AC/Actuator Door Class Action

[mikeman]

Originally Posted by 0stones0

So, did a little testing this afternoon. Open door, get in car, no actuator noise. Turn key to on, actuator moves to setting on dial. In my case, right in the middle between cold and warm. While key is still on, move dial and actuator operates to setting I put it at. If I turn the key to 2 clicks from cold, actuator sounds normal. If I go past that mark, towards cold, I can hear the actuator labor. This was all without starting the car.

What about the cycle it goes through after you turn off the car? I can hear mine do that if I continue to stay in the car after turning off the ignition.

I think if you never need heat, just unplug the actuator connector. Actually, I don't think I ever used the heat function since I bought my car. Of course, I do live in a relatively warm climate so those in the rust/snow belt may not be able to do that.

[0stones0]

Originally Posted by mikeman

What about the cycle it goes through after you turn off the car? I can hear mine do that if I continue to stay in the car after turning off the ignition.

I think if you never need heat, just unplug the actuator connector. Actually, I don't think I ever used the heat function since I bought my car. Of course, I do live in a relatively warm climate so those in the rust/snow belt may not be able to do that.

Rust/Snow belt...pretty much nails it.
Didn’t have time today to get it out of the garage but, that’ll happen tomorrow. I’ll update what I experience.

[0stones0]

Update. Here’s with starting the car. Open door, no actuator operation. Turn key to on, actuator operates to setting on dial. Everything else as my previous post. When car is shut off, no actuator operation. Open door, no actuator operation. This is with my setting right in the middle of the dial. Hope this is helpful.

[mikeman]

Originally Posted by 0stones0

Update. Here’s with starting the car. Open door, no actuator operation. Turn key to on, actuator operates to setting on dial. Everything else as my previous post. When car is shut off, no actuator operation. Open door, no actuator operation. This is with my setting right in the middle of the dial. Hope this is helpful.

Turn key on and then to off. Remove key. Open and then close the door. Then, while quietly sitting in the car, listen for any noises or things moving inside the dash. Tell us what you hear.

On mine, I can hear things (blend door?) closing/cycling inside the dash.

[0stones0]

Originally Posted by mikeman

Turn key on and then to off. Remove key. Open and then close the door. Then, while quietly sitting in the car, listen for any noises or things moving inside the dash. Tell us what you hear.

On mine, I can hear things (blend door?) closing/cycling inside the dash.

Ok. Fan switch off. Temp setting 12:00. (Middle) Door closed. Key to on. Actuator operates to temp setting. Key off. Key removed. No actuator operation. Door open. No actuator operation. Door closed. Stay in car 5 minutes. No actuator operation. No sounds that I can hear and trust me, I was listening.

[CHRISCAM]

Originally Posted by mikeman

What about the cycle it goes through after you turn off the car? I can hear mine do that if I continue to stay in the car after turning off the ignition.

I think if you never need heat, just unplug the actuator connector. Actually, I don't think I ever used the heat function since I bought my car. Of course, I do live in a relatively warm climate so those in the rust/snow belt may not be able to do that.

Yes, that's what I decided to do. Since I'm in SoCal, the winters are totally bearable without heat. My blend door failed back in November and I got through winter by bypassing the heater core altogether.

Now that it's going to start getting warmer, the AC will work even better, since there's no heat present at all in the system. I also learned a trick years ago as a truck driver-- AC works great to defrost windows-- but again, only in relatively warm weather! That's why CA is so expensive-- we have pretty great weather all year round! Lol.

As far as the door material is concerned-- another factor at play is that since it is made of plastic, the thousands of heat cycles it has to endure will also take their toll on the structural integrity of the door (especially at the crucial pivot point where it meets the actuator hex button). Plastics in general lose a lot of their mechanical strength at temps above 200 F.

[Aqua Blue RS/SS]

Originally Posted by 0stones0

Ok. Fan switch off. Temp setting 12:00. (Middle) Door closed. Key to on. Actuator operates to temp setting. Key off. Key removed. No actuator operation. Door open. No actuator operation. Door closed. Stay in car 5 minutes. No actuator operation. No sounds that I can hear and trust me, I was listening.

This sounds exactly like how my car is. I’ve never once heard anything from the hvac with the key off.

[mikeman]

Originally Posted by 0stones0

Ok. Fan switch off. Temp setting 12:00. (Middle) Door closed. Key to on. Actuator operates to temp setting. Key off. Key removed. No actuator operation. Door open. No actuator operation. Door closed. Stay in car 5 minutes. No actuator operation. No sounds that I can hear and trust me, I was listening.

I did the same thing you did with the temp dial exactly at 12:00 and guess what? No cycling after key off. Door open and then close. No sounds. Nothing. So, for those that always need a little heat, set it to the middle and then leave it there.

For us in warmer climates, I think we're still going to have to disconnect the actuator for full cold with no heat blend.

However, I think putting it on the middle setting will reduce wear by up to 50% by keeping it from cycling close when you key on and off. When the blend door cycles, you hear the noise, that hard thump, which probably greatly contributes to the plastic door breaking near the actuator pivot point over time.

[GK_2012_SS]

Originally Posted by 0stones0

Ok. Fan switch off. Temp setting 12:00. (Middle) Door closed. Key to on. Actuator operates to temp setting. Key off. Key removed. No actuator operation. Door open. No actuator operation. Door closed. Stay in car 5 minutes. No actuator operation. No sounds that I can hear and trust me, I was listening.

Thanks for your testing, I appreciate it . I just put a little strip of blue tape on the bezel to remind me.

[redcoats1976]

so where is the actuator plug under the dash?im thinking about setting the control to the blue dot and unplugging the wire as i live in florida and really dont use the heater.

[0stones0]

This morning I went out to do one more test on the blend door movement. I was curious on when the door decides it needs to move. This is all from the standpoint of my car. Yours could act differently.
It appears the actuator functions, with key on, if the setting is anywhere but, on the cold setting. I put my setting at the “2 clicks” from the blue dot and guess what? No actuator operation with key on. None. Move the setting to any other position and actuator operates. This tells me something. “2 clicks” from the blue dot tells the actuator that the door is fully closed/open. I live where spring and fall calls for a little heat now and then, so I’ll need to move the setting from time to time. For those of you that don’t require heat, you could probably leave the setting on the “2 clicks” from the blue dot mark and you’re good to go. Also, should extend the life of the door and actuator as it’s never operating. You guys let me know if this is how it works on your vehicle, so we can confirm this.
Thanks.

[drew peacock]

thanks for the heads up. great info and i'll be following it

[redcoats1976]

good to know.mine is now permanently on 2 clicks.

[mikeman]

Originally Posted by 0stones0

This morning I went out to do one more test on the blend door movement. I was curious on when the door decides it needs to move. This is all from the standpoint of my car. Yours could act differently.
It appears the actuator functions, with key on, if the setting is anywhere but, on the cold setting. I put my setting at the “2 clicks” from the blue dot and guess what? No actuator operation with key on. None. Move the setting to any other position and actuator operates. This tells me something. “2 clicks” from the blue dot tells the actuator that the door is fully closed/open. I live where spring and fall calls for a little heat now and then, so I’ll need to move the setting from time to time. For those of you that don’t require heat, you could probably leave the setting on the “2 clicks” from the blue dot mark and you’re good to go. Also, should extend the life of the door and actuator as it’s never operating. You guys let me know if this is how it works on your vehicle, so we can confirm this.
Thanks.

So, 2 clicks from the blue dot is middle, right?