Every Chevrolet Silverado built between 1999 and 2007 (and maybe more) has crappy blend door actuators that are known to fail. Here's how to half ass them into working while you wait for replacement parts.
I was able to remove mine, take it apart and clean it up a few days ago. (It had grease buildup on the contacts. Cleaned it and reapplied a thinner coat of the grease) So far, it works like a charm! Thanks for the video!
Great help! Just bought my 04 from a guy and it worked perfect til the next day did the same exact thing and he was shady and wouldn't even tell me. This video will help alot! I was about to pull the dash thinking it was the actual temp switch! Thank you much! Great for work truck but thats why I always drive a Honda for the daily travels. They never have issues like this. I have 300k on an 09 civic and literally runs like a Swiss watch getting 40 mpg too!! lol just can't tow anything 🤷♂️
I have an 2004 Silverado with 92K miles on it. Mine does the same thing; only in reverse. The drivers side got cool but the passenger side did not. I got the bright idea to put it in the shop for additional freon coolant in it. Which the shop says they added. Now the thing blows hot all the time on "Both Sides". Classic example of "be careful what you ask for"
Your calibration procedures are incorrect. All you have to do is either disconnect the battery for a few minutes or the fuse then after you turn the power back on you turn the key on but not cranking the vehicle and after a few moments turn it off and then crank up your vehicle and check your air temperature. You do not have to adjust your temperature control because that does nothing with this procedure. I did the same thing that you did to my blend door by disassembling and cleaning and lubing and reassembling and it worked for a few more years and now I'm back to having the similar problem as I had before which is everytime I hit a bump in the road it automatically turns to heat on the driver side and then I have to turn the truck off and turn the key back on for a few moments and then off again and then crank it up and then I'm back in the cold zone again. I have had the same problem as you have had with your blower motor resistor. My number 4 wire burns after the warranty goes out and the reason for that that I have found is the motor is putting out too much amperage which means the motor needs to be replaced and the resistor again as well. If you cannot get even a new blend motor to reset then you have to see a mechanic who has a computer so that can be accomplished. I have a 2004 GMC Sierra Crew Cab SLE.
Mine is a 2007. It does this exact thing, intermittently, drivers side only. I never know if it's going to blow hot air or cold. If I do get cold air, I know it's only a matter of minutes before it goes to hot air. Unbelievable.
Hey, I got a question. What if both sides blow hot air at times then the next day it will blow cold air for about two days and go back to Hot again on both sides. What’s my problem?
Around 00:41 you say"my fan was only blowing hot which means my blower motor resistor was bad" are you sure about that? Usually that resistor simply makes the blower run (spin) ... I could be wrong about this but I thought the blend doors themselves were the tell tale culprit for cooling probs on these generation Silverados
I git fed up with it, took mine out..theres a plastic rod sticking out where the accuator goes...turned it by hand and the heat went away and got cold...driving for aawhile and that rod switched back to hot by itself, so i got some small vice grips and put it on the rod so it wont turn anymore....fixed! Now it doesnt get hot anymore 😁
You unhook the battery cables put the positive cable together with the negative cable turn something on like dome light or headlights let sit for 20 minutes it will reset everything in the factory position hook the positive cable first then negative last and should reset everything to right calibration good luck
I'm definitely NOT an expert. But just comparing to other videos here, there's one thing you did which is different from most others. @6:00, you turn off the ignition and "pull the fuse" again, and wait for 15 seconds. In every other video they only turn off the _ignition_ for 15 secs, but leave the fuse alone at this point. So in the whole process the fuse only gets pulled once -- at the very beginning. Again, I'm totally not a mechanic or mechanical expert. But if you try it the way shown in this video and it doesn't work, might want to try it again, but DON'T pull the fuse the 2nd time. Maybe you'll save yourself some extra work. I'll be trying it on my truck in the morning. Wish me luck.
The fact that this video has been viewed 36,000 times reinforces your opinion that this is an irresponsible problem on GM's part. I agree, this is way too complicated and common. The calibration part is kicking my ass. I already smoked the first new actuator and I'm on number 2 now. I'm thinking I can take a popsicle stick, a socket and some glue and getrdun.
