2011-2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee WK2 Blend Door Gear Repair Guide

In this video I demonstrate how to replace a blend door gear on a 2011-2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee wk2. This is a common problem with a cheap and easy fix. The drivers side is very similar.

[@derrickjohnson9982]

2 years later and I gotta say this video is spot on, had a problem with my a/c that I thought would cost me hundreds of dollars, bought the cheap parts I needed and followed this video and now my a/c is back cold on both sides!! Thank you!!!

[@mobbingoblin8781]

I wish every tutorial was like this. Straight to point and edits were spot on. Gonna attempt this asap.

[@MikhailAlterman]

One of the best automotive videos I've watched. Short, to the point, straight forward to follow. My '12 SRT took T20, not T25 as in the video.

[@wk2outdoors321]

Thanks :)

[@adamdickens8797]

Same here. 2012 Laredo Also took a T20

[@aceskywalkerkingacethegrea2876]

Thanks for the step by step. I was able to change my gear for my actuator. The hardest part was getting those two screws holding the actuator on and lining up the teeth and putting it back on. Takes a little patience!! Edit: 2011 jeep grand Cherokee: my passenger side temperature control would blow hot air even when the air conditioning was on. This helped me save a lot of money.

[@LTUSATV]

I got the exact same problem.

[@MariosGarage283]

Great Video!! Thanks for the step and part number. I was able to this under 30 minutes in the driveway. Just a tip. For the rear most torx screw, I found that by using a 1/4 ratchet with a swivel head and a small t20 torx bit, you didn’t have to remove the lower panel or duct work. So If you have one of those ratchets, use it.

[@thomasmiller2486]

Watched this video and the whole fix took about an hour and cost me $16 for the gear Can’t thank you enough

[@wk2outdoors321]

Glad I could help you out. Thanks for the comment. Always happy to hear people's success stories.

[@kenny9205]

I have the same problem but in the driver side

[@danymelki6248]

Professional amazing video. Clear and easy steps. Just did it today to my 2012 jeep and it works perfect. Just took me 30 minutes. Thanks a million!!

[@durkus]

Just performed today on ‘14 GCherokee. Great video. Removing the second duct to get to back screw is easy. The duct is two halves held together by bottom duct. Squeeze ribbed sides together and back half can come out to get to back screw. Snap together then push back on upper duct when done.

[@sergiompolo]

Man.... thanks 🙏🏻 , I Have that problem right now in my G Cherokee .. I’m going to try to fix it Update ... everything works, the Torx are 20 not 25 ;)

[@wk2outdoors321]

Sergio P oops! Good call!

[@pjmeasy]

Torx15 on mine.

[@rudymcqtriii4509]

@@pjmeasy I doubt they are T15. T15 will get a bite on a T20 head, T20 will bite on T25 head etc., but slip if torqued

[@bentonhudson2787]

dunno if anyone gives a shit but if you guys are stoned like me during the covid times you can watch all the latest movies and series on instaflixxer. I've been watching with my girlfriend lately =)

[@charlesraylan6835]

@Benton Hudson definitely, I have been using instaflixxer for years myself =)

[@fs7131]

Great tutorial! Fixed my 2013 GCO. Truth in saying "get creative", in that that the back torx screw was a pain without the proper tool set up, didn't help with my gorilla hands ethier. Al in all easy with this video. Thanks much! 👍(hope I don't ever need to do the driver side ... ugh!)

[@scottroby2769]

Good video, this helped a lot. after removing the actuator without removing upper floor vent tube. I found the blend door was stuck. I removed upper floor vent and got my fat finger in and pushed blend door down while turning gear with my other hand to free the blend door. Now to put it back together and get some lunch. Thanks to the persons in the comments that helped me figure out the jammed door problem.

[@xbuddx]

This helped a ton! I ordered the part, and when it showed up I dug in. The part wasn't broken. But, the gear attached to the door was stuck, it took a little twist to free it. Put it back together and now it works perfectly! I still have the part in case it actually breaks. Or my mom has the same Jeep 3 years older.

