Thanks for sharing your info. I did buy one of the cheaper replacement units and I didn't want to have the same troubles like you stated so I opened up the old and the new actuator very carefully and found the old gear with missing teeth and simply swapped out the gears. But while I had them apart I moved the final gear to match the position of the OEM unit. Snapped the oem unit back together with the replacement gear and everything works perfectly.
Oh my gosh, this makes so much sense and many of the comments below agree so this is really good to know. I'm so glad I ran across this video and thank you for taking the time to share it.
Lesson learned! Thank you, i did same thing, monday i tore apart, replaced, had no issue, put back together, then tick tick as i walked away. Damn charlie brown luck
Glad you got it figured out and hopefully fixed it for good. I like to think it's gremlins; always watching & waiting to F me up when they have an opportunity ; ~
I have experienced the same problem, the last few times I haven’t had any problems. The thing I changed about my install is I always plug it up before installing. That lets it do it’s rotation to where it wants to be, before it is installed.
I've had nothing but great luck from the $12 ones from Amazon.... and they have 100% reviews and they're all so identical except they're white gears and a little thicker, the ones from GM not so much.... i also have never had to reset anything, just installed them, i have rotated the shafts on the blend doors though
Great advice. Thanks for posting. This info is tucked away for when I tackle this clicking once and for all. (Even my super pro mechanic didn't want to do this one).
I tried several cheap ones from Amazon. No luck. Calibration doesn't work. Just clicks right away. Bought a good quality one and compared backlash to the cheap ones. Big difference between the brands. Haven't put the good quality one in yet, but I think you're right. Calibration is done within the actuator itself. I think the motor has to see a specific torque load on it to know the door is closed. Well if the gears have too much backlash and give to them, the torque spec on the motor is never achieved before the gears slip.
Something to keep in mind. I have yet to replace mine and my search didn't come up with sub $20 dollar parts. Certainly beats paying a mechanic or service center 3 figures to fix.
Not only gears strip out, but motor continues to work, with out key in switch, turning of keyless entry in factory reset the system, the wires are to small for power load, After resting factory settings it cleared the codes, and no clicking
I purchased from amazon a brand product, A-Premium, that was listing elsewhere for more for one as I paid for a 2 pack. You are right, it needed no calibration. I went through all the functions to ensure the new ones worked. If the replacements do not last long, i will come back to comment on the length. Otherwise, if they last a while, i will have forgotten this post. Any idea on how long they should hold up?
Just had this problem with a Dorman actuator I put in my 2002 Dodge Caravan. Luckily i'm still in the return window with Amazon. I'm going to try one more Doorman then move up to a more expensive brand name if the replacement Doorman gives me the same issue.
Thank you for the video, I was just thinking I was going to try the Moog brand with lifetime warranty. The cheap ones I used prior lasted about 3 years and now seem to be going out one at a time again. They are about the same price as you stated for what you bought. I was just looking to see how to get access through the glove box again. I didn't want to get carried away and break something.
You're most welcome. It's yet another situation that can make one pull their hair out with what seems to be no viable solutions. I wonder how many mechanics unwittingly use inferior actuators to try and save money yet charge for OEM?
I appreciate the vid. I had these replaced in my 2008 Chevy Impala. My mechanic charged me and exorbitant amount that I don't really care to share. It lasted about 1 month and it started again. Luckily that car broke down and I was forced to drive another vehicle that has heat. it's a year later now and I'm driving that same car again because I had it fixed and now I am back two square one... I would love it if you could share a part number so I could make sure and get the same ones you did. I'm going to attempt to install these myself ASAP.
There is no way to do a recalibration for this type of actuator. There are no resets, no codes no procedures. The actuator is just a stupid reversible dc motor and gears. The system is recalibrated every time you move the temperature lever to the full up or down position. When you do that the motor will drive the blend door until it hits its stop and it will keep driving it with the motor stalled out until a timer in the cars brain expires. If your gears are weak it will break them and the motor will keep spinning/clicking until the timer expires. If you move the temp lever to a middle position the brain will only send a short pulse and the blend door will only move a little. but any time you move it to full heat or full cold it will drive the gearbox until it stalls or breaks and the timer expires. If you start your car with the temp lever in full cold or full heat it will attempt to stall or break the gearbox every time. This is how the system calibrates. Very crude and works as long as the gears don't break. eBay sells the middle gear which is easy to replace after you get the actuator out. This is a better option than the cheap foreign replacement actuators. The outside air actuator will attempt to move/calibrate every time you shut the car off. If it does this just wait for the timer to expire or pull the wire off it cause it is dead until you replace it. Moving a temp lever to a middle position (for temperature actuators) will usually stop the clicking noise (if that's the actuator that's bad) because it wont be calibrating in the middle positions. Hope this helps. At one time I had 5 impalas in the driveway = 18 actuators to go bad.
