Chevy Equinox Blend Door Actuator Replacement (Knocking Noise)

[@FixItFrench]

Hope this helps someone out. Something I didn’t point out in the video is that there are 2 actuators in a vehicle. One for the passenger side and the driver side. This will cause ac and heat problems when not working correctly. In this case the passenger side actuator was at fault. The drivers side is the exact same. Very busy time in life with our baby being due in just over a month. All sorts of videos coming soon 🤙🤙

[@zaydoon962]

went to the autoshop to fix the heat and their next appointment was a month away. watched this video and fixed it in an hour 😎 hopefully i didn't screw up something else 😂 thanks a lot man. my wife thinks I'm a genius handyman 🤣

[@FixItFrench]

Love it! Glad I could help🤙🏼

[@inspiringbuilds]

Thanks, easy repair and will save cost doing it myself. 👍

[@FixItFrench]

Awesome glad I could help 🤙🏼

[@inspiringbuilds]

@@FixItFrench Yessir! I also don’t know how it auto unsubscribed, but I’m subscribed again and hit that bell to try to catch all of your videos. 👍

[@UseWhatchaGot]

Its kinda funny... I have a very similar issue in my Honda Civic and 1. I need to fix it myself because it will cost way too much at the dealership, and 2. I thought about making a similar video to this but I have kinda shied away from them because the couple I made did not do well. But this is encouraging. Nice simple video man!

[@FixItFrench]

Well I’m glad I can be some of encouragement. Honda will be a little different than GM, but I still think you can do it pretty easy. I have seen some vehicles where the blower motor and other things have to be removed in order to get access to it. Only a call away if you want some help🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@Alias22]

This video was extremely helpful, thank you! But… just for future consideration, the video sped through a couple parts where I could have used more detail. The glove box didn’t come out as easy, and that clip position was difficult, going in and out. Thank you for posting. :)

[@FixItFrench]

Thanks for the feedback, and I am glad I was able to help! 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@I_am_Signal]

This saved us the $400 extra that my father spent getting it replaced when he didn’t have the time to do it himself on his truck.

[@FixItFrench]

Awesome! Glad I could help! It’s always a good thing when we can save some money

[@JadonSchultz]

Thanks, fixed my heating issue!

[@FixItFrench]

@@JadonSchultz awesome!! Glad I was able to help 🤙🏼

[@moonphasetarot1111]

Awesome video!!! I have the same knocking sound in my equinox but my controls change numbers randomly. Ie. If I turn my air all the way down to 0 it will then say 25. If I turn the knob all the way up, the highest it goes is 10 and then changes from 10 to 8 then 9 all by itself. Is that caused by the blend door actuator also? Or is that a different problem? Would that stop if I changed it and calibrated it?

[@FixItFrench]

Knocking sounds usually are a sign for the actuators, but the other problem sounds like the blower motor control module. Sounds fancy, but it’s a fairly cheap part and isn’t too hard to change on most models.

[@moonphasetarot1111]

@@FixItFrench Thank you I appreciate you ❤️

[@FixItFrench]

@@moonphasetarot1111 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@bubbaewack5503]

So I also have the same problem with my Chevy equinox 2011 that makes noise also. In the summer or when it’s warm out, my a/c blows out hot air. When it’s winter out, it blows out cold air. Can all this be fixed if I just change the blend door actuator?

[@FixItFrench]

@@bubbaewack5503 The blend door is used to determine which air blows out of your vents. There are always other causes for your HVAC system to act up, but the blend door actuators are the most common problem. If you hear a knocking noise, you can pretty much guarantee the actuators are bad

[@BERRYDENIROTV]

Do they need to make a knocking sound before it goes bad? I think mine just went out i dont hear the vent opening when going cold to hot But i noticed when driving it gets cold but when idling gets hot

[@FixItFrench]

@@BERRYDENIROTV I have another video on a car not having heat from a couple years ago. It explains all the reasons for a vehicle to lose heat. To me your problem sounds like a stuck open thermostat. There are many different reasons a vehicle will lose heat, but based off what you said that is my first guess. The first step is to always make sure the vehicle has enough coolant

[@nicoleselais1503]

We had the knocking on 2013 Equinox and It wouldn’t blow warm air, only cold. so we changed out the blend door actuator. A month ago the heat wouldn’t blow again so I pulled the fuse and it worked again. Now it’s stopped again and pulling fuse isn’t fixing it. I’m not sure I put it in correctly …if I should’ve roasted the dial before putting it in? Or if I recalibrated right?