[@my3sonsnh]

Thanks for the great video walk thru and all the subsequent experience, comments and tips... 2012 GC with 262K miles. I guess I should be happy it lasted this long! Drivers side is fine, passengers side nothing but frigid air. Ordered the parts and I'll give it a shot!

[@Waxthis]

Great do-it-yourself guide! It should also be mentioned that this exact same symptom, on the 2011-2017 Grand Cherokee, can also be caused by the electrical blend door actuator itself (identified in this video with the pink dot) or a physical obstruction of the blend door drum within the heater box. The gear replaced in this video is definitely the most common failure that you can do at home affordably.

[@aceanthony7056]

What causes this Jeep bled door to spin continuously instead of a few degrees either direction

[@quarans08]

@@aceanthony7056tryna figure this out too

[@rexpatterson2552]

Great video. I am in Oz so car is Right Hand Drive but the passenger side instructions are spot on. If I could add one piece of advice it's to remove the top ducting also to gain very easy access....makes the job 1000% easier. Just grab hold of it and twist until it either comes apart or releases. It's even easier to put it back in place.

[@wk2outdoors321]

Thanks for the comment. Glad I could help.

[@willbluster5069]

Well, I had the issue of A/C blowing cold on the driver’s side but warm/hot on the passenger side. Got the same part as your vid, and dug in. The Torx screws are T20 in my 2011, not T25. I was able to get to the screws on the actuator without removing the ducting, which seemed like a major pain anyway and replaced the broken plastic gear, same as in the vid. The REAL ISSUE with this replacement is aligning the gear on the blend door with this new gear on the actuator motor. Lining up the wide tooth with the wide gap in the blend door is crucial, and you really can’t see it once you put it back on. So with the actuator hanging loose, I had to cycle the air on and off, adjusting the temp up and down to get the actuator in a position that would work. This took several attempts while feeling for the right spot. You know if it’s wrong, because the passenger air temp is still wrong. Once I got the alignment right, and while holding the actuator in place, I turned the AC on to verify it actually worked before screwing it into position permanently. Kind of a contortionist’s dream, but it worked. Good luck.

[@ORIGINALJRL]

THANK YOU!!!!! STRAIGHT TO THE POINT TUTORIAL. MY MAN!!!!

[@charlieluke5274]

Great video....thanks!!! Just finished replacing the blend door gear in my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. I thought the hardest part was getting the glove box off until it came to lining up the gear and the blend door actuator.....but I got it. Thanks again!!!

[@lilflx]

This is very helpfull! Thank you. Was able to replace my blend door actuator, to my surprise the gear was in good condition. Like most say the screws were T20 and not T25.

[@neightjay]

Thank you for posting this video. Nice to have a reference. Seems like the passenger side is going to be a lot easier than the driver side. Much appreciated. 👍🏼🇨🇦

[@orthjae.855]

Awesome video! Was able to change the actual actuator myself and saved about $750!

[@wk2outdoors321]

Awesome work! Glad my video helped.

[@cathybrow7089]

Thanks a million for this video! Video and instructions were perfect ! Saved us a bunch of money total fix cost 22.00 Canadian. Much appreciated.

[@shannonkolind6641]

This saved us!! It was t20 not t25 for 2011 but otherwise perfect.

[@bkbrs]

This video helped me out a lot with the problem on my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Thank you.

[@CraigArndt]

Subbed, thanks for the assistance. Just replaced my 2014 GC blend door gear on P-side, it was broken but that piece didn't fall out yet so it still must have been working. My driver side has heat all the time, so that must be the broken side. Have 137K on my GC, so if these things lasted that long, I can't complain. It was an easy fix, thanks for the video. Two gears from Amazon were $22 btw.

[@andrewohlbaum7783]

Ha! ROOKIE.... I have 541,000 on mine and still going strong!

[@josephmyers5667]

Thanks dude, I woke up to -16 deg F this morning. The gear came in to O’Reillys, I picked it up and went to work. Despite nearly frost bitten hands I was able to replace in about an hour and now have heat.