Did become a service tech by watching RU-vid? Because honestly you have to know more about the system. I always asked who worked on it last & what did they do? Did you check "Body Codes?" No, you can't get that info at the auto store, it's not emissions related. What's your RPO code? Did you check for voltage drop to the actuators motor? Did you create a voltage drop by installing that fuse bypass switch? You must bolt the actuator in place for it to re-learn closer or open. Is the door binding because it's warped or foreign object inside air distribution box? The blower fan resistor is PWM and still gets hot. No air The it gets hot, draws high amps, burns terminals. Ok. How much current is the blower fan pulling on high speed? Don't know? Guessing! Soon to fail. Plastic parts, then but GM. Come with metal drive socket. Not a recall item because it has nothing to do with emissions or safety, like seat belt or fuel leak in accidents. Use scan to to re-calibrate the systems actuators so they know where they are located. You may want to check you time off or back on. The BCM is the power mode Master with the key position, so fuse out, but power mode wrong, it won't work. Use a Tech-2 scan tool, body, special functions, select correct RPO code(s) then calibrate. The drive gear has a potentiometer under it, and requires reference ground, 5 Vdc and signal voltage to HVAC controller. Did you check connections at controller, then use dielectric grease. The wipers on the gear drive pot won't handle the viscosity of dielectric grease and won't provide reference voltage as the controller uses an enhanced MOSFET w/shunt to count current pulses from dc motor. Now it's got no way to control it. This is simple stuff and vehicle like my Tahoe with 183k miles has never had a problem. But GM uses up to 3 manufactures to supply these to assembly lines as they are scattered. Could be CJ3 system but you would be surprised to find pens, marbles, plastic superhero's and drinking straws inside. Binding code detect high current and tries 3 times to clear object, then quits or stunts off that circuit. So really not simple! Did you clear binding code? I guess not, so fuse or not, it's shut off. If you want to complain of plastic stuff, hydro-formed frames or Fords aluminum beds, then blame the government as they set CAFE numbers (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) and engineers has to figure out how to reduce weight. Plus repair by scan tool reduces flat rate time for a trained tech to properly diagnose the exact problem then fixed it by R&R with less labor. Also, with global platforms means that the same vehicle in Ethiopia or Germany to be the same diagnostics. Best of luck with future failures. ASE Master Tech since 1978 - Retired
So how much should a repair for this cost and how long should it last? Had this problem with my 2004 with almost 300,000 miles and it cost over $1000. Lasted a whole 2 1/2 months.
Brad, I have no idea what was done to correct the problem. That info was not provided and should be explained by the shop as by law, all tickets begin as estimates, once authorized, they become repair orders. Diagnostics, the book time for replacing "What", retail on parts used in the repair, shop fees and sales tax that in some state includes labor. I would guess the removed the air distribution housing, to replace a temp-blend door, then installed an actuator from Dorman. If done at a non-dealer, TSB's would provide less labor intensive procedures to R&R the temp-blend door. Coolant and the A/C has to be evacuated, then recharged with new R134a, coolant alone has jumped in price as most of it is made overseas, thanks to the EPA. Engineers are tasked with designing parts to last 5,000 hours. Aftermarket parts, not so much. Rock Auto sells a temp-blend actuator starting at $11.86, but ACDelco offers two versions, a cheaper one to compete with aftermarket price for market share, the other is the same one used when your GMT800 was built. Actuator R&R is easy, temp doors, not so much, but they are only available at the dealer. Aftermarket shops operate at a disadvantage, because they have to have a scan-tool. Typically, they buy a SnapOn model. The software is a cost every year to update it, but does not cover all vehicle systems, especially "Body". They have to purchase the computer code they feel will get a shop most of what they need but not all. Cost prohibitive and not enough memory to hold all. Dash comes out, plus air bag the a metal tube from left to right. Me, I slit the left side of housing, no gas pedal, slide temp door out ( Vertical) clip housing, install "Mode" actuator and gas pedal, BAM! Aftermarket market shop tech start the day with a Toyota, Honda, Grand Prix, Chrysler 200 then your GMT800. That can't know everything and don't. $90 per hour at the door, but an ASE Master Tech gets $25.50 if lucky. So ten dollar part or $52 dollar part. Plastic, yes. Metal drive on one, but plastic on the other. Don't forget the "IC" board inside with enhanced N-channel MOSFET and dual 555 timer for PWM drive drive motor a half inch, then stop. Just because the wife likes it warmer than you. You want the best vehicle ever made? Go to 12 bone yards, do inventory, then buy the one they have the least of. Sorry, I can't help!