Sorry I barely log on to check this channel. Hopefully you figured it out but just by pushing down in the back of it will pull the tabs down from the top and allow it to rotate out (see the video). Thanx for asking.
Crack open the cheap actuator and just steal the gear you need for the old actuator! They fit perfectly! The only thing that breaks is the plastic gear, the motor is fine! They are super easy to crack open and you dont have to worry about nothing flying out when you open it!
Can we not buy the little gears separately? It seems silly to have to buy the entire actuator when one gear has a couple of teeth missing and the rest of it being intact and working.
Do what I do, go to the junkyard and get as many as you can, (3 per car) and pop them open and inspect the gears. Its usually the middle sized gear thats missing teeth, sometimes the biggest one! Stick them in your pocket and whoolah!
GM bean counters eliminated glass filler for plastic gears, so they are weaker and break sooner. As usual GM screws over owners and the good folks that build cars who deserve better!
And the same identical numbers and the same identical part as Factory, except the gears are white and just a hair thicker, I've never had any trouble at all of them and it's on Amazon has 100% reviews.... I guess yours didn't make it?
Yep I screwed up and failed to read the reviews, I just bought the cheapest one and it is one of the junk ones. The original GM one had a gear missing two teeth and I was able to slightly grind the post down where that gear rides against because the new gear doesn't have a recessed center like the original. So with the gear from the new crap one the old actuator is back behaving again.
Thanks for sharing your info. I did buy one of the cheaper replacement units and I didn't want to have the same troubles like you stated so I opened up the old and the new actuator very carefully and found the old gear with missing teeth and simply swapped out the gears. But while I had them apart I moved the final gear to match the position of the OEM unit. Snapped the oem unit back together with the replacement gear and everything works perfectly.
Had the same problem, ordered 3 all did the same, took one apart and used the gear inside to fixed my original actuator and been working ever since.
Oh my gosh, this makes so much sense and many of the comments below agree so this is really good to know. I'm so glad I ran across this video and thank you for taking the time to share it.
Lesson learned! Thank you, i did same thing, monday i tore apart, replaced, had no issue, put back together, then tick tick as i walked away. Damn charlie brown luck
Glad you got it figured out and hopefully fixed it for good. I like to think it's gremlins; always watching & waiting to F me up when they have an opportunity ; ~
I have experienced the same problem, the last few times I haven’t had any problems. The thing I changed about my install is I always plug it up before installing. That lets it do it’s rotation to where it wants to be, before it is installed.
After you plug it in what do you have to press to make the motor align it self?
@@chrissmith-oq5nq I plugged it in and went Through the settings I think. I have a video on it.
@@chrissmith-oq5nq 2010 Impala LTZ under dash knocking banging Blend Door Actuator driver’s side Chevrolet
ruclips.net/video/b1GM0Cqw714/видео.html
where is the video@@davissunglasses
@@kiffinbrown9299 2010 Impala LTZ under dash knocking banging Blend Door Actuator driver’s side Chevrolet
ruclips.net/video/b1GM0Cqw714/видео.html
I've had nothing but great luck from the $12 ones from Amazon.... and they have 100% reviews and they're all so identical except they're white gears and a little thicker, the ones from GM not so much.... i also have never had to reset anything, just installed them, i have rotated the shafts on the blend doors though
Great advice. Thanks for posting. This info is tucked away for when I tackle this clicking once and for all. (Even my super pro mechanic didn't want to do this one).
After replacing the recirc door acuator 3 times in a year, I just left it out. Easy to flip the lever by hand. Recirc in summ er, fresh air in winter
I tried several cheap ones from Amazon. No luck. Calibration doesn't work. Just clicks right away. Bought a good quality one and compared backlash to the cheap ones. Big difference between the brands. Haven't put the good quality one in yet, but I think you're right. Calibration is done within the actuator itself. I think the motor has to see a specific torque load on it to know the door is closed. Well if the gears have too much backlash and give to them, the torque spec on the motor is never achieved before the gears slip.
Something to keep in mind. I have yet to replace mine and my search didn't come up with sub $20 dollar parts. Certainly beats paying a mechanic or service center 3 figures to fix.
Like my friend says "why pay someone else to screw it up when i can do it myself for a fraction of the cost" lol
Not only gears strip out, but motor continues to work, with out key in switch, turning of keyless entry in factory reset the system, the wires are to small for power load,
After resting factory settings it cleared the codes, and no clicking
Yo
I purchased from amazon a brand product, A-Premium, that was listing elsewhere for more for one as I paid for a 2 pack. You are right, it needed no calibration. I went through all the functions to ensure the new ones worked. If the replacements do not last long, i will come back to comment on the length. Otherwise, if they last a while, i will have forgotten this post. Any idea on how long they should hold up?
When will
OEM manufactures start making the gears out of metal??
