Blend Door Actuator Repair Cost
The vehicle’s blend door actuator is responsible for controlling and directing the air temperature coming from the vents, and in order for the part to work, the heater blower motor will blow air through the heater core and then through the dash vents. If heat isn’t desired, then the part will direct the airflow away from the heater core.
Like many parts in your car, this part is bound to fail eventually and is no exception.
Blend door actuator repair cost
The cost of repairing the blend door actuator, as with most car repairs, will depend on the mechanic you hire, your geographical region and the car you drive. Most of the repair quotes we researched online ranged anywhere from $75 to $275 for both parts and labor.
As with most car repairs, most of the costs rely on the labor itself, with the part on its own only retailing for about $15 to $75+, all depending on the vehicle you drive. As the job, most of the time, is a less than an hour job, most mechanics and dealerships will charge you the shop minimum rate, often hovering around $100 or so, all depending greatly on the geographical location.
Blend door actuator repair process
Before the blend door actuator is even considered as the faulty part, your mechanic will first want to determine it is, indeed, the part responsible for the problem. In order to do so, your mechanic will examine each vent, as well as take a temperature reading of the air leaving the vent, to ensure the vents being examined are working as it should. If, at this time, the vents are not displaying the proper temperature readings, then the part is often considered the problem as long as the control unit is confirmed to be in working order. To confirm this, your mechanic will inspect the electrical wires to make sure the proper amount of power is being sent to the blend door actuator part. In the case of a working control unit and the proper amount of power being sent to the Blend door actuator, but the part isn’t functioning as should, then the part can be confirmed the faulty part.
The first part involves removing the lower dash panel or glove box, depending on your vehicle’s setup. Doing so will help expose the heater box with any controls that are connected to it, including the wiring.
Next, after the glovebox is removed, the door actuator will be located, which is often located below the glovebox or to the right, again, depending on the car’s setup, and will be removed by releasing the safety clip and the screws nearby.
Once the screws are loosened and removed and the safety clip is taken off, the part is then gently pulled off of the wiring connector and the part itself is removed by unscrewing the mounting screws holding it in place, often two or three. At this time, the part will become loose and can be removed from the mount completely.
After being free, the mechanic will then install the new actuator and everything will be installed in reverse order.
When everything is re-installed, the mechanic will perform an engine test and turn the climate control on to make sure both the vents and the temperatures are as they should be.
Signs of a faulty blend door actuator
Noisy: One of the main culprits of a faulty blend door actuator is often due to noise as the part is no longer able to “blend” the doors, but in some cases, it could be silent if the actuator motor fails 100 percent.
No heat or air conditioning: When the part fails, your heat or air conditioning will fail to function and/or the airflow will not change to a separate vent if specified.
Heater blowing cold air: If your car heater is blowing nothing but cold air, no matter what setting you have set, this could as simple as replacing the actuator.
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Average Reported Cost: $0