You make a lot of good points, but a limit switch to prevent the actuator gears from stripping along with better materials would solve this problem completely. Hell, the actuator is right under the HVAC controls, just make the stupid thing manually driven instead of a cobble of electronics and brittle plastic gears. This issue here is rooted in a combination of over-complication, planned obsolescence and contracting production to the lowest bidder.
The cost of the UAW free health care and lifetime retirement in addition to social security or savings from their overpriced hourly wages ($67-92 per hour/13 holidays and 2 weeks paid for X-Mas and the 4th are expensive. GM is forced to source parts from 1000’s of companies while some like Harrison, Delphi supply entires systems. In 40 years I have never seen limit switches inside actuators either domestic or import. The come out the the box to be installed as per service instructions. So there are dumb motors, feed-back motors and smart motors. Once properly installed, the HVAC system is powered up and the controller re-learns each actuators position using several methods. Less components inside the actuator means it weighs less and cost less. The circuity in the 3-wire actuator uses a amp-shunted hall effect sensor that counts the number of dc motor turns both direction until current goes high, then current is removed and memorized for open/closed. Feed-back motors use a geared potentiometer w/wires & 5 Vdc, ground reference and signal. The controller can use 4 different voltages for position. As long as foreign objects do not block movement (Some controllers try 3 times to un-block obstruction, then sets body code) but components selected are to last 5,000 hours or life which is 150,000 miles on vehicles. GM has proprietary software they designed to produce SMD components, circuits and PCB boards the can email to a company for testing then manufacturing. The Corvette has a “Film” type air directional valve that looks like roll up shades, but with slots cut in it. Driven by one dc motor, it moves the film and stops to provide defrost, dash or floor. The DOT requires that all HVAC systems other than manual system default to defrost in case of system failure. Hopes this helps reduce your premature failures. I my experience they have 3 or maybe 4 parts that fail under warranty then never have repeats due to 2nd design, new materials and today, part plus service programming change. High numbers of failures are returned for non-destructive and destructive testing. The a TSB is released and techs go their first. Otherwise doing the same thing over and over with failure, is the definition of crazy! Master since 1978
Mine does not blow hot air what should I check for? It blows cold air when I put it on hot can someone point me to the directions that could be wrong with my 2004 Silverado
que puede ser este problema , grasias el problema de mi camion es que cuando quiere sopla por las rejillas de frente y lo apagas y vuelves a prender y entonces el aire lo hecha por las rejillas que estan detras , seca del parabrisas . Ro
That's a minor problem compared to what Ford has if you don't like GMS or general motor products don't make videos about them don't work on them just stay working on your Fords
What's up with the stupid bashing of GM?! Of course things wear out, but really!! All I want is repair information!! This is reflective of millions of satisfied Chevy owners.
Yeah, I mean why should I expect a $45,000 truck to NOT have all kinds of problems when it creeps up a hair over 100k miles? All of the common problems with these vehicles are related to sub-par materials. This blend door issue, failing stepper motors in the gauges (on all GMs from this era), brake lines rusting out, GM didn't even bother to release recalls for any of them. Just passed the expense of their screwups on to the consumer. So yeah, there's some GM bashing going on here and, in my opinion, they deserve it.
I was fu@ked by a dealership when my speedometer cluster went belly up, typical GM shit. Having same problems as your having with heater/AC.....does the slide control (red/blue temp main control/fan speed) ever go bad?