the floor vent.

 

[The_Roadie]

Yes, after I plugged it in and it went clockwise and stayed in that position. Pulled the fuse and it went back to the center position.

Surely it didn't move when the fuse was unplugged?

The recalibration process is:
1) Turn the ignition off
2) Pull the HVAC B fuse for 30 seconds
3) Reinstall the fuse
4) Turn the ignition to RUN but don't start the engine
5) Don't touch any HVAC controls for 90 seconds. The actuators should rotate from end to end and only at the end should they return to a center position if the controls are telling them to.

Are you following that process exactly?

Not sure what you mean by the "center actuator". Check this picture I've posted for a long time.

 

[Enderbygrandpa]

Surely it didn't move when the fuse was unplugged?

The recalibration process is:
1) Turn the ignition off
2) Pull the HVAC B fuse for 30 seconds
3) Reinstall the fuse
4) Turn the ignition to RUN but don't start the engine
5) Don't touch any HVAC controls for 90 seconds. The actuators should rotate from end to end and only at the end should they return to a center position if the controls are telling them to.

Are you following that process exactly?

Not sure what you mean by the "center actuator". Check this picture I've posted for a long time.

his description of the position of the actuators matches my 2003 TB manual system. The middle actuator is floor dash but the right hand one above I am pretty sure is the defrost. is that picture that you post maybe for automatic system? maybe the picture is upside down compared to when laying on the floor looking up at the heater?

 

[murf69]

Surely it didn't move when the fuse was unplugged?

The recalibration process is:
1) Turn the ignition off
2) Pull the HVAC B fuse for 30 seconds
3) Reinstall the fuse
4) Turn the ignition to RUN but don't start the engine
5) Don't touch any HVAC controls for 90 seconds. The actuators should rotate from end to end and only at the end should they return to a center position if the controls are telling them to.

Are you following that process exactly?

Not sure what you mean by the "center actuator". Check this picture I've posted for a long time.

YES mine is manual...
Roadie. the floor/dash actuator in the on I'm refering to. I followed those instructions, having read you thread before hand. When I first pluged it in I didn't recalibrate because I had already recalibrated the system trying to get the old actuator to work and thats when it rotated to the right, clockwise, and stayed in that position. So I took it off and matched the armtatur arm with the door arm. Then recalibrated it again and it moved back to the center or middle position. It never moved to both sides. I the all dash vents position it is in the middle possition and when I move it to floor it moves to the right. I don't know but it seems it should start in the left position and cycle thru the middle on to the right to give it full range.
I'm lost, been trying to get this for three days...

 

[The_Roadie]

You haven't recalibrated the system with any actuator not attached to its door, have you? That could possibly allow the actuator to overtravel and then it will never recover. Without careful disassembly and comparing it to a known good one. As far as I know they aren't designed to be calibrated without their doors attached. And if you ever did that and it survived, you would still have to recalibrate after it's attached.

Assuming you did all this, you probably have a bad control module. Any chance you have a local buddy with one to borrow?

 

[murf69]

You haven't recalibrated the system with any actuator not attached to its door, have you? That could possibly allow the actuator to overtravel and then it will never recover. Without careful disassembly and comparing it to a known good one. As far as I know they aren't designed to be calibrated without their doors attached. And if you ever did that and it survived, you would still have to recalibrate after it's attached.

Assuming you did all this, you probably have a bad control module. Any chance you have a local buddy with one to borrow?

No I don't know anyone who would have one like it.
I did not calibrate the unit without the actuator in place, but I wondering if the door was in the right position when I reconnected the actutaor to it. Like I said it only moved clockwise and stayed in that position even though the control knob was set in the all dash position. Then I pulled the fuse... and it returned to the middle position and then I took it off again to check the door was in the closed position. Could it be half way out? Should the actuator have rotated both ways to the extreme on both sides?

 

[murf69]

No I don't know anyone who would have one like it.
I did not calibrate the unit without the actuator in place, but I wondering if the door was in the right position when I reconnected the actutaor to it. Like I said it only moved clockwise and stayed in that position even though the control knob was set in the all dash position. Then I pulled the fuse... and it returned to the middle position and then I took it off again to check the door was in the closed position. Could it be half way out? Should the actuator have rotated both ways to the extreme on both sides?

Another thing: When I first took off the old actuator I felt up at the door gears and it felt like the door wasn't even attatched.
Any other thoughts? Should it have cycled completely from full left to full right?

 

[murf69]

Another thing: When I first took off the old actuator I felt up at the door gears and it felt like the door wasn't even attatched.
Any other thoughts? Should it have cycled completely from full left to full right?

Roadie answer please! I have another actuator coming in tomorrow. What position should the door be in? Should be geared lever in the door be in the up position?
Please Reply...

 

[Sparky]

Just move the door to line up with whatever position the actuator is in.

Disconnect the fuse (or battery) while swapping the actuator. Then once you have the actuator put in place, give the system power again, turn the key to run (but don't start it), and let it sit that way for a couple minutes for it to recalibrate.

 

[murf69]

I assume you mean the notch in the actuator gears with the part sticking out on the door gears? Is this where they should go together?

 

[murf69]

got the new actuator in and before I plug it in I want to state that it is in a completely different position to start. The first one had the white are sticking out with the white arm horizontal with the metal part on the other side in the middle of the marks. this one the white arm is tucked behind with the metal part pass the right mark on the case almost horizontal across the marks. if you can picture this:


--
--- ---
-- the old one w/ the center notched metal marks ligned up with the long lines in pic and the white are pointing out the actuator almost horazontal

the new one w/ the notched metal marks are past the right small lines with the white arm tucked behind the actuator...

should I connect it and plug it in??

 

[murf69]

that drawing out worth a darn

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| never ming it doesn't come out