2002 jeep wrangler blend door actuator location

‘JK-Forum’ Shows You How to Replace Wrangler’s Door Actuator

Jeep JK Wrangler blend door actuator is easy to replace but difficult to access.

If you have noticed an odd grinding noise coming from under the dash when you start or shut off your Jeep JK Wrangler, you probably have a problem with one of the HVAC actuators. Like many FCA products, the JK uses a simple actuator with plastic gears to control the blend door, the air flow direction and the recirculating air system. Like many FCA vehicles, the actuators in the Wrangler fail over time, leading to heating and cooling systems that don’t function as intended.

Worse yet, these actuators make unpleasant noises when they begin to fail in the Wrangler, so not only will you have a problem with your ventilation system, but those problems come with bothersome sounds from under the dash. Fortunately, The_Dude put together a fantastic do-it-yourself write-up explaining how to change one of these three problematic gadgets in the Jeep JK.

JK Wrangler Blend Door DIY Intro

When the OP first posted his DIY write-up for his 2012 Jeep Wrangler, he began by explaining what the blend door does and how to tell when it is failing.

A/C blend door actuator in your Jeep JK is a very important part of the heating and cooling system and is responsible for controlling the temperature of the air blowing thru the vents and into the cabin. To blow heat into the cabin, the blower motor sends air through the heater core and on through the dash vents. But when heat is not desired, the blend door actuator directs that airflow away from the heater core. Unfortunately blend door actuators can fail at some point and cause the inability to change the air temperature inside your Jeep.

The reason I needed to replace the blend door actuator in my Jeep was due to the horrible and loud ticking/grinding noise that it was making every time I put the key in the ignition. I also noticed that the actuator resets itself and makes the same noise after about two minutes from turning off the engine. With the Jeep being topless and doorless, and me using public parking lots, I was afraid someone walking by would freak out and call the cops, thinking my Jeep was about to explode…

You might also experience this loud ticking noise when you open your door, turn on the ignition, or turn the temperature knob on the HVAC control panel. You might also simply not have any hot air coming to the cabin, which means that your blend door actuator is not working at all, and needs replacing.

I could be wrong, but I believe there are actually three actuators installed in a Jeep Wrangler JK, each responsible for different function. There is the blend door actuator responsible for controlling the temperature, the directional actuator (probably not a correct technical name) responsible for directing the air to different vents, and the re-circulation door actuator which controls the air dam behind the glove box.

Each actuator is activated by a different knob or setting on the HVAC control panel.

If you run your Jeep for few minutes, take the glove box out, and turn off the engine, after about two minutes you can see and hear three small motors re-calibrating the three actuators, in sequence.

I do believe all three actuators are the same exact part even though they are mounted in different locations. Blend door actuator is located on the driver side below the steering column, directional actuator is located behind the glove box on the left side, and the re-circulation door actuator is located on the right side of the air dam, behind the right speaker.

The OP actually went into even greater detail on the function of the system in the Wrangler, but we have only included the key points. Click hereto read the whole post.

The Install

After the detailed explanation of blend door function and failure in the Jeep Wrangler, the OP shared the basic details of the project.

This step-by-step write up describes replacement of the blend door actuator only, since that’s the one that failed in my case. As a reference I included a photo of the directional actuator in the last picture.
I have a 2012 Jeep JK so if you own a different Model Year JK, some things might look different.

Replacing the blend door actuator itself is quite simple, however getting access to it is the time consuming part.
The whole process of a Jeep JK A/C blend door actuator replacement will most likely take you about 2-3 hours, depending on few factors, especially on how long it takes you to remove the floor air duct, blocking access to the actuator. That step might take you few minutes or an hour.

He also included a handful of pictures. Some show the blend door actuator, including an inside shot with the broken gear, and a few shots of the location under the dash.

His actual do-it-yourself write-up was too long for him to report on the forum, so he hosted it on his Arizona off-roading enthusiast website. You can find that link in the forum thread. If you just need the basics to tackle this project, you can get that here in the forum. If you need literal step-by-step directions, you will want to check out the full write-up on the OP’s website.

In either case, if you think that you have a blend door actuator issue, this thread can show you what the job of replacing it will entail.

Join the JK-Forums now!

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340. "Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing. "Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry. "My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today. "Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world. Rall can be contacted at [email protected]