[@wk2outdoors321]

It always happens when it's cold. Haha. Glad you got it sorted out. Nice work!

[@jimcole2648]

Great video. The back t bold you can use an Allen wrench style to save removing the other items. Other then that great info. Way easier then the past models. This is the passenger side door not the drivers side.

[@laragreene8328]

GREAT VIDEO! Simple,great instructions and to the point! Wish everybody did as good of videos as yours!

[@chrishearn6711]

Just finished doing mine...took about an hour overall. Took my time. I’d say it’s an 3/10 on the difficulty scale. Make sure to install the new gear the right way lol.. thanks for the help!

[@daveoldaker2550]

Great video! Just got finished changing one in 2011 grand cherokee. I did notice that I needed a T20 for the screws instead of a T25. Great work! Thanks again!

[@wstanley4694]

Thank you for this video. It is very, very good! My 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee had this same problem. I like how you showed the process so clearly and even specified the socket and screwdriver sizes and the part number for the gear. When I took mine apart, it had a broken gear just like what you showed. I got a new one from the dealer for $15.45 (plus tax) and that fixed the problem! Thanks for taking the time to make such a helpful video.

[@ttooala526]

Thank you,lots of help

[@damencornell1171]

This video is awesome - followed it step by step to fix my problem. Saved a bunch of $ and very satisfying! Thank you!!!

[@jcarleezy]

Video definitely helped, Thanks! It didn't address how the gears are supposed to be positioned when you put it back together, but maybe it will be obvious when I get the replacement gear.

[@hama0074-]

Thank you!!!! I just used this to fix my '12 Grand Cherokee.

[@TerraSquad19]

Exactly how you described it. Thank you for taking the time to put this video together.

[@randallrosenbaum]

Amazing video, you saved me a fortune instead of taking it to the dealer

[@Chief_5]

I had to replace the actuator on the passenger side, the gear was fine. Oct 2018, I changed the drivers side, I didn’t remove the dash and had to remove and replace the screws in that tight area, I used tape and a ratchet wrench to hold the screw in place. These actuators should be made to last more than 4 years! Thanks for the video.

[@wk2outdoors321]

SuperChief5 glad the video could help!

[@fresherpie]

So, there are two? One for each side?

[@molesto1015]

How hard was the driver side? If you didn’t remove the dash, did just go up underneath? My driver side is broken and I can’t find instructions anywhere on it.

[@kirkeidman]

Just replaced my second one of these on the passenger side. The easiest way is to place the new gear on the box first and be sure the position is correct. There are two stops on the box and you need to be sure then new gear moves both ways to the stops. It is pretty obvious when it is right. Then line up the motor so the wide tooth is aligned with the wide slot and then line up the upper key hole, then the screws. I hope the driver side gears holds up an other 20,00 miles. That one looks harder.

[@wk2outdoors321]

Good advice. Good job on the install. Thanks for the comment! Keep on Jeepin!

[@greg23077]

any video to change the driver side one please ?

[@mchangani]

Thanks for an amazing video. I was able to fix our Jeep’s actuator problem. Exactly the way you explained. 👍👍👍

[@scotgarner4173]

Perfect. Several damper actuators back there. My outside air damper had a problem, probably because it cycles every time you open the door.

[@c.brooke5490]

Kyle, great tutorial...couple of additions...note that when you try and pull the glove box out there are two clips (one each side) that have to be released before it will fall forward enough to be removed. Also, when putting the actuator, with the new gear, back into place be sure to match the actuator gear with the flapper door gear. It has to be matched correctly to work. There is one large tooth that has to fit properly into the flapper gear. Pretty important!!

[@wk2outdoors321]

Bri Mac thanks for the extra tips!!