[@FixItFrench]

This is one of the biggest problems with these equinox’s. Especially for the early years like 2013-2014. The replacement actuators for this vehicle are cheap, the only one I’ve found to be worth anything is the one made by GM. I hate to say it, but I recommend starting the process over by taking out the actuator and reinstalling it. Then reprogram the actuator and see if anything changes. You don’t hear knocking anymore correct?

[@theathenakeene]

Our mechanic says this blend door is broken and cannot be fixed without removing the dash. Would this work if the blend door has broken, or does this only work when it's stuck/faulty?

[@FixItFrench]

If the henges on the blend door are broken, he is correct. The dash must be removed to fix that

[@yashicasmith4274]

Is there a part number? After having my compressor, condenser, expansion valve, ac pressure sensor and having the system cleaned out when i turn ac on its blowing hot air. When i had it cleaned out it was filled with freon so the last thing i was told to change is the air blend door actuator, so I wanted to know if there's a part number. So i can purchase the correct one. I'm told it's on the passenger side

[@FixItFrench]

604-180 These actuators are prone to break on this vehicle. It’s one of the biggest problems this vehicle has. If the AC lines are cold, and you’re not getting any cold air, I would say it’s a good possibility that the actuators are not opening the blend doors

[@dg1461]

Great video!! I went to attach the actuator and the part the gear on the actuator plugs into fell into the dash! do you have a video on how to tear apart the dash!?😢

[@FixItFrench]

Oh wow! I’d say you have 3 options. 1. Buy a telescoping magnet 2. Buy new screws 3. Take apart the dash Personally, I would do those first two things before I took the dash apart, how many of the screws fell back there? What part of the dash did you lose them? Unfortunately I don’t have a video on that

[@dg1461]

It was the thing the gear plugs into. When i was plugging the actuator back in, the female part got pushed out of the hole and fell into the dash.

[@FixItFrench]

@@dg1461 awesome! That’s an easy fix, glad it’s working for you again

[@itisdeluxe8891]

@@FixItFrench how do I go about this ? Same exact thing just happened to me. Went to put actuator in and female slipped inside. No chance of getting it without dash removal.

[@itisdeluxe8891]

@@dg1461 do you remember what you did to fix this ?

[@shadowhismanylightnings6502]

If the blend door is broken. Do you have to take the entire dash off to replace it?

[@FixItFrench]

Unfortunately, most of the dash will have to come out. It is not an easy process with these models.

[@jeremyfikes6224]

My equinox is only blowing heat or AC in defrost. It won’t swap to vents or floor. What is causing that? Thanks

[@FixItFrench]

@@jeremyfikes6224 first thing you should do is make sure the vents aren’t closed. I know that seems obvious, but I have several people on here who have accidentally done that. If the vents are open, then the most probable explanation is bad actuators. The actuators are what control the airflow. Hope that helps

[@yamilerodriguez7341]

Thank you so much for this

[@FixItFrench]

Glad I could help! 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@dinogreco9601]

Nice to the point video, but you don't have to remove that first panel. Just removing the glove box is enough.

[@FixItFrench]

Yes but removing the bottom panel gives a little extra room for you, but definitely don’t need to. Thanks for watching, hope it helped

[@101aigle]

Hi, I changed the actuator as you showed cause I had that knuking noise. Now I only get wery hot air. What do you suggest? Thanks

[@FixItFrench]

I would recalibrating the actuators again by doing the step I showed at the end with the HVAC fuse. If that doesn’t work, you may have to take it to a shop that has a scan tool. The scan tools can re-code the computer manually. I have seen Equinoxes in the past have this issue where they can only be recalibrated with a scan tool. Usually when that happens, only one side (either the driver side or the passenger side) is not working correctly. Are both the passenger and the driver side blowing hot air?

