DIY: A/C & Heater Actuator Gear

[SRT8Girl12]

For those of you who have broken the gear for your recirculation, here is a how-to. The dealer wanted to charge $1,118 to fix total BS.

So, if you have found this laying around your passenger side floor somewhere, this is how to fix it......



Needed:

Part #68072190AA - A/C & Heater Actuator Gear $18

T20 Torx

Small Socket Wrench


First, you need to take the glovebox off. This was extremely easy. It isn't even held on by bolts. Here is a link to help you since explaining it would be hard....

http://www.wkjeeps.com/interior_trim.htm#GLOVE

Once the glove box is off, this is what you will see. The motor for the gear itself is held on by 3 T20 Torx bolts, one is hiding.



If you look closely, you can see the other gear in the middle of the picture. The piece you are fixing attached to this other gear to move the door.



Once you take the 3 torx screws off, you can hold the motor in your hand. The broken piece where the gear used to be held on pulls right off.



You can see the new part compared to the old part. They reinforced it, so there is no gap in between the plastic of the gear.



Take the new gear and slide it on the motor, but pay attention to how it goes on, because it has a very specific way of going on. It just slides on, that's it.



Now, I would say the trickiest part of this was putting the motor back into place. That circular part attached to the gear goes into a hole at a certain angle. This hole I'm referring to is the part that actually moves. I had to turn my recirculation on to get it to move into the right position in order to mount the motor back up. Once you get the gear into the hole, screw the torx bolts back in. Turn your car on and make sure the gear is moving properly by pressing the recirculation button on and off. If it is successful, put the glove box back on and you are good to go!

Congratulations, you just saved yourself $1100

Hope this helps!

[Jeep Trick]

You go girl! I think this should be moved to the DIY forum! Chad!

Any idea why they say the whole dash has to come out instead of doing it the way you showed?

And what a pos that old gear is, how much money could they possibly save by making it so weak?

[DemonPerformance]

Wow, you just saved a ton of people a ton of coin! Work like a charm I take it?

[Mongoose9400]

Good work! Never had this issue, but good info.


Sent from my iPhone 4S

[SRT8Girl12]

Originally Posted by Jeep Trick

You go girl! I think this should be moved to the DIY forum! Chad!

Any idea why they say the whole dash has to come out instead of doing it the way you showed?

And what a pos that old gear is, how much money could they possibly save by making it so weak?

Well, the only thing I can think of is that it's kind of a pain to work in that area. You only have so much room between the dash and passenger seat to work. I'm small at 5'8", so it wasn't too hard.

Ya, I felt how much pressure was being put on that gear when it moved, and I'm not surprised even a little that it broke.

Originally Posted by DemonPerformance

Wow, you just saved a ton of people a ton of coin! Work like a charm I take it?

It fixed the recirculation problem, but it did not fix my specific problem, no . I believe there is another door inside the dash for the A/C itself that is broken. Unfortunately the dash has to come out for that, and I don't have that kind of money to pay someone to fix it right now. Sucks, I was pissed. But at least I fixed this other problem.

Originally Posted by Mongoose9400

Good work! Never had this issue, but good info.


Sent from my iPhone 4S

Thanks!

[scrapiron7]

Nice write up.

[J&D's SRT's]

Thanks for the nice write up Tamara. Sorry to hear that it didn't fix your other problem though.

Jim

[CHUCKTOWNSRT8]

What is your problem? I'm having an issue where my A/C isn't coming out on the passengers side as cold as the drivers side.

[SRT8Girl12]

Originally Posted by CHUCKTOWNSRT8

What is your problem? I'm having an issue where my A/C isn't coming out on the passengers side as cold as the drivers side.

That's exactly my issue. This didn't fix it. I thought it might, but nope. From what another guy said on my other thread, there is a door for the passenger side A/C to come in and it's stuck. You have to remove the dash to fix this one. No idea what I'm gonna do...

[m4xm1l10n]

WOW , Now that is great info Tamara , you should show the dealer that quoted you this thread