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Passenger side Blend door gear replacement

176K views 92 replies 43 participants last post by  character0 
#1 ·
My first attempt at a "how to" so be kind.
I wanted to submit this because I don't want anyone to make the same mistake I did(I'll get to that).
So recently I noticed that while my temp control was set at 71 for both sides, the passenger side would just blow cold air. I did my research (I will save my rant how this happens with a 45K Jeep 2 years old).
I found the info on the gear and dove in.
1) always disconnect the negative lead to the battery.
2) removing the glove box. Nothing earth shattering hear pinch the sides and disengage the string that slows its opening. If you have changed the cabin filter you know all about that.
3)remove the piece the holds the floor duct and floor light (all push pins)
4) remove the surround that holds the glove box. Here is where I start to get in trouble. In the two upper rubber stops you have 15 Torx bolts...Yeah I didn't know but luckily I didn't yank too hard before I realized I should investigate. So you remove those two screws and the 4 exposed bolts on the bottom (2nd pic)
Also unplug the glove box light and floor light.




5) as soon as you can put a piece of tape (White) over the plastic edge in the pic. That is beyond sharp. I have a ton of cuts on my hands and wrist. You can see the actuator that has the broken gear just beyond the tape.



The actuator has two permanent locating pins and two brass colored screws (15 Torx) I removed the bottom duct work but not the top. I had a screw driver that had a ratchet for the two screws. Not enough room for a long screw driver in there so use something short or angled


This is what it looks like with the actuator removed. That is the gear for the blend door


Actuator removed and unplugged from harness with broken gear attached

You can't put the new gear on wrong because its keyed to go on only one way.

These are the two gears old broken one on the left. Part # 68214880AA was $2 at my dealer.



When you put the actuator back on with the gear on it, make sure it works freely.
I put it on the first time and it was off a tooth and did not.
After I secured the two 15 torx screws I reconnected the battery and started the Jeep just to make sure it worked without binding. It did!
Now put everything back in reverse. don't forget to plug both the floor light and the glove box light back in.
The part where I messed up on was that I thought initially that I had to remove the wood trim above the glove box. You don't but I did nic the wood by the center console. I also have not been able to get the trim around the passenger side vent to sit right. If anyone has some insight please help. All of that could have been avoided if I knew that it did not need removed. All in all pretty easy fix.
I hope it helps someone.
 
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#4 ·
#5 ·
I can't believe this problem still exists, it's been happening over 2 decades on the Grand Cherokee now...


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#6 ·
I can't believe this problem still exists, it's been happening over 2 decades on the Grand Cherokee now...

I know . . . I had to replace mine on my '02 Overland & it was a bitch of a job! I wanted to slap those engineers who designed the cheap, plastic gears in there! :slapfight:
 
#7 ·
Jeep isn't the only one to use cheap brittle plastic. I've had to replace a whole window regulator on the 7er because a plastic pulley shattered. Older BMWs had metal pulleys.

Thanks for sharing the write-up.
 
#9 · (Edited)
This is another new problem I have with my 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi with the passenger side not blowing cold air when A/C is on Low or Hot air when Heater is on high. Thanks for another helpful thread buckeye. Our Jeeps must be cousins with their similar problems. My fan cuts out sometimes and sometimes works too. All of this started yesterday.
 
#14 ·
I don't recall now exactly what the repair order said, And I'm too lazy to go digging thru my files to find it, but I seem to recall that it was either the passenger side or both of them that they say they replaced....they also said my AC system was overcharged from the factory
 
#16 · (Edited)
Had to open up the Actuator and rotate a gear. It was off because of when the blend door gear had broken. Everything works now incuding the fan/blower. I found on another Jeep forum that the fan blower intermitten working is because it's how it alerts that there is a problem with the hvac system.
 
#21 ·
Has anyone seen information on replacing this same gear on the drivers side? I'm about to make a post asking for some guidance. One of the screws seems impossible to get free without removing the whole dash, and I'm hopeful there is a trick someone can tell me ...
 
#24 ·
So I had the passenger side blowing cold when the heat was on issue. I opened it up and the gear was not broken. I put it back together and there is a harsh clicking sound and the heat/Ac won't turn on at all now. I checked and made sure the two gears lined up correctly and move freely. Any idea what I may have screwed up here? Thanks for any help
 
#25 ·
Thanks from another Ohioian, Had to replace passenger side have 71,000 miles on mine. Dealer had to order it and when I picked it up I asked him if they sold many and his reply was no. Great pictures!! Is the drivers side very hard to get to or haven't you replaced it. Thanks again:eek:
 
#26 · (Edited)
The driver side is a bit more cramped due to the metal heater core lines being routed very close to the HVAC sub assembly and the actuator. There is also the plastic plumbing for the floor vent, which splits into 2 halves that also needs to be removed to gain some access room. I'd suggest performing the repair on a cold engine.

On my 2011, I had to replace the passenger side gear twice and the driver side once. I see quite a few passenger side gear failures. Driver side is not as common.
 
#34 ·
Well, went to dealership to pick up a new gear and the only one they had in stock was already broken in the bag. that's just how fragile these stupid parts are, they break in a sealed bag during handling/shipping. My dealer has already sold 5 of them this year, so obviously this is a very common failure. I just ordered 2 more from the warehouse and they should be here tomorrow.
 
#37 ·
My first attempt at a "how to" so be kind.
I wanted to submit this because I don't want anyone to make the same mistake I did(I'll get to that).
So recently I noticed that while my temp control was set at 71 for both sides, the passenger side would just blow cold air. I did my research (I will save my rant how this happens with a 45K Jeep 2 years old).
I found the info on the gear and dove in.
1) always disconnect the negative lead to the battery.
2) removing the glove box. Nothing earth shattering hear pinch the sides and disengage the string that slows its opening. If you have changed the cabin filter you know all about that.
3)remove the piece the holds the floor duct and floor light (all push pins)
4) remove the surround that holds the glove box. Here is where I start to get in trouble. In the two upper rubber stops you have 15 Torx bolts...Yeah I didn't know but luckily I didn't yank too hard before I realized I should investigate. So you remove those two screws and the 4 exposed bolts on the bottom (2nd pic)
Also unplug the glove box light and floor light.




5) as soon as you can put a piece of tape (White) over the plastic edge in the pic. That is beyond sharp. I have a ton of cuts on my hands and wrist. You can see the actuator that has the broken gear just beyond the tape.



The actuator has two permanent locating pins and two brass colored screws (15 Torx) I removed the bottom duct work but not the top. I had a screw driver that had a ratchet for the two screws. Not enough room for a long screw driver in there so use something short or angled


This is what it looks like with the actuator removed. That is the gear for the blend door


Actuator removed and unplugged from harness with broken gear attached

You can't put the new gear on wrong because its keyed to go on only one way.

These are the two gears old broken one on the left. Part # 68214880AA was $2 at my dealer.



When you put the actuator back on with the gear on it, make sure it works freely.
I put it on the first time and it was off a tooth and did not.
After I secured the two 15 torx screws I reconnected the battery and started the Jeep just to make sure it worked without binding. It did!
Now put everything back in reverse. don't forget to plug both the floor light and the glove box light back in.
The part where I messed up on was that I thought initially that I had to remove the wood trim above the glove box. You don't but I did nic the wood by the center console. I also have not been able to get the trim around the passenger side vent to sit right. If anyone has some insight please help. All of that could have been avoided if I knew that it did not need removed. All in all pretty easy fix.
I hope it helps someone.
I need to know how you align the gears. I cannot even see the gears as I try to install the actuator?

Thanks
Don Fowler
 
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