[@mmedlin9295]

Wish he had mentioned this in his video. I installed my gear and screwed the actuator back on. When I tested it, the gear broke into pieces. I have another one on order but would have liked to been aware of the alignment issue. I'm a 50 yr old lady who can't take my Jeep to the shop every time it has a problem. I appreciate your comment very much. :D

[@mithubasnet232]

Thank you for the tips which help me to fixed my 2011 jeep

[@najimferoze8742]

I had commented before with a issuse. I had to replace both the gear and actuator in order for my heat to work fine!

[@Jasshands1]

Thank you for making this video. saved me a ton of time and money.

[@daveyt4802]

My turn on my new to me Jeep 2011. Thanks for sharing!

[@zooxx3183]

This is very clear and straight forward. Thank you!

[@falcon8368]

That's amazing and thank for the video. I have a noise comes from the right duct, it happens only on high speed over 70 miles, asking if there is someone who knows how can I fix it.

[@vimassive236]

Thanks this video helped me fix my jeep today.

[@lazerbeam608]

Just did mine. Took about 45 min all said and done.

[@lazerbeam608]

Also make sure your gear is oriented teeth facing passenger side and the gear lines up with the other door gear correctly. I almost crunched mine when re installing.

[@jeneich4]

Please advise- can’t get the gear to line up and the screws back into place. The old gear fell before we could see how it went on.

[@RobertSmith-xi7bi]

Thanks for the video. Worked well and got it fixed

[@wk2outdoors321]

No problem. Thanks for the comment :)

[@invictusbp1prop143]

Sometimes the blend door inside will get to where it sticks closed and the actuator isn’t strong enough to break it free. I think it’s because there’s a rubber seal on the door that can melt sometimes and it stays sticky enough that the door apparently will get stuck when it’s closed tight on it and not be able to switch back over to cold. Easy fix for this is to use the stops on the actuator. You want the door to have slightly less travel when closing so you want it to hit the stop sooner. You could probably stick some kind of solid spacer on the stop, or drill a hole thru the ear on the gear that hits the stop and run a small screw that’ll thread into the hole you drilled into that ear. As long as you’re careful the plastic should hold the threads good enough. I guess you could tap it if ya want. Screw it all the way in at first, so the thickness of the screw head acts as your spacer. If the door still gets stuck there, back the screw out a little to give you more spacer making the door close a little less tight. Shouldn’t take much. You don’t want it to not close at all. It won’t be perfect because the door will leak some when it’s on heat, but that’s better than tearing the whole dash out and replacing the whole thing. Hope this makes sense. Cheers!

[@tcswag801]

Cool , bout to head over to my sisters to replace , got gear and actuator both just in case . Thanks for the vid . Wish it wasn't 25° out plastic likes to snap in this Shit .

[@joesanchez7827]

Just wanted to mention I have a 2011 Durango and this is the exact layout.

[@wk2outdoors321]

Not sure. Should be similar.

[@madelinescott6658]

Thank you! I've had to get mine replaced a few times and with winter coming up I need heat!

[@kirkeidman]

A T20 torox allen wrench is the tool you need to get the screws out!

[@wk2outdoors321]

Thanks!

[@keithleas4398]

Thank you sir you just saved me some money.

[@RockDog101]

Thanks for the video and great job explaining how to fix the gear. I tried this fix but the existing gear on my 2015 Grand Cherokee was not broken in any way. I'm having the exact problem you describe in the video so I'm wondering if you might know what else could be causing it. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

[@kirkeidman]

The actuator motor is probably dead, it should move as you move the selector dial with the car electronics on.

[@aquilestejeda809]

Im having the same issue. Took the actuator off and gears were intact. Turn ac on and off and i can see the actuator moving the gears.

[@LTUSATV]

Thanks I have this problem with my 2011 WK2, also the heat/ac/defog when turned on will take sometimes a few moments or a few minutes to start working would that be the control module being bad?

[@enriquegarduno3065]

Thanks man your video was really helpful, i just have done mine.

[@Kleurrijke]

Thank You Buddy :) Have a wonderful day and holidays season (#) Cheers and Live Long and Prosperous :D

[@Chief_5]

Happened again! The new part only lasted 1 year! I replaced the entire assembly, the gears were fine. Would’ve recorded me changing the drivers side, but I was already pissed that it had to be changed in the first place!

