You posted your video on Aug 2021 and you got $125 down the drain without fixing the problem. Now, May 2023, I got $180 down the drain and my ac still not cold. My crooked so-claimed mechanic didn't even know that part is actually called "blend door actuator". He called it "motor" 🙄. Can you believe it !!! Thanks for all of the details and close up footage in your video. I will try to fix my ac.
@@rprojects4553 Thanks for the suggestion. My ac is not totally blowing warm air. It can be cool (not real cold) at night or in the day with temperature about 73°. But at noon of the hot day, it's just like warm air. The other mechanic said the expansion valve needs to be replaced and it stays deep inside the wall. They have to take the whole dashboard out and it would cost $1000. Then they gave me the discount of $700. I would be happy to let them fix for $700, but if after they fix and it won't solve the problem...oh, geez, I'm scared to think about that. I don't know what to do anymore.
@@rprojects4553 I opened it up and my 2004 Highlander doesn't have that solder problem because they used the ribbon connector. The ribbon, that one end connects to lower board and the other end connects to upper board, has another "stem" that connects to the little board of the knob. I look it up on the internet, it's called Climate Control Module and mine looks ok, no tear or break. So, as the other mechanics said my AC' s problem could be expansion valve or evaporator cord and those two things located inside the wall. Edit: oh, btw, I got not $180 but $223 down the drain in 2 shops for my ac so far (I forgot the 1st shop)
If you haven’t solved the problem yet, try checking your ac condenser for any leaks. That’s what actually fixed this problem for me because it started acting up again. I wasn’t able to do a video but I’m sure you can find one on RUclips because it’s a common problem. Good luck!
@@rprojects4553 I found another mechanic. He fixed it for me for $250 in about 3 hours. But somehow, the ac didn't get really cold in the really hot day.
I am so impressed with your tenacity at diagnosing this no cold air problem. My 06 Higlander hybrid has just the opposite problem. I took the HVAC control panel apart to repair the infamous rotary knob broken ribbon cable which affected both knobs. Success on fixing the speed and temperature rotary knob functions but still no hot air even though my temperature gauge shows normal water temperature which stays constant. I am going to remove the air blend actuator and observe it's operation as you did to try and determine if it's the actuator or it's control board. Update 12/01/21: I was able to introduce about 2 quarts of coolant into the reserve tank in several hot cold cycles so the coolant would be drawn into the main radiator. Magically the heat came back and the temperature control seems to control the temperature correctly. I am so glad to get heat back now that it is really cold here.
Thanks Kenneth for the comment, but my tenacity brought me back to square one. I was able to get a control board at the junk yard because now I will need the hot air to heat up my defroster. Changed that out and it worked for a while, but now the middle control knob is acting up which means it needs to be soldered. This is such a big problem for these Highlanders and Toyota should really do a recall. But looks like it’s not gonna happen anytime soon. But I am glad you got yours working. Have a good one Kenneth!
Thank you, Sir! You saved my day! Went to Grismer and they recharge Freon and told me to pay $600+ to replace the passenger side blend door actuator ( 2.8 hours labor fee plus $200+ actuator). I got my own actuator out in 15 mins. I believe Grismer expects me to pay their employee's lunch and the time they spent on lunch.
Hey Zack! Glad my video helped you out! Yah there’s something to be said about troubleshooting your own car. Far too many videos out there to help us fix our own cars. No more money in those rip off mechanics! In their case, no lunch!😂 Have a great day!
Very good video. I don''t know if this will fix mine or not but it shows me where to find the blend air door motor. My heater won't blow hot/warm and the lines going to and coming out of the heater core are both hot. I've also inspected the electronics and there's nothing wrong. The only thing left is the blend air door and I'll look at that tomorrow. Thanks for the video. Great job!!!
If you are having problems with your AC not blowing cold air another thing it could be which I’m going to make another video on , is check your AC condenser it is located behind the radiator , looks like a radiator but smaller and thinner , the actuator all it does it switches mechanism flap to cold or hot, hope it helps
@@rprojects4553 Thank You VERY MUCH for the reply but my problem is with the heater. I can't get the heater to blow warm air but both hoses to and from the heater core are hot. So I know the heater core is not plugged. The only thing it could be is the actuator or the door is jammed. I didn't even know where the actuator was but thanks to your video I can find it now!!! I really appreciate you posting this video. Thanks for the information!!!