[@101aigle]

I did the recalibration.I bought the actuator from Amazon and I read many complaint about faulty actuator. Should I feel movement on it when turning the heat up and down cause I do not feel anything.@@FixItFrench

[@FixItFrench]

@@101aigle as you fluctuate the heat from hot to cold, you should be seeing movement in the actuator

[@jeremyfikes6224]

My 2012 equinox blows hot and AC. The problem is, it only comes out in defrost. How do I tell which ones need to be changed? You can hear it trying to change but it stays on defrost.

[@FixItFrench]

This means there is a malfunction in the blend door actuators. I can’t tell you specifically which one to change, you may have to try one at a time. If you have a scanner, it will tell you which one and that will be much quicker

[@toywrench1]

You need the mode door actuator

[@Anonymous-oe1do]

I was just replacing mine and the wire came off and went in behind the dash. How do I retrieve the wire? Any thoughts

[@FixItFrench]

Are you talking about the harness that has the censor on it? After you unplugged the censor the whole harness came off?

[@tyleranton615]

This worked for me. Great video. Unfortunately After a week or so, the heat has gone back out. Any suggestions??

[@FixItFrench]

It may be a faulty part, but before you go buying a more expensive brand, let me do some digging. The steps I shared in the video are directly from GM. Sometimes these blend doors get what’s called sticky door and they burn out the motors or break the gears on the actuators.

[@FixItFrench]

So what I am reading from GM is that on some of the (especially the older model) equinox’s the blend door breaks due to the actuators over-extending. It causes stress on the blend door shaft and the actual door breaks. There isn’t really a good test for this unless you have a high level scan tool. You may have to find a mechanic you trust and let them diagnose it. If the actual door is broken, it’s a hassle to get to, but it is something you could probably change yourself. Wish I could help more, if you figure out the problem please share it with me👍🏼

[@donaldwhisman5573]

We replaced our blend door actuator and two weeks later it went out again no heat no clicking. Put another new one in and it's working great now. If it goes out again I won't put another Auto Zona one back in it. Rebuilt junk.

[@limoncelloRubicon]

I’ve seen another video for my 2011 equinox LTZ showing a much harder install from the drivers side. Are there more than one of these actuators? Dualist part #604-185 is what I have. Looks the same. But your video shows install in a different placement and much easier.

[@FixItFrench]

There is also an actuator on the driver side. It will be more difficult to get to, but it’s the same concept. It will have the same amount of screws and will be reset the same way. I hope that helps 👍🏼

[@limoncelloRubicon]

@@FixItFrench how do I know which one I just purchased? I went in and asked for the hvac door blend actuator. The one they gave me looks like the one you installed with the white external gear. Also, I still have heat and air. It’s the knocking that starts on ignition and eventually stops while driving. But it’s also knocked with car off.

[@FixItFrench]

@@limoncelloRubicon if the heat and the air both work on both sides of the car. You will have to just listen to figure out which side of the car the knocking is coming from. Put your head under each side of the dashboard and you can tell which one is louder. Make sure you reset the HVAC system (as shown in the video) after installing the new actuator.

[@p.a.d.trueamericanpatriot2792]

What if its not switching from floor to dash? Which actuator would I replace ? Drivers side or passenger side ?

[@YellowJacketGarage]

That's no fair, that was way too easy to get to.🤣 I wish all the under dash components were easier to access like that, GM engineers typically hate mechanics.😮

[@FixItFrench]

Very easy! I’ve had some that the blower motor had to be removed just to get access to it. I was very thankful when I removed the glove box 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@frostakathetruth]

He got lucky there is one above for the outside air and its rough. There's a video on here, he has the dash almost out lol. Im getting ready to do the lower one to hopefully 😅

[@LarryMoritz-d1i]

2013 GMC terrain blend door won't switch from dash air flow to floor air flow or it will will go to defrost what is the problem

[@FixItFrench]

@@LarryMoritz-d1i my first guest is the blend. Door has went bad. This could also be a result of a blower motor or a resistor going bad. Hard to diagnose without seeing the car myself. I hope that information helps a little bit.