When metal becomes cheaper than plastic😊
Never they like making money
Just had this problem with a Dorman actuator I put in my 2002 Dodge Caravan. Luckily i'm still in the return window with Amazon. I'm going to try one more Doorman then move up to a more expensive brand name if the replacement Doorman gives me the same issue.
Thank you for the video, I was just thinking I was going to try the Moog brand with lifetime warranty. The cheap ones I used prior lasted about 3 years and now seem to be going out one at a time again. They are about the same price as you stated for what you bought. I was just looking to see how to get access through the glove box again. I didn't want to get carried away and break something.
You're most welcome. It's yet another situation that can make one pull their hair out with what seems to be no viable solutions. I wonder how many mechanics unwittingly use inferior actuators to try and save money yet charge for OEM?
I appreciate the vid. I had these replaced in my 2008 Chevy Impala. My mechanic charged me and exorbitant amount that I don't really care to share. It lasted about 1 month and it started again. Luckily that car broke down and I was forced to drive another vehicle that has heat. it's a year later now and I'm driving that same car again because I had it fixed and now I am back two square one... I would love it if you could share a part number so I could make sure and get the same ones you did. I'm going to attempt to install these myself ASAP.
There is no way to do a recalibration for this type of actuator. There are no resets, no codes no procedures. The actuator is just a stupid reversible dc motor and gears. The system is recalibrated every time you move the temperature lever to the full up or down position. When you do that the motor will drive the blend door until it hits its stop and it will keep driving it with the motor stalled out until a timer in the cars brain expires. If your gears are weak it will break them and the motor will keep spinning/clicking until the timer expires. If you move the temp lever to a middle position the brain will only send a short pulse and the blend door will only move a little. but any time you move it to full heat or full cold it will drive the gearbox until it stalls or breaks and the timer expires. If you start your car with the temp lever in full cold or full heat it will attempt to stall or break the gearbox every time. This is how the system calibrates. Very crude and works as long as the gears don't break. eBay sells the middle gear which is easy to replace after you get the actuator out. This is a better option than the cheap foreign replacement actuators. The outside air actuator will attempt to move/calibrate every time you shut the car off. If it does this just wait for the timer to expire or pull the wire off it cause it is dead until you replace it. Moving a temp lever to a middle position (for temperature actuators) will usually stop the clicking noise (if that's the actuator that's bad) because it wont be calibrating in the middle positions. Hope this helps. At one time I had 5 impalas in the driveway = 18 actuators to go bad.
oem yep! I learned same lesson. And u tapping on it gave me the annoying nightmare
Thank you for sharing. I got the same problem
Hello. Great video.
How do you drop down the glove box
Sorry I barely log on to check this channel. Hopefully you figured it out but just by pushing down in the back of it will pull the tabs down from the top and allow it to rotate out (see the video). Thanx for asking.
thank you man. hopefully this works right for me too
Hope it solved your problem. It would have saved me hours upon hours if someone had made this video before I had to tackle that project.
I bout one for 40 bucks and it does the same. So nope you’re wrong
Crack open the cheap actuator and just steal the gear you need for the old actuator! They fit perfectly! The only thing that breaks is the plastic gear, the motor is fine!
They are super easy to crack open and you dont have to worry about nothing flying out when you open it!
I watched a video and by passed the wiring. Took the one gear out and no ticking
Can we not buy the little gears separately? It seems silly to have to buy the entire actuator when one gear has a couple of teeth missing and the rest of it being intact and working.
Do what I do, go to the junkyard and get as many as you can, (3 per car) and pop them open and inspect the gears. Its usually the middle sized gear thats missing teeth, sometimes the biggest one! Stick them in your pocket and whoolah!
You can get the gear online,but it cost as much as buying the whole unit for the ones I found.
I went through 3 starters before I went to O'Reilly's.
I had this happen and I think the accuator only turned in one direction. I finally bought from a different place and the new one worked.
Thank you
You have to clock the module when you install it.
GM bean counters eliminated glass filler for plastic gears, so they are weaker and break sooner. As usual GM screws over owners and the good folks that build cars who deserve better!
I bought one of those online ones for 12 bucks, but the same thing happened to me. Those things are crap!
And the same identical numbers and the same identical part as Factory, except the gears are white and just a hair thicker, I've never had any trouble at all of them and it's on Amazon has 100% reviews.... I guess yours didn't make it?
Yep I screwed up and failed to read the reviews, I just bought the cheapest one and it is one of the junk ones. The original GM one had a gear missing two teeth and I was able to slightly grind the post down where that gear rides against because the new gear doesn't have a recessed center like the original. So with the gear from the new crap one the old actuator is back behaving again.
They cost 50 at AutoZone
$37 with a lifetime warranty at Advanced auto
Advanced Auto? I gotta keep them in mind.
Why are you talking signifying nothing
Way to turn 10 second video into 5 minute long.
My 11 dollar actuators worked first time. Clicking is from missing gears