@@rprojects4553 For the record, I don't know if anyone will read this or not but the problem with my heat ended up being some "INSULATION" that normally should have been pressed up against the firewall had fell down and was blocking the blend air door motor from shifting positions. As soon as I moved that insulation back into position the heat worked fine. I wish I would have watched your video before I changed the thermostat but it probably needed one anyway. Thanks for showing where to find the blend air door motor!!!
This may be my problem as my 06 hybrid is stuck in cold. Can't wait to get into the glove box and remove that air blend door actuator and really see what is going on. I am really sure I have hot water in the heater core but I still have to feel the supply and return lines first.
Did not realize the blend door actuator was that simple to remove. Looked a lot more complicated when I was down there. Might have to try and remove the plastic thing like you did.
Yah you have to remove that. There’s one bolt holding it on the bottom but it snaps off on top. The only way you can get to the actuator. Hope it helped you! Good luck!
Have a 2003 Highlander that's a beater. The solder joints on the ribbon cable on the main dash controls are notorious for going bad and are fairly expensive to replace/repair. ***switching this blend door is this video up manually will give you heat and then switching down will bring back the cold ac*** you are just manually doing what the thermostat is supposed to do. I've been switching like this between seasons and does the trick.
Sorry I thought I responded to you, yea that what the blender does , switch to cold or hot, sometimes if it’s not working other culprit could be your AC condenser, located in front of radiator.
Thanks for the video. I think my problem is going to be caused by intermittent connections on the temp control pot. Will know and report back tomorrow.
Okay. Let me know how that goes. This fix is pretty tricky. I had to buy that part again because I think the one I bought at the junkyard was defective. Let me know how your DIY turned out. Thanks for watching!
Did the new circuit board fix it? I'm having the same exact thing. When I disconnected the blend door actuator my ac works. But when its plugged in, the ac wont even engage.
Hi Jordan, sorry for the late response. Yes, it did work but now I have to put some Freon. Gotta really be patient with this car😂 Anyways I had ordered that circuit board on eBay but found a cheaper one at an auto junk yard so that’s what I ended up putting in. I’m sure that’ll go out too sooner or later because that’s what these cars are known for, their ac problems. But all in all, still a great running car. Mine is going on 200,000 miles and still running strong! Hope the video helped some. Have a great day!
I have a 2012 Toyota Highlander and the shop is telling me my driver's side blend door actuator is bad. They say they have to remove the entire dashboard to get to it and want to charge about $1,100 to fix. Did the 2005's not have a driver side actuator - only the one behind the glove box? I'm trying to determine whether they are being reasonable. Thanks
Yes, from what I know, some of the newer Highlanders have the one on the driver’s side also but not on my 2005. Just that one you see on the video and as you can see, it wasn’t so difficult to get to. $1100 seems a little steep to me no matter what and you can probably find something on RUclips with your year Highlander if you want to do it yourself. Good luck and hope you get that fixed!
I have an '02 Highlander Limited. My a/c blows cool on low fan but when I turn the fan speed up, it blows lukewarm on the driver's side and status cold on the passenger. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Note: my model has 3 blend door actuators and my a/c panel is more digitized than the model in this video.
Hey Frankie! Yah, you might want to check your board. I doubt it’s the actuators because if it’s not working properly, it should just be blowing cold OR hot air, not one on one side and different on the other. That’s my take on it. Let me know if you fix it. Hope I helped you some!
Hate to break it to you but I'm pretty sure your problem was the ribbon wire on the knob to board and your repair with the heavier gauge wire messed up your board. You should have saved the ribbon and reused it. Would have saved you a lot of trouble. The heat selector knob on those are prone to coming loose once loose they tend to break the ribbon. Over all though your video is good and helpful especially since there is so little on Highlanders on you tube.
