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Hello folks! I hope you can help me. I just acquired a 2007 S-Type 3.0. The vents blow hot and cold, fast and slow, feet and face, but they won't blow defrosting air onto the windshield. When I set the controls to defrost (with or without blowing on the feet), it just continues to blow out of the upper (face) vents.
I read through the Workshop Manual, and p. 2693 gives:
Left-hand drive vehicles
2. Remove the instrument cluster.
For additional information, refer to: Instrument Cluster (413-01 Instrument Cluster, Removal and Installation).
3. Remove the defrost vent/register blend door actuator.
1. Disconnect the electrical connector.
2. Remove the 3 retaining bolts.
Maybe I'm crazy, but it doesn't look realistic to remove that actuator from here at all!
I can only see two of the bolts, although I can spot the third one with a dentist's mirror. But to reach them with a socket? Not hardly. I took off the instrument cluster as instructed. That white thing on the right of the opening, that's the actuator.
And I'd like to confirm that it's not the linkage or the blend door itself before I replace the actuator anyway- how do I access those?
Any advice? The manual makes this sound so easy, "just take off the instrument cluster and badaboom, there she is."
Hello Dave,
I just completed the repair of my defrost vent/register blend door actuator. Here is a quick summary in case it can assist someone else on the site.
PROBLEM: No air circulation from the defrost vents that are on the top fascia/instrument panel near the windscreen/windshield.
FAULT STEPS: Turn on climate control system and moved through all options for both cooling and heating. Move through all vent option positions: floor only, dash only, mixed floor and dash, defrost. All options worked correctly except no defrost ventilation. Selected auto option and rear defrost, then front defrost. Again, all options worked correctly except no defrost air circulation. I reviewed Technical Bulletin JTB00066 titled, Ticking/Bubbling Noise Behind Fascia/Instrument Panel. I have experienced this condition, but it never prevented any functionality of the climate control system.
CONCLUSION: Since all options worked correctly except the defrost air flow I decided to replace the defrost vent/register blend door actuator, part#: XR8 57885
REPAIR: I followed the repair procedure in the Service Manual in section: Electrical > Climate Control > Control Components > Defrost Vent/Register Blend Door Actuator > Removal and Installation. The Instrument Cluster needs to be removed first and that can be found in 413-01 Instrument Cluster, Removal and Installation. The front instrument finish panel comes off easily if you use plastic non-mar removal levers. Just make sure you are close to the clip locations so as not to stress the finish panel and the plastic clip retainers. The instrument panel comes out easily with 4 screws for the cluster finish panel (philips) and then the panel itself with (4) 7mm screws. The 2 electrical connectors on the back of the instrument cluster are the type with a lever that needs to be lifted and moved from top to bottom as they basically act as a lever to release the connector. (When reinstalling they help seat the electrical connector.) The left and right sides are color coded.
The actuator is located exactly where the picture says it is; yes, way back there. It can be removed with some careful positioning of hands and tools. It is a tight fit. I removed the 3 actuator screws from the front and the electrical connector from the bottom. When you mount the new actuator be careful to get the pin on the actuator lever into the vent door arm. Also, near where the furthest screw from the front, on the actuator, there is a hole where a pin goes into the actuator, this helps make sure the actuator is properly positioned.
This repair solved my defrost problem and I hope it helps someone.
I guess I'll see if my 12-year-old son can detach it with his smaller hands than mine?
There was a post on the forum of a guy that managed to service the actuator. I guess the body of it just snaps apart. He cleaned the electrical swipe surface and that did the trick. I would probably put some fresh lightweight grease on the gears when I had it apart.
Well, my son was able to unscrew the bolts on the actuator! Interestingly, he was able to just hold a 7mm socket in his fingertips and unscrew them, without a wrench.
I brought the actuator inside to examine it. It was super clean. I took it apart (it's a clamshell style- the two halves unclip and separate) and found that the gears moved smoothly, and put a 9V battery on the motor, and it moved correctly. I didn't see any burnt traces or components on the circuit board. So I figured I'd try just carefully putting it all back together.
It worked! I guess it may have been wedged or bound up somehow. It's amazingly clean in there, so it wasn't a matter or crud or gunk. So I can't tell exactly why it wasn't working before. But now it does!
Hi today i followed the same procedure.
in my case defrost works but i had a grinding noise after i took the key out ignition caused by that motor. I touched it when it was doing it and i felt the grinding.
I even disassembled the motor and clean the board where the gear has its feather communicating with the board . I will proceed to reassemble and reset the blend doors.
now i myself was only able to unscrew those with the socket without the wrench. Im cleaning the board before reassemble
There was a post on the forum of a guy that managed to service the actuator. I guess the body of it just snaps apart. He cleaned the electrical swipe surface and that did the trick. I would probably put some fresh lightweight grease on the gears when I had it apart.
The blend door (or actuator) for the defrost
