I know this thread is old but it is very useful. Having said this, the stated instructions on how to remove the Blend Door Actuator is good but not completely accurate or should I say their may be variables and I found this out according to how I just replaced mine. If you're interested and need to replace yours then please read on. Most of the previous instructions are good however it only took me about 45 minutes to an hour to replace mine. I had been putting off this job because it had been portrayed as being a long tedious job. I lost my ability to blow warm air, the Auto climate control was giving me code 23 which it a fault in communication with the blend door.
Here's what I learned with my experience today:
I hit up my local junk yard which like most junk yards has a whole section dedicated to dead 2.7 intrepids
Mine is the 3.2 ES with leather seats not bench seats, this actually made it easier for me because the donor car had bench seats in the front which meant it had no center console to remove. My original thinking was, "No console to remove, the easier and quicker the job." which I found out to not be true. It was actually more difficult to remove the interior trim from around the radio/wheel wells then it was from my car.
The 2.7 with bench seats- I had to remove glove box, glove box housing, passenger side-side panel that butts up to the door, the plastic around the radio console is one piece from driver and passenger side which sucked if you dont want to break it, floor vents from passenger side then finally I could just seethe blend door actuator tucked up under the dash on the underside of the heater box. I did have to work upsidedown in both drivers side and passenger side with a 5/16 ratchet wrench (Which is the only way to go) barely enough room to reach the three screws. I finally got all three out, unplugged it which was a chore, then I found out when I pulled it down it wouldn't fit coming out.The actuator was just slightly to big to get out so I had to use leverage with a screwdriver between the actuator and heater box before things would bend just enough to let the metal shaft come out. It sucked and I thought I was going to break it but I didn't. I could only pull it out on the drivers side in this car.
It was so hard to get out I knew I still had to get mine out of my car and then get another one back in, I was not looking forward to this!
Back at home a few days later I finally decided to get the job done and out of the way so I started early in the cool of the day. Remember my car has the center armrest console and more to remove for access I thought. I thought wrong. I've had to do a lot of engine work to this car and it really is a very hard engine to work on because you only get 1/2" to 1" of access room around the motor. But I started by unscrewing the lower glove box screws then removing the glove box, remove the plethura of other screws on the glove box housing, remove the side cover which butts up against the passenger door. Put the park brake on and just pull up on the gear shift plastic area it all just unclips, no screws here and just leave it loose, no need to completely remove it from the console as you are only trying to gain access the the clips for the passenger side plastic piece near the seat. Unlike the 2.7 bench seat model I could remove only the passenger side plastics and gain all the access I needed. Nothing had to be removed from the driver side. I then removed the passenger floor ducting and one piece of ducting which feeds the air on the back of the armrest for rear seat passengers, they both have one plastic clip you pull up on this will unlock the clip then the ducting just bends and remove. I then layed upside down in the passenger side chair and using a 5/16 ratchet wrench unscrewed two screws, then I uncliped the wire harness (squeeze the tab and pull) which then gives you access the the last screw. After the last screw came out the actuator fell right out, no prying or manipulation, it just came right out. I examined the two actuators and both shafts were in teh same position so the other one fit right in easily with just enough room. Put the screws in, plug it in and in reverse clip and screw your plastics back together.
I don't know if my car or the donor car was a fluke thing but I know it took me about 1:30 just to remove the actuator from the 2.7 bench seat donor car and it only took me :45 to 1 hour to remove and replace the actuator in my 3.2 with full center console and armrest.
The entire job was performed with only a 5/16 ratchet wrench and a phillips screwdriver. Nothing else and no beer necessary, and both automatic climate control (digital) and manual climate control (knobs) both use the same actuators so it doesn't matter what type you pull from they all work together. Also someone had already pulled the radio, climate control, and center plastic housing from the donor car, I don't think this need to be pulled off anyway as it wasn't usefulI to me and I didn't take any of it off of my car, it would be completely unnecessary though it may help a little if you would be replacing the mix/vent control actuator but I don't think you'd have to.
I just wanted to share this as my experience today, don't dread it it may not be as hard of a job for you either.
Replace the Blend and Mode Door Actuators (Discussion)
Replace the Blend and Mode Door Actuators (Discussion)
Linear Mode