Harold Colby you’re probably right! I was going to take it to an electronic shop and have them do it but I decided to give it a try. And yes, it stopped working altogether. Maybe next time if this one goes out, I’ll skip the DIY and let the professionals do it😅
Hit , the only thing I can tell you is that if you change the AC condenser located behind radiator it might fix your problem, I had same problem it worked for me, hope it helps. Also some
Wow replace the ac condenser to fix the heat?? That's interesting. I replaced it when we tried to get the ac going. Once again I have heat just not like it was before. Do you think by replacing the condenser will fix the heat even though my ac isn't working??
Hi yes, I replaced that actuator like I said on one of the comments and that worked for a while, then it started blowing hot air on the driver side and cold on the passenger. So I was back to square one until someone on the comments suggested that I check the ac condenser for any leaks, and sure enough there was! Found a good one at the junk yard, put it on, and what do you know? That fixed the problem! Replaced it and topped off my ac with freon and it’s been working great since! Didn’t get to do a video but I’ll try to re enact it soon if I can. Hope this helps you!
Thank s for reply, if your car is newer model, and has vents in the back seats area where it blown air then you have 2 , but if you don’t only Ac in front , then only one, try replacing it you coul get one on Amozon, if it don’t work it could be control board malfunction. Tighten center screws to see if it works.
@rprojects4553 Actually, I tested multiple actuator before installing it And all have the same symptoms as turning clockwise when trying to change temperature, ?
I had the same problem and i bought the the console part the temperature control and still didn't cool. I asked a friend and immediately looked under the front and he showed me where the condensor was leaking. I ordered it and had it replaced and charged with Freon and it worked !!!!
You said you paid $125 for nothing, but keep in mind, the mechanic told you what the problem was, so the $125 was well spent in my opinion. If you did a better soldering job on your old panel you would have solved your issue. At least you gave it a try. A used panel might have the same issue with the ribbon cable so keep that in mind as well. Good luck.
I have a 2003 Toyota Highlander. A/C stop to work. I noticed that when I start the car and a/c on, the light switch is blinking, looks like a/c compressor work for seconds and stop and the light begin to blinking. Is it a Relay or what. Thank you
Yes, it could be. These Highlanders are known for this problem so it could be that wire that everyone shows on here that had to be saudered or as simple as the relay. I had to troubleshoot it and tried out two things and this worked out for me. Good luck in your repairs. Let me know what ended up working for you. Have a great day!
I had clicking noise behind the center of the dash. Now it isn't clicking, but no heat to either side. The fan is blowing strong both sides and the AC blows good. Just no heat.
You posted your video on Aug 2021 and you got $125 down the drain without fixing the problem.
Now, May 2023, I got $180 down the drain and my ac still not cold.
My crooked so-claimed mechanic didn't even know that part is actually called "blend door actuator". He called it "motor" 🙄. Can you believe it !!!
Thanks for all of the details and close up footage in your video.
I will try to fix my ac.
You might want to check your AC condencer , also, you could find it at a wrecking yard, or tighten your middle , but on your AC,
@@rprojects4553
Thanks for the suggestion.
My ac is not totally blowing warm air. It can be cool (not real cold) at night or in the day with temperature about 73°. But at noon of the hot day, it's just like warm air.
The other mechanic said the expansion valve needs to be replaced and it stays deep inside the wall.
They have to take the whole dashboard out and it would cost $1000. Then they gave me the discount of $700.
I would be happy to let them fix for $700, but if after they fix and it won't solve the problem...oh, geez, I'm scared to think about that.
I don't know what to do anymore.
@@rprojects4553
I opened it up and my 2004 Highlander doesn't have that solder problem because they used the ribbon connector.
The ribbon, that one end connects to lower board and the other end connects to upper board, has another "stem" that connects to the little board of the knob.
I look it up on the internet, it's called Climate Control Module and mine looks ok, no tear or break.
So, as the other mechanics said my AC' s problem could be expansion valve or evaporator cord and those two things located inside the wall.
Edit: oh, btw, I got not $180 but $223 down the drain in 2 shops for my ac so far (I forgot the 1st shop)
If you haven’t solved the problem yet, try checking your ac condenser for any leaks. That’s what actually fixed this problem for me because it started acting up again. I wasn’t able to do a video but I’m sure you can find one on RUclips because it’s a common problem. Good luck!