[@TheJachinbankes]

I have the same issue on a 2016 equinox when selecting the recirculation button, and replaced the same part but no fix. Any suggestions?

[@FixItFrench]

@@TheJachinbankes Did you reset the HVac system by removing the hvac fuse? I tell how to do that at the end of the video. If that doesn’t help, give me a little more description of what’s happening

[@joynerlever7635]

@@FixItFrench i was have the same issue wen i press recirculation button its start hit like in the vid, but its stop and now the recirculation doesnt work, wat can i do?

[@FixItFrench]

@@joynerlever7635 Is the recirculation the only thing not working?

[@TheGibby1973]

soooooo, i have a 2006 stuck in ac i think just got the car they said it was the heater core but game me that part and said it was the part to fix it. will this part fix my heat?

[@FixItFrench]

Really hard to say what your problem is without diagnosing it, but I have another heat video from a few years ago that explains all the different reasons why your heat doesn’t work. I recommended you watch it. The first thing you always do when the heat isn’t working, is check your antifreeze levels. Make sure you aren’t low on antifreeze

[@TheGibby1973]

ok thanks ill check the other vid @@FixItFrench

[@keonsteen4276]

What kind of screw driver did you use?

[@FixItFrench]

Phillips head screw driver👍🏼

[@keonsteen4276]

@@FixItFrench thank you. I just need to find a smaller one.

[@SpiritedWrenchers]

Damn, that was easy. LOL. Was the part inexpensive? Thanks for sharing!

[@FixItFrench]

Thanks for watching, and it was $34. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@SpiritedWrenchers]

@@FixItFrench Hell yeah. Love cheap parts like that.

[@FixItFrench]

@@SpiritedWrenchers Same here lol These are around $120 on my Buick

[@isaactungate6669]

Will bad blend door actuator keep ac from working properly?

[@FixItFrench]

Yes, it can block the airflow from coming out of your vents. It is not the only thing that can cause AC problems. Does your heat work properly? Also, does the AC work on either side of the vehicle? Usually when an actuator goes bad, it will only restrict airflow on one side of the vehicle

[@keonsteen4276]

When I turn on the AC the heat comes on. So that means it is the one under the glove box? I changed it but still the same noise and heat. I’m wondering if it’s a bad part. 😢

[@FixItFrench]

Someone else asked me a similar question to what you said, and this is how I responded. It’s important to note that there is an actuator on both the passenger and the driver side of the car. You need to listen carefully on both sides to figure out which side is broken. It should be very obvious which side is broken after you listen. When recalibrating here is the steps: 1: Put key in run position 2. Remove fuse for 30 seconds 3. Install fuse 4. Start vehicle I hope this helps

[@keonsteen4276]

@@FixItFrench it’s definitely on the right side. Thanks again 😃

[@keonsteen4276]

@@FixItFrench I figured it out. It’s 2 actuators on the passenger side. There’s another one further behind the first one. I was able to touch it. When I turn the truck on that’s the one with the tapping in it. I changed the wrong one 😂

[@FixItFrench]

@@keonsteen4276 I’m glad you figured it out, and yes many vehicles will have at least 4 total actuators

[@TheRingomama]

So i replaced the blend door actuator and now it only blows cold air out and no heat. What do i need to do to fix that?

[@FixItFrench]

Did you recalibrate the actuator as demonstrated I may the end of the video? You should be able to physically hear the actuator’s calibrating. After you hear that, start the vehicle and test the AC and heat again. I hope this helps

[@MycroSopht]

I have the same problem but it's blowing heat. I'll give this a shot and see how it works for me.

