Signs of Temperature Blend Doors Failure in Cars
While a faulty temperature blend door in your car is not likely to be dangerous, it can be inconvenient or expensive. Basically, the temperature blend door is the instrument responsible for sending air over the heater when you turn on the heat, and air over the cooler when you turn on the air conditioning. So, if this door isn’t working, you aren’t going to face a terrible accident, but definitely some inconvenient temperatures. The blend door actuator is the electronic component that controls the direction of the airflow.
Common Signs
One of the most common signs of a blend door problem is when the defrost is turned on, but it takes a while to get going. Most of the time, the windshield won’t defrost, does so slowly, or remains foggy after a while.
Another common sign is when the defrost or air is turned on and it pours out, regardless of how high you have the dial turned. A grinding or clicking noise often accompanies this, as the parts of the blend door scrape against one another. The noise–which can sound like someone knocking on your door–often begins or is the most noticeable right when you turn the heating/cooling system on.
Many people first notice that there is an issue with their heating and cooling system (as a result of the blend doors) when, in a dual control car, different temperatures or quantities come out of the driver’s and passenger’s sides of the car.
Why does this happen?
Originally, the door was controlled by a literal wire that pulled it side to side using a lever/slider on the control panel of the car. As time passed, and technology became more savvy, this all became electric. Of course, with the improved ease of use of electrical components comes the penchant for those same items to break. While not extremely common, this does happen.
The electrical portion now has to go through a more difficult and consuming process of calibrating to determine the level to which the heat or air conditioning should be blowing. This calibration process can cause the plastic doors to bend and then break over time. The process occurs when the car is turned on, meaning that someone who turns their car on and off is much more likely to experience this problem sooner than someone who rarely drives.
While not an extremely difficult process to fix, it is time consuming, confusing, and leaves open the possibility of messing up a different component. As such, it’s probably a better idea to bring the car to a trusted dealer or mechanic and let them solve the problem for you.
What To Do
No matter the car problems you have, you should always use a trusted and certified mechanic to check out your car. While many car problems are merely a result of routine breaks, it’s still crucial to have them checked out in a timely manner. While an issue with your blend doors is more likely to be an inconvenience than a safety hazard, it’s still something you will want to get fixed or looked into as soon as possible.
Stress-Free Auto Care is here to help. With decades of experience in European vehicle repair and maintenance, our experts are prepared to diagnose or repair your car at a fraction of the dealership cost. Our ASE certified technicians have all of the skills needed to make sure that you have a wonderful experience and come away happy.