@@rprojects4553
I found another mechanic. He fixed it for me for $250 in about 3 hours. But somehow, the ac didn't get really cold in the really hot day.
I am so impressed with your tenacity at diagnosing this no cold air problem. My 06 Higlander hybrid has just the opposite problem. I took the HVAC control panel apart to repair the infamous rotary knob broken ribbon cable which affected both knobs. Success on fixing the speed and temperature rotary knob functions but still no hot air even though my temperature gauge shows normal water temperature which stays constant. I am going to remove the air blend actuator and observe it's operation as you did to try and determine if it's the actuator or it's control board. Update 12/01/21: I was able to introduce about 2 quarts of coolant into the reserve tank in several hot cold cycles so the coolant would be drawn into the main radiator. Magically the heat came back and the temperature control seems to control the temperature correctly. I am so glad to get heat back now that it is really cold here.
Thanks Kenneth for the comment, but my tenacity brought me back to square one. I was able to get a control board at the junk yard because now I will need the hot air to heat up my defroster. Changed that out and it worked for a while, but now the middle control knob is acting up which means it needs to be soldered. This is such a big problem for these Highlanders and Toyota should really do a recall. But looks like it’s not gonna happen anytime soon. But I am glad you got yours working. Have a good one Kenneth!
Thank you, Sir! You saved my day! Went to Grismer and they recharge Freon and told me to pay $600+ to replace the passenger side blend door actuator ( 2.8 hours labor fee plus $200+ actuator). I got my own actuator out in 15 mins. I believe Grismer expects me to pay their employee's lunch and the time they spent on lunch.
Hey Zack! Glad my video helped you out! Yah there’s something to be said about troubleshooting your own car. Far too many videos out there to help us fix our own cars. No more money in those rip off mechanics! In their case, no lunch!😂 Have a great day!
Great tutorial! Thank you for going to the extra effort of filming and explaining everything clearly.
Welcome
Great information, I needed heat asap.
I detached and forced opened the blend door while searching for the best deal on the new part…TOASTY😊
Sounds like a good temporary fix for you. Glad I was able to help. Have a good one!
Thank you for the video. I have a 2003 Highlander and I had the same problem. After watching your video, I fixed it and it's working.😊
Hey, that’s good to hear! Have a good one!
Very good video. I don''t know if this will fix mine or not but it shows me where to find the blend air door motor. My heater won't blow hot/warm and the lines going to and coming out of the heater core are both hot. I've also inspected the electronics and there's nothing wrong. The only thing left is the blend air door and I'll look at that tomorrow. Thanks for the video. Great job!!!
If you are having problems with your AC not blowing cold air another thing it could be which I’m going to make another video on , is check your AC condenser it is located behind the radiator , looks like a radiator but smaller and thinner , the actuator all it does it switches mechanism flap to cold or hot, hope it helps
@@rprojects4553 Thank You VERY MUCH for the reply but my problem is with the heater. I can't get the heater to blow warm air but both hoses to and from the heater core are hot. So I know the heater core is not plugged. The only thing it could be is the actuator or the door is jammed. I didn't even know where the actuator was but thanks to your video I can find it now!!! I really appreciate you posting this video. Thanks for the information!!!
@@rprojects4553 For the record, I don't know if anyone will read this or not but the problem with my heat ended up being some "INSULATION" that normally should have been pressed up against the firewall had fell down and was blocking the blend air door motor from shifting positions. As soon as I moved that insulation back into position the heat worked fine. I wish I would have watched your video before I changed the thermostat but it probably needed one anyway. Thanks for showing where to find the blend air door motor!!!
THANK YOU KIND GENTELMAN rICK! YOU ARE MY HERO IN THIS FINE DAY!!! you have saved me hundreds of dollars! bless you brother!!
Welcome
Heat wasn't working. The arm poped out and was stuck on cold. Fixed it after alot of frustration. Thanks.
Yah it’s a pain but that’s what these Highlanders are known for. Glad the video helped you!
