the_dude

A/C blend door actuator in your Jeep JK is a very important part of the heating and cooling system and is responsible for controlling the temperature of the air blowing thru the vents and into the cabin. To blow heat into the cabin, the blower motor sends air through the heater core and on through the dash vents. But when heat is not desired, the blend door actuator directs that airflow away from the heater core. Unfortunately blend door actuators can fail at some point and cause the inability to change the air temperature inside your Jeep.

The reason I needed to replace the blend door actuator in my Jeep was due to the horrible and loud ticking/grinding noise that it was making every time I put the key in the ignition. I also noticed that the actuator resets itself and makes the same noise after about two minutes from turning off the engine. With the Jeep being topless and doorless, and me using public parking lots, I was afraid someone walking by would freak out and call the cops, thinking my Jeep was about to explode…

You might also experience this loud ticking noise when you open your door, turn on the ignition, or turn the temperature knob on the HVAC control panel. You might also simply not have any hot air coming to the cabin, which means that your blend door actuator is not working at all, and needs replacing.

I could be wrong, but I believe there are actually three actuators installed in a Jeep Wrangler JK, each responsible for different function. There is the blend door actuator responsible for controlling the temperature, the directional actuator (probably not a correct technical name) responsible for directing the air to different vents, and the re-circulation door actuator which controls the air dam behind the glove box.
Each actuator is activated by a different knob or setting on the HVAC control panel.
If you run your Jeep for few minutes, take the glove box out, and turn off the engine, after about two minutes you can see and hear three small motors re-calibrating the three actuators, in sequence.

I do believe all three actuators are the same exact part even though they are mounted in different locations. Blend door actuator is located on the driver side below the steering column, directional actuator is located behind the glove box on the left side, and the re-circulation door actuator is located on the right side of the air dam, behind the right speaker.

This step-by-step write up describes replacement of the blend door actuator only, since that’s the one that failed in my case. As a reference I included a photo of the directional actuator in the last picture.
I have a 2012 Jeep JK so if you own a different Model Year JK, some things might look different.

Replacing the blend door actuator itself is quite simple, however getting access to it is the time consuming part.
The whole process of a Jeep JK A/C blend door actuator replacement will most likely take you about 2-3 hours, depending on few factors, especially on how long it takes you to remove the floor air duct, blocking access to the actuator. That step might take you few minutes or an hour.

There's too many steps and pictures to paste them all in here.
You can find the full post with all details on my site:
https://azoffroading.com/blog/jeep-jk-ac-blend-door-actuator-replacement/

Here are few photos to give you the idea of what this project is about:


Stock Mopar actuator



The problem - broken gear tooth



Blend door actuator in nicely hidden under the steering wheel column



Getting access to it is the only hard part

Dirt Hammer

Thanks for the write up.

I am trying to trouble shoot a small issue with my heat in my 2015 JK. As the Jeep is warming (160-180 degrees) up I have warm to hot air on the passenger but cold air on the driver side. Here's what is kind of odd, once the Jeep reaches normal operating temp of around 200 degrees I start to get heat on the driver side. Is the driver side blend slow to operate? or maybe not working at all?

I just flushed the heater core and all good there.

ArmyofMike

My '12 Jeep was doing the same thing; hot on passenger, cold on driver. Here's what I did...Checked blend door Actuator: GoodChecked vent selector Actuator: GoodFlushed Heater Core: Good, ample water coming out of output hoseFilled Radiator with coolant and overflow reservoir, attempted to release all air from system: Good ...Still, not heat on Drivers side.
I extended the input/output hoses from the firewall ends of the heater core and reversed the heater core inlet/outlet hoses....heat came back and is coming back stronger every time I drive it. Yes, I know pushing sand/debris back into system, but it was obviously there to begin with so I'm not worried. You may be in doing this, I'm not. Mainly because I have hot air blowing on me and I spent about $6 on the fix. If you flushed your heater core and there was an ample amount of water coming out the hose....there still could be sand/debris in there that won't come out. SO unless you wanna switch the hoses, you may need a new heater core....there is a LOT of evidence of this on the web/forums. M

chez323

the one under my steering wheel was replaced (2011 Sport) and now the one behind the glove box is making a clicking noise..... is the same part number as the one under the steering wheel?

Robz

is it necessary to get the mopar part at a cost of $146, where you can get the dorman part for under $30 at advance auto? what am I missing here

resharp001

When it comes to parts like this, my opinion is it's fine going something like Dorman. It might fail, but heck, look what the Mopar one did. Little plastic mechanical gears gonna be what they are.

ConnorH

I followed this write up exactly last year when my blend door actuator went out. It had the exact same ticking noice upon putting the key in the ignition. Recently I had another actuator go out only this one was attached to the air recirculating door. I replaced that actuator with another dorman unit and now I have uncovered another issue. Now every time I start up the jeep the AC system has to run a test to figure out what position the actuators are in. This test keep failing although once the test cycle is complete I get full function of my AC controls. My issue is that I live in Texas where I typically get to enjoy 115 degree weather and am forced to endure a HOT jeep for about two minutes. It sound like no big deal but it has worn on me.

I am about to bite the bullet and pay my dealership $1,000+ in parts and labor to replace both actuators and have my AC working 100% again.

can someone save my wallet and assist me with this issue?
I had the dealership run a diagnostic on the issue and they recommended I replace the two actuators and reprogram the positions. I have a funny feeling that reprogram means pulling the battery out and resetting the computer in that way. Also the computer behind the knobs was replaced as I thought that was the culprit.

Any guidance would be appreciated.