ratlratl,

I checked my service order and it shows that they did use Part Number 68004226-AB. So based on your write up, it appears I got the new housing you talked about. Hopefully the new housing will be the long term solution.

Just out of curiosity, is the new housing one of the two boxes shown on your seat in post #21?

Thanks again for the great write up and the offer to answer my question!

 

Yes, it is the one on the front edge of the seat. Sure thing. Anytime.

Chris

 

ratlratl, the #68004226AB is great for the '06s, will it work on the '03s?

 

Yes it will work on that one also. The dash still comes out the same. Not sure but I think there will be a difference in the lower center part. Maybe not.

Chris

 

Do you think the dealer will give me the NEW door design for FREE? The truck is under warranty, I will do the work myself, they can have the broken part back when I am done.

I figure they might or might not, depends on the dealer....

 

Hi folks. I had the new housing/recirc door installed. I can say that the fix works like a champ. My symptoms were not much air flow from the vents, even with the fan on high and a broken recirc door, which I removed myself. Don

 

First, this is an excellent thread, so thank you ratlratl. I went out to my truck and reached up behind my glove box and stuck my fingers down the inlet and felt the HVAC door sliding around on top of the blower motor intake. I only had a few minutes to play around so I could not take out the dash. But I did drop the blower motor, just three screws, and slid the broken door out. What an improvement on the circulation. I had it turned on the lowest setting and I could feel the air on the back of my neck. A dramatic drop in sound as well now that the blower is not fighting for air. I wonder if the door can be replaced in the same housing with a better door? I believe this could be done without removing the dash. Thanks again, for I do not have to suffer anymore.

I can live for now with the fact that out side air will always come in my truck until I replace that door and/or housing assy.

 

The big C released an update on the door problem tonight. They now recommend just replacing the door. HUH? No longer saying the housing, but to just remove the actuator and the blower motor. Then taking out the door through the opening as most have done on here before. ALSO replacing the actuator. However this operation only applies to trucks without the Infinity speaker system, as those trucks still require the removal of the entire dash. So....now we're back up to $60+ in parts, instead of the $14 assembly, and risk damage to the housing itself by wrangling out the coupler between the door and the actuator, and reinstalling it. I tried to get that piece out of my old housing and it is possible, but I don't see it done easily if it was still in the truck compared to on a bench. Weird, as they have thousands of the 68004226 AB housings in their warehouse networks and nowhere near as many doors. Make sense to you?

This appears to be an attempt to lower warranty costs by cutting the labor. Good for customer pay however. Yeah right!!! The dealer was already getting away with murder with the trick I learned and shared here.

STAY TUNED........

 

I am having a problem with my HVAC as well. Seems to be the blend door though, the recirc. works fine.

As she sits now, only the main vents (the ones that face you) work. Defrost, floor, or anything in between doesn't work. Well, a little bit of air comes out of them when air is flowing out of the mains. As mentioned before, the recirc. function seems to work fine. The other crazy thing is sometimes the air will stop flowing altogether with the blower motor still running. When this happens the blower motor gets loud, it happens frequently, and is remedied by turning it off for a few minutes, then back on.

So will the aforementioned part fix my problem as well?

 

this is a great thread.
will this be an issue on 08's?
if you think it will be is there anything an owner can do to
prevent the flap from getting stuck into place? ie...don't recirculate the air?

 

mine goes in tomarow for this. mine has allways been on recirculate since i bought it and it still broke.the dealer said they where going to put in a new houseing. guess i will see.

 

That sounds like a halfway busted recirc door to me.

 

Picked up the the part today from Manassas Dodge, they have 5 left. That part number got me the whole housing and cost me about 17 bucks. I am going to try and replace tomorrow since weather is supposed to be nice.

I've got so much crap under the dash i'm sure it will take me longer than 50 minutes, I guess it's time to get them cleaned up anyway...

 

BEST OF LUCK to you....Your dash will still come out the same as my 06 did. All bolts are in the same locations. Just have to take out floor console first.
Be extra careful of where the column wiring harness goes before you re mount the column. there should be a large ring like retainer that it slides through to guide it along column. You will have to take it out of this ring to lower the column.

Chris

 

My 03 just refuses to snap, I am constantly moving it in all positions but all it does is work properly, except defrost, don't need it.