This may be my problem as my 06 hybrid is stuck in cold. Can't wait to get into the glove box and remove that air blend door actuator and really see what is going on. I am really sure I have hot water in the heater core but I still have to feel the supply and return lines first.
Did not realize the blend door actuator was that simple to remove. Looked a lot more complicated when I was down there. Might have to try and remove the plastic thing like you did.
Yah you have to remove that. There’s one bolt holding it on the bottom but it snaps off on top. The only way you can get to the actuator. Hope it helped you! Good luck!
Have a 2003 Highlander that's a beater. The solder joints on the ribbon cable on the main dash controls are notorious for going bad and are fairly expensive to replace/repair. ***switching this blend door is this video up manually will give you heat and then switching down will bring back the cold ac*** you are just manually doing what the thermostat is supposed to do. I've been switching like this between seasons and does the trick.
Sorry I thought I responded to you, yea that what the blender does , switch to cold or hot, sometimes if it’s not working other culprit could be your AC condenser, located in front of radiator.
Thanks for the video. I think my problem is going to be caused by intermittent connections on the temp control pot. Will know and report back tomorrow.
Okay. Let me know how that goes. This fix is pretty tricky. I had to buy that part again because I think the one I bought at the junkyard was defective. Let me know how your DIY turned out. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for this! I’m going to go check mine out right now. I don’t ever need heat in south Texas. 🤣
That’s good! Yah, same here. I need my ac more than the heater here in California. Good luck!
@@rprojects4553 Fixed!!
Oh that’s great man! Glad it helped you👍🏼
Thank you so much it work great watch this video guys this guy know what he talking about thank you bro 🎉🎉🎉
Welcome
Did the new circuit board fix it? I'm having the same exact thing. When I disconnected the blend door actuator my ac works. But when its plugged in, the ac wont even engage.
Hi Jordan, sorry for the late response. Yes, it did work but now I have to put some Freon. Gotta really be patient with this car😂 Anyways I had ordered that circuit board on eBay but found a cheaper one at an auto junk yard so that’s what I ended up putting in. I’m sure that’ll go out too sooner or later because that’s what these cars are known for, their ac problems. But all in all, still a great running car. Mine is going on 200,000 miles and still running strong! Hope the video helped some. Have a great day!
Heya, mine is cutting out and blowing warm whenever I turn a sharp corner,, thanks for your video, very helpful!!😊
Glad it helped!
I have a 2012 Toyota Highlander and the shop is telling me my driver's side blend door actuator is bad. They say they have to remove the entire dashboard to get to it and want to charge about $1,100 to fix. Did the 2005's not have a driver side actuator - only the one behind the glove box? I'm trying to determine whether they are being reasonable. Thanks
Yes, from what I know, some of the newer Highlanders have the one on the driver’s side also but not on my 2005. Just that one you see on the video and as you can see, it wasn’t so difficult to get to. $1100 seems a little steep to me no matter what and you can probably find something on RUclips with your year Highlander if you want to do it yourself. Good luck and hope you get that fixed!
Este video me ayudó muchísimo, gracias
Welcome
I have an '02 Highlander Limited. My a/c blows cool on low fan but when I turn the fan speed up, it blows lukewarm on the driver's side and status cold on the passenger. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated. Note: my model has 3 blend door actuators and my a/c panel is more digitized than the model in this video.
Hey Frankie! Yah, you might want to check your board. I doubt it’s the actuators because if it’s not working properly, it should just be blowing cold OR hot air, not one on one side and different on the other. That’s my take on it. Let me know if you fix it. Hope I helped you some!
I have the same problem the drivers side blow warm and the passenger side blows cold any recommendations?
Hate to break it to you but I'm pretty sure your problem was the ribbon wire on the knob to board and your repair with the heavier gauge wire messed up your board. You should have saved the ribbon and reused it. Would have saved you a lot of trouble. The heat selector knob on those are prone to coming loose once loose they tend to break the ribbon. Over all though your video is good and helpful especially since there is so little on Highlanders on you tube.
