03 Chevy Trailblazer/HVAC Actuators/ vents not working/defrost to floor/ hot to cold doesn't work

HVAC actuators for 03 Chevy Trailblazer, blend door, hot to cold, floor to defrost, floor to vents

[@NotMorganFreeman.]

Thanks for your video. People like you are are the real heroes of youtube.

[@cubs249]

Thanks Dwaine, I was tired of the knock of death in my Envoy.

[@shawnwithee3187]

Wow what a great narrated video. This is the only video of the dozens I've watched that actually explains these horrible designed contraptions. I'm old school as I feel you are too. I replaced the actuator closest to the Floor on drivers side. But I still have air blowing on my feet. Thank you Sir for your time in making this educational and best video . I'm now going back into combat mode to spend more money and time to fix this aggravating problem. God bless

[@dwainehiggins8425]

After replacing mine, I've bought 3 different actuators and can't get them to stay in floor mode. I washed out my interior to detail it and I thought I protected the dash area well in order to keep dry. So I think my actuator problem might be from getting electronics wet. Geez I'm aggravated.

[@shawnwithee3187]

@@dwainehiggins8425 I bet it's the same problem everyone has but overlooks the foam that the blend door seals on rots away and the door travels beyond it's set perimeter therefore not letting the actuator return to the cycle you put it on. If you remove the middle actuator on the driver's side you'll see a half circumference of plastic where the actuator rides in it's grove take a small screw and make a stop for the actuator about 3 quarters of an inch near the end of it's travel lane. Doesn't hurt to try it's free just time and if it doesn't work take screw out and keep grinding at the real elusive issue

[@dwainehiggins8425]

@@shawnwithee3187 , I will try that. I appreciate the incite. That makes sense since the blend door works great by hand. There's no resistance so it should be working normal. So I will definitely try that. I like my face vents for air conditioner and floor vents for the heat in the winter.

[@dwainehiggins8425]

To anyone that may wonder about taking the dash out without removing the steering wheel. I was able to get the dash out without removing the steering wheel because I did it on a hot summer day. So it was able to flex without breaking. Getting it back in was a trick, by myself. I scratched the steering wheel cover pretty good, so maybe tape the steering wheel with masking tape or some kind to protect. You really need 2 people. I broke one corner on top but I was able to gorilla glue it back.

[@Toyota66b]

Exactly the info I needed. Ty sir. My defrost and floor blow constant and my vents will never switch on

[@majjr8]

😅 Brother this is the wisdom key I needed all along I changed the wrong actuator. Thanks a billion

[@Bentpants]

Thanks for this video, your explanation and repeated words is great. Thanks again.

[@HarleyDavidsonWizard]

Great video. Thanks for making it. And great clear information.

[@williamalman3996]

You're a life saver my man

[@pfbisme]

Great video, thanks for taking the time to make it, gave me the exact info i was looking for!!

[@dwainehiggins8425]

Glad it could help

[@AHLive215]

helped a whole lot brother, thank you

[@diggerdog9096]

Informative and to the point. Good job best youtube video on the subject .

[@eddiesheeran5791]

Thank you for this, it's very helpful!

[@ChrisRobba]

Of course the one I need to change is way up in there , why couldn’t been one near the glove box lol thanks for the info 😂

[@michaeldenton8610]

You sir are the best

[@munoz65able]

thanks so much . Great video

[@dragonext2001]

Your the only one that actually tells everything. I have been having issues with my envoy not blowing through the front vents. Everyone else said it's the blower resistor which I changed. It fixed the speed (#5 setting) but not the vent then other said it's the blend door actuator which they made out like it was on the same passenger side. I only found the one which is blocked by the bracket. Broke the plastic parts holding it on and still won't come out. I've been trying to cut that bracket off to remove it with little luck. NOW I find your video that shows the exact same resister with the bracket and according to you it's the heat to cold not the doors. 😭 I honestly feel like giving up at this point. Now I have to find the one you said was on the driver side and change it and if that works then I'll have to go back to f8nish removing the other one to try and fix the plastic that I broke which the screws go into to hold the resistor on. I feel like a complete idiot now .

[@dwainehiggins8425]

We all make those mistakes. That's the best way to learn. Even though it sucks.

[@yourface8698]

Thank you! That video is very helpful

[@waldyruiz1352]

Thanks for the information 👍

[@elcomandante9299]

Awesum job explaining the functions of each actuator. 2 thumbs straight up n down.

[@jinrotidy]

Thank you.

