'04 Blend door noise? Actuator or something else?

[atalarico]

So, I've been hearing this clicking noise when the recirc is on, but it stops when I open up the blend door. I got under there to check it out, and the actuator looks like it works since the door itself closes, but maybe it's on it's way out?

Video here:
Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Not sure what else to check out here though, or if it is the actuator on it's last legs.

 

[ArthurKotb]

So when it's not recirculating air it doesn't make the noise? Maybe you can't hear it as well when the door is closed.

I've not had any problems with mine so I'm not familiar with how that part works. It sounds like either something caught in the blower fan or maybe a nylon gear is grinding. Why isn't the fan below this area moving? Shouldn't it be moving the air?

 

[atalarico]

So when it's not recirculating air it doesn't make the noise? Maybe you can't hear it as well when the door is closed.

I've not had any problems with mine so I'm not familiar with how that part works. It sounds like either something caught in the blower fan or maybe a nylon gear is grinding. Why isn't the fan below this area moving? Shouldn't it be moving the air?

Good questions. So, I turned off the fan so the noise could be better heard, so the fan isn't actually on in the video.

When I turn off recirc no noise is made. Weird, right?

 

[ArthurKotb]

I've had fan noise in other cars because of leaves and other debris that gets sucked in by the fan. Now I think it would get caught in the cabin air filter. Have you checked the cabin filter? That's a long shot but anything is possible.

 

[Buckaroo]

So, I've been hearing this clicking noise when the recirc is on, but it stops when I open up the blend door. I got under there to check it out, and the actuator looks like it works since the door itself closes, but maybe it's on it's way out?

Video here:
Imgur: The magic of the Internet

Not sure what else to check out here though, or if it is the actuator on it's last legs.

There are three actuators - two on the right side of that evap box and one on the far side of the box attached on the left. Can you get a finger on them when the clicking is happening to feel which one it is?

 

[aemravan]

I have a similar issue that I'm being overly lazy to get to the bottom off... mine occurs intermittently when I have the front vents selected. Cycling to any other mode (ei: windshield, feet, front/feet, etc) immediately gets this to stop so I know that is the servo motor at fault. I just don't know exactly which one that physically is and have been too lazy to dig up online diagrams to figure out part numbers.