So the HVAC blend door actuator arms in my new-to-me TJ are broken. One was completely gone. I’ve watched every YouTube video I can find on it, ordered the new arms and went out yesterday to install them. The one at the top looks great… I’m sure I can pop the new arm into there & hook it to the vacuum arm and that one will be good to go, but the one below it appeared to have part of the old arm stuck in it. I saw where one trick to get it out is to drive a screw into it and yank it out, so I tried that - and didn’t get anywhere. Anyone who has done this knows how cramped it is down there and how hard to see it is (and I did remove the panels under the steering wheel for better access and the driver seat). I shoved my phone under there and took some photos to try to get a better idea what’s going on - and now I don’t know what to think. It almost looks like the old arm melted in the hole - or maybe the previous owner tried to glue the old one back together or something. Maybe the arm broke off in the hole and the two pieces rubbed together so much over the years, it looks like this now… now idea. When I had the screw into it, I was able to move the blend door by twisting the screw back & forth, so things inside are moving freely… but I have NO IDEA how to get that crud out of the hole so I can I pop the new arm in it. Has anybody seen this situation or got any ideas? Thanks!
Need help with HVAC blend door actuator arm
- Thread starter Raven65
- Start date
I'm pretty sure thats the wrong hole your messing with 
! the one above it with the star piece broke off is the one you need to remove.
! the one above it with the star piece broke off is the one you need to remove.
One thing I'm not sure of yet is when I turn the screw back & forth and hear the blend door moving, I don't know if that plastic blob is also turning or if the screw is working the mechanism behind it. Will need to take another look. I'm also gonna try to pry around the edges of it with a very small screwdriver or pick.
One sure fire way to fix this is remove the steering wheel and dash and take out the HVAC box. I know that’s a pain, but it will get you where you need to be and you will also be able to see how the mechanism works from inside if you choose to open the black box.
I had the same problem. If you look on the new part you can see there is a catch on the end that keeps in from coming out. I ended up doing the same thing you are doing. Drove a screw and kept working it until the catch broke and I could pull it out. Once I put the new part in it broke again in about 3 months. Someone needs to make that part out of steel.
Thanks… I guess I’ll keep at it then. I’m just worried that driving a screw into it will ruin the hole where the catch goes. Maybe I’ll try screwing into the edges and try to break it up first. What a PITA. I agree… those arms should be made of something much stronger.
Thanks. Yeah, I’ve already watched a few videos on how to do that. I don’t think I’d put myself through all that just to fix this. It’s stuck on a split between defrost and floor now - which is fine for cold weather. I plan to have the top & doors off most of the time in the summer so probably won’t be using A/C much if at all anyway. This is just a fun vehicle… not my daily.
Im right there with you buddy. Mine is broke too. I actually broke it accidentally when I had the dash and HVAC box removed. What a pain!
Then it will just break the door. When I turn it one way or the other I don’t turn the switch all the way. Once you get the new arm in actuate it and pay attention to the door you can see the door stop and the arm continue to flex. I think flexing this arm is what causes it to break.
Just to follow up with this in case anyone else researching the same problem comes across this thread in the future and wonders what happened, it was a total failure. I might as well have just set a $50 bill on fire. I spent HOURS on my back under that damn dash working with that middle actuator hole (the one with the screw in it in the photo above) - even bought some small brass-wire brushes about the diameter of that hole (meant to use with a Dremel) to put in my drill to use to try to clean out the junk in that position. I don't know if the previous owner had tried to GLUE an actuator arm in that position in the past or what, but I never got it looking as good as the one at the top (which is perfect). Not even close. I basically gave up and tried to stick the new actuator arm in there anyway just to see what would happen - and it wouldn't BEGIN to go in the hole all the way. Again... I don't know if there was a remnant of the old part still stuck in there - possibly glued - or what. Ended up breaking the new part while trying to force it to go in. I figured "Oh well... screw it. I'll just put the other one in the top position and call it a day. Maybe I'll get a LITTLE more functionality out of the system at least.". NOPE! That one didn't want to go in either - and I also broke IT trying to get it to go in. Screw it... I'm DONE. I still have air blowing out the defrost and floor positions - which is perfect for winter. In the summer, it'll blow A/C out those some places rather than the front panel vents if I need it, but the top & doors will be off most of the time anyway, so A/C is not a huge concern. Mine is a toy... not a daily driver, so it's fine. UNCLE!!! If I ever have to tear the dash out to replace the heater core or something, maybe I'll look into getting a completely different HVAC box with functional actuators and go back with that and fix it that way, but for now, I'm SO done with this particular project.
adamaintwright
New Member
I found myself with the exact same problem you have! I took my 2005 TJ in to get the Heater Core Replaced as well as the AC components and The Shop Called me to tell me that this part is missing and that it is discontinued.. They are recommending to leave the blend door out to where it will just blow evenly out all vents.. I want it to work properly. I am hoping to find someone that wrote a 3D Print File for this discontinued part.. I found a few part numbers that I somehow cross referenced, I am not sure about any of them, but I did order something that looks like the part I am looking for from Amazon, It won't be here till tomorrow: 4886086AB
5013743AA
5014108AA
4864990
4886086AB
17910.01
17910.02
5013743AA
5014108AA
4864990
4886086AB
17910.01
17910.02
adamaintwright
New Member
adamaintwright
New Member
I found myself with the exact same problem you have! I took my 2005 TJ in to get the Heater Core Replaced as well as the AC components and The Shop Called me to tell me that this part is missing and that it is discontinued.. They are recommending to leave the blend door out to where it will just blow evenly out all vents.. I want it to work properly. I am hoping to find someone that wrote a 3D Print File for this discontinued part.. I found a few part numbers that I somehow cross referenced, I am not sure about any of them, but I did order something that looks like the part I am looking for from Amazon, It won't be here till tomorrow: 4886086AB
5013743AA
5014108AA
4864990
4886086AB
17910.01
17910.02
Reply
Report Edit
[ATTACH type="full" alt="adamaintwright"]641128[/ATTACH]
5013743AA
5014108AA
4864990
4886086AB
17910.01
17910.02
Reply
Report Edit
[ATTACH type="full" alt="adamaintwright"]641128[/ATTACH]
adamaintwright
New Member
Where did you find the part? Do you have a part number for it, by chance? I can't seem to find it anywhere, the dealership and the parts stores say that it has been discontinued..
4886086AB This is for the lower actuator arm. There is also an upper actuator arm but that is a different part number.
B.E. Coyote
New Member
I think I am dealing with the same problem with an 03. Where exactly are these actuator arms?
There is one that is easy to see but it seems to work and I have vacuum. Only floor and defrost vents work.
There is one that is easy to see but it seems to work and I have vacuum. Only floor and defrost vents work.
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