[@wk2outdoors321]

SuperChief5 that’s horrible. Lots of “ cheap” parts in these Jeeps.

[@tee3638]

is there a guide that you followed for the driver side. I can't find anything to help on the driver side. I can even get of the panel.

[@neilbeaumont2820]

25 years this part has been garbage, they should be ashamed, I need to add my 3rd in 60K miles, how about adding some glass fibre, they mest make millions of these a year

[@RobFomenko]

In the same boat. Was on a 28K mile drive yesterday and had to come home. Same thing I think. I will have to change it out again. Seriously this Jeep was a worst car ever. So much goes wrong on it. They could have fixed this easily with better gears, unless it was planned this way. Maybe its a safety feature to not blow the entire actuator motor, but still poor engineering. Chrysler this is why the american auto industry is failing.

[@bradgilchrist-wy5gn]

Thanks. Mines doing this.

[@lukearredondo7261]

This was a very helpful video thank you!

[@VinnyDeFrancisco]

Worked like a charm!

[@bearsgarage272]

Id thte any type of "relearn" procedure for the actuator? I replaced mine and 3 weeks later it broke again. I did unplug the actuator when i did this. After it seemed like it was constantly applying torque to the gear

[@wk2outdoors321]

I haven't heard anything about it but I'm not a jeep technician. Mine has been fine since.

[@spatrick9170]

Yes you have an issue with the blend door itself its probably jammed causing the gear to break under force. Remove upper vent put your hand inside and try and move the flap inside while turning the upper gear

[@candycupsandcrafts8382]

Hello. The one that you replaced was on the passenger side. Would this video apply to me if the passenger side heating and air works properly but the drivers side doesn’t?

[@iAmKON9]

Very helpful! Thank you.

[@J7Noj]

Upon removal of the glovebox and panel behind it, I found my a/c blend door motor hanging. It was missing the screws to hold it on. Do you know where I can find said screws?

[@williamsheetz111]

Nice video, feller.

[@yazal9884]

Mine does the opposite it's summer now, left side is cold right is hot. Does this also apply?

[@direcut16]

Great video man, thanks!

[@digger0429]

Good video thank you

[@nirmalnirmal6042]

VERY HELPFULL VIDEO

[@batoot2die100]

Great Job. I like what you did

[@Michael-yz1sr]

Perfect video thanks so much!

[@JasonwithaJay]

Kyle - did you replace the gear or the entire actuator? Does the gear come with the actuator or are they two separate parts I need to order? I'm single without a second vehicle so I don't want to order just the gear and find out the actuator is boned.

[@wk2outdoors321]

Jason Etgen Just the gear. Two separate parts. You won’t really know what you need until you tear it apart but most likely it’s just the gear.

[@WeberStrength]

Do you have any videos on how to remove the trim below the steering wheel to get to the driver's side?

[@marilusolis3083]

My gear was broken so i replaced it but now when i put on the xold air it's hot and when i switch it to hot its room temperature. I also replaced the blend door actuator but im still having the same issue . Any ideas what it could be?

[@YourCarBro]

Thanks for the video. I see you say the driver side is similar and that you have a write up. Could you link me to that? Thanks!

[@fish306tv8]

YourCarBro it’s in the comments below :) thanks!

[@gerhardgallardo]

Great Job Kyle, thanks!!

[@wk2outdoors321]

Thanks so much. Have a great day.

[@mahoney1138]

How did you go about calibrating it after you installed it again? I replaced my gear and it didn't line up with the other side gear but after a few clicks it was in the other gear. I was told it needed recalibrated. It also doesn't feel as cold as the drivers side A/C wise but its a lot better than just the hot air coming through. Any suggestions? Thanks

[@wk2outdoors321]

Good question. I'm not 100% sure. On the one side my gear lined up perfectly and on the other side it did not. I just let it spin until it lined up again. If you figure out the answer, or how to calibrate it please let me know.