[@FixItFrench]

@@MycroSopht Hope it helps. The process should be the same no matter whether it’s the heat or the air

[@RichS-ki9xf]

I am having this problem, but im also having a problem in my 2013 equinox where the external temperature control goes all the way down to 30 degrees and it starts blowing hot air even though im on max AC. The screen display pops up sometimes and says "ice on the road" but i live in florida. It goes on and off. How do i fix this?

[@FixItFrench]

@@RichS-ki9xf that sounds like the blend doors aren’t cooperating. Very hard to say why that code came up, but it could be caused by the doors malfunctioning. Sometimes 1 electrical problem can cause others as well

[@CarolinesDaughter]

Check your ambient temperature sensor

[@RichS-ki9xf]

​@CarolinesDaughter this Is exactly what it was. The ambient temperature sensor. Although I installed it and the temperature of the air is now cold, the outside temperature no longer shows up on the screen. It's unfortunate but I would rather have cold air than see the temp for now.

[@FixItFrench]

@@RichS-ki9xf Awesome! Hope this comment can help someone. Thanks @carolinesDaughter

[@weatley6241]

The drivers side on mine gets the correct air i tell it to do but the right side only gets room temp air when I turn on heat or ac, any ideas? 2010 chevy equinox.

[@FixItFrench]

That is most likely just a faulty actuator. The actuators in these equinox’s are terrible, especially in the older versions

[@weatley6241]

@@FixItFrench yeah I’d say that did it. And a good shot of freon definitely helped lol. That top screw sure was a bitch though. Thanks for the video!

[@FixItFrench]

@@weatley6241 glad you got it working🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@stevenlukac6881]

you mack it sounds so easy but what if it is not the swich and it is the door it self

[@FixItFrench]

If there is a knocking noise, then the actuator is always the first thing you change. There is a possibility that the door itself is broken, but if you hear a knocking noise, then it’s the actuator trying to move the door when it cannot. If you aren’t comfortable doing this yourself, your local mechanic will have a scan tool that can program each actuator manually. I hope this helps

[@Inez0Zeni]

So it is called "Blend Door" 🚪 which is linked to the heat/ac unit... If i am hearing this "knock knock knock" 😮? Wow thank you!

[@FixItFrench]

Correct

[@keonsteen4276]

I did everything but I still hear the noise. When I take the fuse out, turn the ignition to the run position, leave it out for 30 seconds, do I put the fuse back in while it’s still in the run position? I still hear the noise :-(

[@FixItFrench]

It’s important to note that there is an actuator on both the passenger and the driver side of the car. You need to listen carefully on both sides to figure out which side is broken. It should be very obvious which side is broken after you listen. When recalibrating here is the steps: 1: Put key in run position 2. Remove fuse for 30 seconds 3. Install fuse 4. Start vehicle

[@keonsteen4276]

@@FixItFrench are those the only 2? I thought it was the right side. I hope I took the right fuse out. I seen another video that said to take 12 out. I don’t start the truck right? Just turn it on?

[@FixItFrench]

@@keonsteen4276 what year is your Equinox? The one in this video is a 2017, so it may be different for a different year. Also some of them are LT’s and others are LS. The 2 actuators that will cause knocking are the passenger and driver side actuators. If you try to recalibrate by taking out the #14 fuse and it doesn’t work, then I think it would be wise for you to try again by removing the #12 and seeing if that works. Sorry I can’t be more help, it would be a lot easier to diagnose it in person

[@keonsteen4276]

@@FixItFrench mine is a 2011 LT. I’m going to try and recalibrate it again. If that doesn’t work I’ll have to change the driver side. Is the driver side the same way when it comes to changing it? Thanks

[@FixItFrench]

@@keonsteen4276 The one in the video is a LS and yes it’s in the same spot on the other side. Maybe just a little high let up in the dash. It will be removed the same as the other, but it may be a little harder to reach

[@kubanito3776]

Thanks for the tutorial but in my case i did step by step but still i got the knocking noise my car is 2016 equinox

[@FixItFrench]

@@kubanito3776 there are multiple blend doors, you need to listen to make sure you’re changing the right one. If there is a knocking noise, and the problem is either with the door itself or the door actuator. 99% of the time it’s the actuator. Sometimes the henges on the blend doors break, but that is very rare

[@kubanito3776]

Thanks after i replace my wife is been driving the car and no more noise thanks god

[@FixItFrench]

@@kubanito3776 awesome! Love to hear it

[@joshpfaff2488]

How could you tell what side to change?

