Blend door actuator

[first&lastKJ]

I pulled the dash in the wife's 02 and got the blend door actuator out tonight. The heater core busted this summer, had it replaced and now she has no heat. The actuator looked corroded inside and on the terminals where it plugs in. I assume the coolant got into the actuator when the heater core busted. Any tips on installing the new one, I have read it needs to be calibrated?

 

[first&lastKJ]

Well I can't find the correct blend door actuator. They all have a 4 pin plug mine is a 3 pin. Even tried the dealership. From what I can find the early 02 Liberty's used a different actuator. No heat and no air, I guess we may finally have to replace one of our Liberty's.

 

[duderz7]

Wrecking yard?

 

[Duster]

Look at the parts diagrams really good over again. Double check part name and number.

I say this because I went through this on my Acura RDX. Everybody had their own name for the part I needed, including me. I had to look at the diagrams again, then look at all the related parts from everywhere until I saw the one that looked correct.

 

[first&lastKJ]

Wrecking yard?

She’s talking about trading it in.

 

[first&lastKJ]

Look at the parts diagrams really good over again. Double check part name and number.

I say this because I went through this on my Acura RDX. Everybody had their own name for the part I needed, including me. I had to look at the diagrams again, then look at all the related parts from everywhere until I saw the one that looked correct.

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[duderz7]

She’s talking about trading it in.

I was talking about getting parts. Could also try splitting that case, cleaning things up yourself and putting it back together.

 

[lfhoward]

Check other Chrysler vehicles from the same era. Seems like they wouldn’t have a model of actuator that only worked on one vehicle.

 

[first&lastKJ]

I was talking about getting parts. Could also try splitting that case, cleaning things up yourself and putting it back together.

I opened up the blend door actuator and it was pretty corroded inside. I think when the heater core busted antifreeze got inside of it and sat there for several months.

 

[first&lastKJ]

Check other Chrysler vehicles from the same era. Seems like they wouldn’t have a model of actuator that only worked on one vehicle.

I was thinking the same thing. I haven’t given up on it yet.

 

[first&lastKJ]

I’m not ready to give up on this liberty yet. This took four hours.

 

[first&lastKJ]

Well I couldn’t find the correct actuator so I turned the blend door to hot. Left the actuator out and put a screw in so the blend door can’t move. I put the dashboard back being careful not to pinch any wires and making sure I got all the bolts, screws and nuts put back in. We took it for a drive and have heat but only on defrost. It wouldn’t switch to any other setting. I could hear a vacuum leak so I pulled the glove box and the vacuum line to the vacuum reservoir had come off. I plugged it in and now it switches between all the settings. Wife is happy, Liberty is happy and I am glad I didn’t give up on her. Oh, and pulling the dash isn’t that bad, just very time consuming.

 

[ThunderBeast72]

Well I couldn’t find the correct actuator so I turned the blend door to hot. Left the actuator out and put a screw in so the blend door can’t move. I put the dashboard back being careful not to pinch any wires and making sure I got all the bolts, screws and nuts put back in. We took it for a drive and have heat but only on defrost. It wouldn’t switch to any other setting. I could hear a vacuum leak so I pulled the glove box and the vacuum line to the vacuum reservoir had come off. I plugged it in and now it switches between all the settings. Wife is happy, Liberty is happy and I am glad I didn’t give up on her. Oh, and pulling the dash isn’t that bad, just very time consuming.

Did you have any resources that you used to guide you through the process? I beg to do this on my 02, and I've been dreading it!

 

[first&lastKJ]

Did you have any resources that you used to guide you through the process? I beg to do this on my 02, and I've been dreading it!

I do have a Haynes manual that I referred to in the beginning but I didn’t need it once I got going. I took the negative battery cable off so the air bags would not go off. I started by popping all the trim off. Took out the glove box. Remove the kick panels and “A” pillar grab handles. Drop down the steering column and removed the center console. Then I just started removing bolts, nuts and screws until I could pull the dashboard out far enough to get to the actuator.

It really isn’t that bad. You just have to pay attention to the what you need to remove and what you don’t.

 

[Zero402]

Is this the one you need?

 

[first&lastKJ]

Is this the one you need?

That’s the one.

 

[Zero402]

I just pulled it yesterday from the donor that Im swapping interiors out of. Jeep had 100k on, really clean vehicle. Yours if you want it.

 

[first&lastKJ]

I just pulled it yesterday from the donor that Im swapping interiors out of. Jeep had 100k on, really clean vehicle. Yours if you want it.

Thank you so much, and my wife said to tell you "thank you" as well. She does not want me to pull the dash out again. She has good heat in her Liberty right now and wants me to let it be.

 

[DadOSix]

Is this the one you need?

kind of interesting in that it is a Lucas product. OP - maybe post up what the insides of the bad unit look like?

 

[Zero402]

Thank you so much, and my wife said to tell you "thank you" as well. She does not want me to pull the dash out again. She has good heat in her Liberty right now and wants me to let it be.

Sure thing. I wish I had been able to check sooner for you. I didnt want to speak about it before I was sure, and that was the first opportunity I had to get back out there. At least you know where one is if you ever change your mind.