[@michaelniceguy4042]

OMG...I love the explanation the chevy dealer wanted to charge 100.00 for the part and 5hr labor time @ 160.00 an hour to replace it. I needed to replace the vent to floor 1 did it in about 2 hours

[@mexa_13_camargo78]

Thank you so much 🎉

[@dragonext2001]

Why is it such a pain to get the one with the white arm installed? I'm been trying to get it on for 2 days now and still it won't go on. I tried placing the white arm facing either way and still it just won't go on. Only thing I'm doing is getting headaches from being upside down and sweating alot as it's hot outside

[@kenhappen2u]

Which actuator would be the one that controls the flow of cold / hot & outside air ? When my AC is on and blowing just fine though the vents it will at random times start to mix warm / outside air with the cold AC air and I have to turn the car off and then back on and it blows ice cold again for a while ( could be 10 min , could be an hour ) but eventually it will start letting in warm outside air again , and also does the same in the winter with the heat on through the vents it will randomly start to blowing in cold outside air . So it's basically doing the exact opposite depending on the season . Would you believe it to be the blend door actuator? Since all vents work as should and direct the correct flow for the control settings inside car .. it just will open what seems to me to be a blend door or outside vent that let's in outside air randomly... BTW this is on an 07 trailblazer Any help or guidance would be much appreciated and a money saver as I don't want some mechanic guessing and replacing actuators that don't need to be replaced and tearing my whole dash apart trying to get to one that's not the problem actuator. Thanks in advance ... This has been driving me nuts for the past 1.5 years in both summer and winter months .

[@tommyforbidden3219]

My 08 trailblazer SS dont blow air to the floor is that one ur showing wit out the white the one i need to fix the problem?

[@fgfcshorttimes]

What about the blender which one blends the ac and hot?

[@matthewtriana5658]

My two vents on the drivers side do not work. I need the actuator located right side drivers side to correct the problem. What do I call that actuator when I go to the parts store to purchase it????

[@rayray9777]

seriously you are the man! now I have to figure out what is wrong with my 02 trailblazer clicks when I start it and it blows in the vents and dash but not always >> Just got the ride so I haven't narrowed it down. what holds the actuators on ? Bolts? screws? its the one with the plastic gear

[@dwainehiggins8425]

I think it was a 7/32 . It's been so long now I forgot. My rear air keeps burning out the resistor so I gave up on my rear air. I've burnt up 4 of them and can't figure it out.

[@bassbros2213]

Excellent video, Having a hard time finding the Defrost to Floor actuator. Did you replace it? If so can you put the link to the actuator in the comments, Please, Thank you

[@AHLive215]

Great video, The actuator that controls the vents, can you replace it without removing the dash? Thanks for the video

[@dwainehiggins8425]

Yeah, you can replace all of them without removing the dash. I just removed it to clean up in there real good. I had a lot of dust from a job I did.

[@iceylee2947]

Thank you so much I been trying to find out why my passenger side was always blowing hot are didn't know what one to change

[@dwainehiggins8425]

Glad it helped you out

[@roberttaylor7654]

Mine is doing the same, which one do i change out, i need a part number if available...

[@michaelniceguy4042]

Video is awesome but you forgot to tell the consumer there's 2 7/16 bolts at 11 o'clock and 1 o'clock to remove

[@Zem4ro]

When I turn defrost on, I hear a loud clicking sound and when I switch back to front or floor mode it stops clicking. Do you think this is the one near the firewall that doesn’t have the white gear showing that’s failed?

[@chasecarter1170]

Defrost to main vents should be the one furthest up on driver side. Above the one that's closest to the firewall. The one with the white plastic piece on it

[@dean8736]

Just so we are all clear dash board removal not required

[@dwainehiggins8425]

Yeah, I just decided to remove it too clean up in there from the dust due to a job I did for a while. I should've said it's not required.

[@sherrodford955]

To be clarify is that air inlet actuator by the blower motor?? I want to make sure

[@dwainehiggins8425]

Yeah, that is the fresh air/recirculation actuator. Passenger side far right

[@sherrodford955]

@@dwainehiggins8425 thank you for reply! Overall how difficult is to remove whole dashboard? Labor time is 5 hours is that correct?

[@dwainehiggins8425]

@@sherrodford955 it's not hard really. Just be careful and take your time. You will have to flex the dash to get it out without removing the steering wheel . That's when you risk cracking the plastic. If it's hot weather it flex pretty easily. Wrap the steering wheel cause you will scratch it cause you have to flex the dash around the steering wheel. I did it by myself but if you can get a second pair of hands to flex it out you should be fine. If you really have extra time, I would remove the steering wheel but I did get mine out without removing it. It's a little harder putting in so it'll go back exactly like you take it out.