Harold Colby you’re probably right! I was going to take it to an electronic shop and have them do it but I decided to give it a try. And yes, it stopped working altogether. Maybe next time if this one goes out, I’ll skip the DIY and let the professionals do it😅
@@rprojects4553you seem pretty knowledgeable. Your will to fix the issue is educating us.
+My heat is not as warm on the driver's side as before. My mechanic replaced the door actuators last summer. Any suggestions??
Hit , the only thing I can tell you is that if you change the AC condenser located behind radiator it might fix your problem, I had same problem it worked for me, hope it helps. Also some
Wow replace the ac condenser to fix the heat?? That's interesting. I replaced it when we tried to get the ac going. Once again I have heat just not like it was before. Do you think by replacing the condenser will fix the heat even though my ac isn't working??
Hey! So what ended up being the fix for this? Thank you!
Hi yes, I replaced that actuator like I said on one of the comments and that worked for a while, then it started blowing hot air on the driver side and cold on the passenger. So I was back to square one until someone on the comments suggested that I check the ac condenser for any leaks, and sure enough there was! Found a good one at the junk yard, put it on, and what do you know? That fixed the problem! Replaced it and topped off my ac with freon and it’s been working great since! Didn’t get to do a video but I’ll try to re enact it soon if I can. Hope this helps you!
Are there two actuators for the driver’s side and the passengers side? Because my passenger side blows cold but drivers side doesn’t.
Thank s for reply, if your car is newer model, and has vents in the back seats area where it blown air then you have 2 , but if you don’t only Ac in front , then only one, try replacing it you coul get one on Amozon, if it don’t work it could be control board malfunction. Tighten center screws to see if it works.
I have a weird issue as my actuator is turning
360° not moving little bit up and back down to moving flap arm, any suggestions to fix this issue
Just check if it’s mounted right or maybe replace it.
@rprojects4553 Actually, I tested multiple actuator before installing it And all have the same symptoms as turning clockwise when trying to change temperature, ?
Or it could be the electronic board not sending to actuator as far as engaging it properly.
@ I think so, thank you for your reply and sharing your experience 🙏
Welcome
I had the same problem and i bought the the console part the temperature control and still didn't cool. I asked a friend and immediately looked under the front and he showed me where the condensor was leaking. I ordered it and had it replaced and charged with Freon and it worked !!!!
Great,
If you don’t mind me asking, what area are you talking about, in the front , can you send a pic.
The condenser is in front of the radiator. The grill had to be removed so that you can have access to the condenser.
Thank you. I’ll try that out👍
How did you drop glove box
Squeeze in on the back end
You said you paid $125 for nothing, but keep in mind, the mechanic told you what the problem was, so the $125 was well spent in my opinion. If you did a better soldering job on your old panel you would have solved your issue. At least you gave it a try. A used panel might have the same issue with the ribbon cable so keep that in mind as well. Good luck.
Thank you for info, have a good day.
You right . Thanks
I have a 2003 Toyota Highlander. A/C stop to work. I noticed that when I start the car and a/c on, the light switch is blinking, looks like a/c compressor work for seconds and stop and the light begin to blinking. Is it a Relay or what. Thank you
When mine did that, I just changed the relay and it worked again
Yes, it could be. These Highlanders are known for this problem so it could be that wire that everyone shows on here that had to be saudered or as simple as the relay. I had to troubleshoot it and tried out two things and this worked out for me. Good luck in your repairs. Let me know what ended up working for you. Have a great day!
In an effort to restore the ac on my 1999 avalon my heat is not as warm on the driver's side. Any s
I had clicking noise behind the center of the dash. Now it isn't clicking, but no heat to either side. The fan is blowing strong both sides and the AC blows good. Just no heat.
Check your blender it might of desingaged.
I think when you soldered it all the soldered areas can’t be touching
Yea I didn’t mess it up , had to be verry careful, but it ended up being the AC condenser
Same problem here with mu camry 09 xle... replaced compresor and still blows hot air
Check out your AC condenser , it’s located behind radiator if there is any leaching on the sides in fr9nt it co7ld be your problem,
Front it could be your problem. Sorry for typo
Thx
Welcome