IT'S SUPER-EFFECTIVE! D:
So yeah.. I attempted to repair my truck's heat issue myself today, since the dealership quoted me for labor charges of $550. x_x Fuck that shit. I ordered the part (A/C Heater Blend Door Actuator... long enough name?) from Auto Zone, which came in today, and bought the tools I was told I needed for the job. The part was $56, and the tools were roughly $40. I had a step-by-step tutorial on it with pictures, so I figured I could bust it out in 4 hours or so, since they suggested two hours.
Removing the center console and panels was no issue at all, really. Even removing the screws that held the actuator in place wasn't all that bad. When it came time to take the actuator out, however... Well, let's just say it took me three hours just to get the bad one out of the damn truck. It wasn't going without a fight, and it let me know that early on. During my first attempt at getting it out, my hand slipped against a sharp plastic edge, and I now have a nearly one-inch gash at the base of my right thumb. >_< It hurts like a motherfucker.
I proceeded to wash it with water, peel off the large pieces of skin (it cut in at an angle), and put a bandage on it before taking a short break. I went back out with a pair of work gloves I had purchased a few weeks back to prevent blisters on my hands from our lawnmower and kept trying. Now, as some of you know, I have a lot of issues with my legs and feet, and crouching/bending/kneeling just outside the driver's door of a midsize SUV put a shitload of stress on those areas. Even now, my legs are tingling and throbbing. Standing actually takes effort at this point.
After taking two more breaks to let my legs rest a bit, I was FINALLY able to get the old actuator out. I broke it open to see what was causing it to not work properly... Three teeth. Seriously? There's four gears in the damn thing; one was missing two teeth next to each other, and another was missing a single tooth. THAT'S what was preventing the blend door from shutting and allowing heat to get into the truck. THAT'S what would make an insufferable clicking noise any time the HVAC unit was switched to anything other than 100% cold. THAT'S what has caused me a lot of pain, about $100, and a gash on my right thumb! OI VEY!
Sadly, my ordeal is not over yet. I plugged in the new actuator, but I can't get it back into place. There's something blocking it, it's now too dark to be able to see well enough, and it's in an awkward position behind the dash anyway. I'm going to have to buy a dremel tool tomorrow and cut part of the dash (an area that won't be visible once the panels are put back into place) to be able to see better and have better access to where I need it.
Long story short: I (will have) spent about $120 or so to do a $600+ repair job myself in my driveway, and for my troubles, I have a lot of pain in my legs and a giant gash on my hand. YAY ME! :B
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13 years, 8 months ago
06 Nov 2011 00:04 CET
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