[@FixItFrench]

Thanks for pointing that out. I forgot to mention that in the video, but I do talk about it in my pinned comment. There are 2 vents for each side of the vehicle, which ever side is not working, will need to be changed. You can tell which side isn’t working by either listening to the knocking noise, or turning the ac/heat on to see which vents aren’t working properly. Hope that helps👍🏼

[@chevy1985k20]

I believe the passenger controls hot/cold drivers controls vent orientation

[@gloriadean7283]

We did what you did and still knocking

[@meshag4576]

I watched your video and replaced mine myself but couldn't get the safety pin back in I think I need a wiring fix because it is not working again

[@FixItFrench]

Safety pin should just push in, I know it looks fragile, but give it a little bit of pressure. You shouldn’t have to push very hard. When this doesn’t work, I recommend try, resetting the actuators by taking out the fuse again like I showed in the video. Sadly this is one of the biggest problems with these equinoxes. If resetting yourself doesn’t work. A shop may have to hook it up to their scan tool, and reset it manually

[@meshag4576]

@@FixItFrench Thanks, will give another try

[@meshag4576]

Can you tell me what's the name of the wire piece that's connected to actuator one wire came off so I'm without heat again?

[@FixItFrench]

@@meshag4576 I would ask for blend door motor connector/wire harness

[@meshag4576]

@@FixItFrench Thank you so much I can't find it anywhere Thanks for fast response I'm really trying to get this fixed

[@joshroberts1758]

My girlfriends car has heat and cool air but heat only works sometimes or it will only blow cold air and it will not change to blow to the dask 4 vents facing driver

[@FixItFrench]

If it only changes on one side you are having a problem with your actuators. I would try resetting them by following the steps at the end of the video. If that doesn’t help, I would change the actuator on the side of the vehicle that isn’t working. Your local mechanic will have a scanner that can reset them manually for you if you can’t figure out the configuration. If you decide to change the actuator, my notifications are on if you need help. Hope this helps 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@LizzzYT]

Mine only does that when I switch from heat to cold air

[@FixItFrench]

That would mean that your actuator isn’t correctly moving your blend door. So the door is knocking while it’s trying to open

[@GlebRudykh667]

@@FixItFrenchand what’s doing with that?

[@FixItFrench]

@@GlebRudykh667 what is your question?

[@fyrfly1152]

Omg. I called my mechanic in panic mode this morning because I had that noise when I turned on my heat. He said it was this. It seems like a simple fix and I feel like I can do it myself.

[@FixItFrench]

Worth a try! The actuators aren’t very expensive. When something like this happens, I always tell people to swap out the actuator before they pay big money somewhere else. Also, I have notifications turned on if you need any help while working on it👍🏼

[@fyrfly1152]

Not very expensive is a very good thing. I have a feeling I'm going to be asking you more questions when I try to fix it 😅

[@FixItFrench]

@@fyrfly1152 I’ll be here

[@giovannicardone3803]

They wanting to charge 918 just to take off Dashboard”!!!!

[@FixItFrench]

@@giovannicardone3803 Unfortunately changing out the actual blend doors requires that. If it’s just the actuators, then you can easily change it out yourself. Hopefully that’s what your issue is

[@jimslade528]

You forgot to mention. Pull wiring harness away, screws are a pain to get out. You show using a screwdriver...no way buddy. I did it on a 2010 equinox. You glanced over many issues. Next time be honest. It's meant for anyone under 5 feet tall.

[@FixItFrench]

@@jimslade528 Sorry it was difficult for you. This was done on a 2017. Most models are the same, but some are just similar. I even state in the video that some are different depending on the size of the engine. If you need some extra help, I’ll keep my notifications turned on 👍🏼

[@yoimdavy]

But cliport showed up when I finished mine?