[@Mike-bt8br]

Im have a problem with mine every time i tirn the key on my motor will tirn all of the way to the right and back to the left and hits the stop on it so itts a 90 degree and it should be 1/4 how to fix it my part in new

[@akclan33]

Weird my 03 Silverado doesent have that white gear . It's not broken off or anything it just didn't come with one. The cam that operates the different vent settings doesent have the gear to operate the white gear either. Every chevy I seen on KZbin has that white gear.

[@michaelniceguy4042]

You should have done a part 1. To show how big of a problem it is to take the dashboard apart

[@dwainehiggins8425]

I know, I actually started to but I wasn't very confident in that skill haha.

[@tylersanders8853]

So my trailblazer doesnt change vents, stuck on defrost and floor. I need the actuator that has the white arm bracket thing attached to it correct? Any help is appreciated

[@adrianleon159]

let me know what you ended up doing. I had an envoy with exact same issue(unplugged battery and installed new one, after that i lost my front facing vents). I managed to remove the one with the white arm and turned on my vehicle to see what would happen and airflow returned to the fronts.

[@dwainehiggins8425]

So the actuator with the white arm only changes the air flow from defrost/floor to face vents and from face vents back to defrost/floor. The actuator closest to the firewall without the white arm only changes the air flow from defrost to floor and vise versa.

[@adrianleon159]

Thank u for your vid man woulda have been utterly lost without it

[@Isek.]

I learned this laying on that floor all day. I'm still sitting here trying to get it back in correctly. I don't have anything else disassembled besides the panels on the floor. any tricks to getting it in and back in line on the vents ? not much room to work with

[@Isek.]

don't know why i replied here and not the actual comment

[@d.cent1326]

What size are the bolts that hold on the actuators?

[@dwainehiggins8425]

If I remember right, it's a 7/32.

[@d.cent1326]

@@dwainehiggins8425 thanks I think I have a small ratchet set. Going first thing in the morning to remove them from a junked trailblazer. Thanks a million Dwaine!

[@whatthe2458]

I changed the battery and now one of the actuators clicks about 100 times every time you start the car . Any ideas?

[@dwainehiggins8425]

I've heard that when disconnecting the battery that it will sometimes require a HVAC reset by removing the fuse for 10 seconds. There are videos that specifically show how to do that on KZbin

[@chasecarter1170]

Your computer either needs to reset/relearn the settings it was at prior to unhooking the battery and even then, it doesn't always work to just remove fuses. Mine did not work after removing fuses and attempting to reset. Used a snap on computer to try reprogramming but didn't work. I think hooking a new battery up/changing my battery fried/broke three of my actuators as they attempted to reset once I had installed my new battery. Unhooking/changing of the battery in these vehicles is notorious for messing up the actuators, which is just ridiculous to begin with but that's how it is . Sucks. Lol got a new battery and immediately, only defrost would work and right side vents/defrost were only blowing hot air. Not to mention an issue with the throttle body bogging while the AC is on/the engine wants to stall/slow down while using the AC. Computer doesn't understand the throttle body is dirty and isn't compensating for that dirty ness so cleaning the throttle body with spray cleaner has to happen as well. Lol fun!

[@kingdre4084]

How do I know if it’s just the knob that’s broken and not the actuator

[@dwainehiggins8425]

Not sure exactly what you're asking. But you can take the actuator loose and leave it plugged up and turn the dial on the dash to check the actuator movement. If you don't mind heat it air coming from the face vents, you don't even need that actuator with the white arm. I like my heat too blow on my feet which is why I replaced it. The other actuator located near the white arm actuator switches the air flow from defrost to vent. The white arm changes the air flow from defrost/vent to floor.

[@kingdre4084]

@@dwainehiggins8425 I thought the knob was just not turning something underneath it. But it seems to be the actuator? That kinda sucks lol thought it’d be an easy fix but it could always be worse.

[@kingdre4084]

@@dwainehiggins8425 I get air/heat from defrost/floor that’s it.

[@meaneme]

Thats hardcore, kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGSkpJ2Hrt9loqM When i fully clean/detail my truck i dont remove the whole dash.

[@dwainehiggins8425]

I'll probably never do that again lol,, first time and probably the last

[@MikesgeneralRepaird]

I have a 2008 gmc envoy denali and recently replaced the actuator that controls the air flow to front vents. I watched a million videos on it which none were really helpful .I did learn that with a cordless ratchet preferably extended reach this could be a twenty minute job. Remove the stuff below the steering wheel lay on you back and use the cordless to remove the two screws holding the actuator,unless you have the hands of an infant you are not going to get those screws out without it.

[@dwainehiggins8425]

Yes, electric ratchet made all the difference

[@bloodsweattears287]

I didn't do all that