[@dragonmstr69]

Just did my daughters. The new gear is also keyed to the one on the box. The key tab is small and can be missed. I put the heater on hi temp then aligned the keyways. In any other position is was hard to set it. You have to pull the motor away to line them up and in hi heat you can place a finger between the box and motor housing to feel the gears. The ends should line up if it is in the correct spot. Also note the vent tube coming down in front of the acuator motor can actually removed easy with a twist of it from front to back and pull down at the same time.

[@mahoney1138]

I actually ended up just going from Hot to Cold back and forth for like 5 mins then heard a pop and everything has worked fine since. Obviously not the right way to do it but in my case it did work without breaking the gear again. lol

[@rexpatterson2552]

@@dragonmstr69 Wow...removing that vent tube would make life so much easier. Did it go back on OK?

[@dragonmstr69]

@@rexpatterson2552 went back on real easy. Just line up the top of the tube and push. It was harder to get off because one of the tabs holding it is in the back but to get off release the tab closest to you and twist the vent pipe to release it.

[@davidsamuelson1812]

Good presentation

[@peterandcandiceburton6510]

I’ve got this same issue but after getting behind the dash it’s the actuator above the one you had problems with. Have you got any idea which one that is and any ideas of how to attack that?

[@wmadyun07]

2012 GC driver side ice cold and passenger side work as it should. Passenger side blow cold when set to cold and hot when set to hot. Which actuator do I need to change. The driver side or passenger side?

[@ashplumber4689]

cool video I will try this.

[@lagrancomision322]

Nice! Video

[@Rydrdg]

My MVP

[@atoms4sail]

Thanks Buddy!!

[@DavidCastillo-qh6vq]

I hope that's the problem on my 2012 jeep grand Cherokee,,when I turn on my AC only one side throws cold air,,but then my AC cuts off of a bit,,and there's also like a popping sound.. Any recommendations on that?? Thanks

[@raythomas2925]

So my driver side is the one that doesn’t work...this fixes that? Also can you post a link where I can get this part

[@emadayyash9760]

Thanks a million

[@chriss7665]

Great job on the video!

[@wk2outdoors321]

Chris S thanks! Appreciate it!

[@ileanaesparza7127]

Question.... mines blows hot air on the drivers side when i turn on the a/c but passenger side is working fine. so would I still be fixing the same way you did? or does deiver side has one too?

[@karinagomez9563]

Did you figure it out? I'm having the same problem

[@williamward8865]

Mine is the same way too..

[@crivera6661]

How do you know if it is the drivers side or passenger side? I only get heat out of the passenger side vents and only cool air out of the drivers side. Does that mean its the drivers side actuator?

[@cryptowalls]

aamzing thank you!!! internet at it's best!!!

[@Slobberdog66]

Great video thanks👍🏼

[@wk2outdoors321]

No problem. Thanks for your kind words. Happy Jeeping!

[@spencerd.7502]

So mine has this same symptom, but it also starts and stops. Like it will blow hard for 20 seconds and then shut off for 20 seconds. But its pretty random. Will this solve both issues?

[@vinny540]

Spencer D. Yeah! Same here! Just got behind the glove box on mine to replace the full actuator and it turns out only the gear is broken, gotta order a new part and wait some more 😭

[@vinny540]

Anyone have a fix to the 20 on - 20 off?

[@pablobrillon8947]

Spencer D. My is doing the same... how I fixed?

[@brandonw8268]

Spencer D. Mine does the same thing, did this gear seem to fix the problem?

[@seven11productions]

Spencer - my situation was similar in that every 30 seconds the fan would turn off and there would be a knocking sound 6 to 7 times followed by the fan turning back on. This would repeat until I turned the car off. I followed the instructions from this video and replaced the actuator gear and it completely solved the problem.

[@unvamp02]

Dude, THANKS!!!!!

[@opinionatedviewer7730]

I keep an eskimo auger in my jeep in the winter too.

[@wk2outdoors321]

Always gotta be ready to go fishing. Glad to see fellow fisherm on here! Thanks for the comment :)