Finally my HVAC system has enough power to defrost the windshield! From reading on here i was pretty sure I had a recirc door problem. Well - i did. It's broke! and of course it was laying over the intake of the blower and only letting about 10% airflow get by.

Simply unplug the blower motor power cord, remove the three screws that hold the blower assembly on, pull out the blower, reach straight up and sure enough there is the broken door just laying in there. Had to turn it a little and coax it through the hole but it came right out. Re-installed the blower assembly and the difference in air pressure is amazing!

So if anyone else is having the same problem, and i thought I read that a few were - Go fix it because it is only a 10 minute job!

And the best part of it all - NO DEALERSHIP involved.

 

Someone put this on another thread: This doesn't mean a hill of beans to most folks without pictures.

Just kidding - had to say it. Pictures of where would be helpful though.

 

so is it always recirculating the air now? or always sucking fresh air?


kinda like the fresh air in the winter. and a must to recirculate the air in the summer.

 

I still haven't fully digested the functions of the RECIRC door and that's after having my dash off and the HVAC unit out of the truck TWICE on my 03. Took it out once to replace the defrost door. A month later, the wife complained she was freezing on the passenger side even with the heat on as hot and hard as it would go. The problem was the RECIRC door and it was letting cold air in just from the "ram" force of the air from driving. Mine was partially broken, so it wouldn't fully close or fully open. What I do know about it is you can look at it to determine if it's working by taking out the glove box on an 03-05 at least. No tools necessary---just open the glove box, bend the tabs that stop the glove box when it's opened, and remove from the hinges. With the truck running and leaning in from the passenger side, look up through the glove box hole and turn the fan on and off. In the heat (floor or floor/console, it doesn't matter) function, the door moves every time you turn the fan on or off. When the fan is off, the door goes to the vertical position (don't know if you want to call this OPEN or CLOSED). This prevents air from entering the cab from the outdoor air intake and the "ram" force of the air. When you turn the fan on, the door moves to horizontal position to let in outdoor air, but route the air through the HVAC system and not into the cab back through the opening that's intended for sucking air through the cab, or recirculating the air. OK, I'll just stop here now that everyone's confused. There are two intakes and one outlet for the air and I can't figure out how one door controls everything.

 

OK I am having a simliar problem. I am only getting air through the vent, no floor, no defrost, JUST vent.

Am I barking up the same tree or playing in another backyard????

 

Did you repalce the door, or did you just leave it out all together?

 

OK, my recirc door works just fine, pulled the glovebox, and every single time, open close open close open close. Good to go there.

Temp, just fine there also, hot cold warm whatever, works just fine.

Now, I have not had defrost or floor for a couple months now. And as I was playing with the controls, I got the floor and defrost to work, but guess what, NO VENT NOW!!!!!!

So, I kep playing with the controls and I FINALLY got it to come back out the vent, and I am leaving it there for the time being, but obvioulsy need to fix the problem.

At first, I thought, I had a broken door.....but then why all of a sudden the defrost and floor worked PERFECTLY (but no vent) after a couple months of not having floor/defrost????????

And then why I was able to just play with the controls, and get the vent to work perfectly (recirc and fresh).

If the door was broke, wouldn't you think that the defrost/floor would NEVER work again, but then I got it too??? Stumped on this (not meaing to hijack the thread by the way)

 

Sounds like a bad control to me....

How much from DC or a boneyard?

HTH

Tony

 

Will find out tomorrow. If not too much from the dealer, will try that first.

 

another problem:

i ALWAYS get some air from the dash in the 06,

no matter what, so if you run it on BAKE on your feet trying to get your wifes toes warm, it leaks enough thru the dash to where i have to shut the dash vents.

should it have that much flow thru the dash with it on feet or defrost?

 

SSminnow,

You need a new defrost door. I was having trouble switching back and forth from floor to defrost just like you are saying, although mine never quit altogether. The doors don't usually break altogether, they just crack and start to open up where the splined shaft from the actuator goes into the door itself (the female part). Sometimes it will move, sometimes not. Also depends on what speed the fan is on when change settings. If the fan's on high it might or open or close real easy because the air is helping it, and other times it won't move at all because the air is pushing against it. After replacing the defrost door and recirc door on mine, I am now making sure the fan is on low when I change settings. You can do it yourself if you have a decent selection of sockets, extensions, etc. I did mine myself after looking at a procedure posted on TDR. Below is a .pdf of the TDR procedure and it shows everything to do (at least on a stick shift). The toughest part was getting the A/C lines disconnected. I got one myself and had to have the dealer take the other one apart. Replace the recirc door even if it looks fine---the new parts are designed a little different. December 1 the price was $92.xx on the recirc door,housing,actuator package. January 1 it only cost $26.xx because they're having so many problems with them. If you want to do it yourself and save hundreds in labor, let me know and I'll provide any info I can to help you.

 

Fantastic!!!! Yes, I am an ASE certified tech, so the labor will be OK with me. I will look at the file you posted, and I am sure I will have some questions for you. Thanks for your time!!!

 

OK, looks like the dash has to come out, among other things. Where are you located by the way????

 

Did you replace the fin temp sensor while you where in there?

 

I'm located in Idaho, I guess I can't get my location to come on my profile.
I am not familiar with the fin temp sensor you are talking about, so no I did not replace it.