Thread: Replaced blend door actuators, now temp is correct but there's a creaking sound

Hi all,

As the title says, I recently replaced both blend door actuators (digital climate control) with Dorman 604-106 as they had broken gears, were clicking, were setting off 05 and 06 errors on the CJ2, and were failing to provide the correct temperature mix.

This has solved my temperature and CJ2 error codes.

However, now there's an intermittent, frequent, kind of quiet but definitely audible creaking, back-and-forth type sound coming from behind the dash. I tore it apart to find that it's both the driver's side and the passenger side actuators moving very slightly against the HOT side stop. They just keep hitting it, moving very slightly, and making this odd crrr-prrr sound.

It's not a huge deal as the air temp adjusts perfectly through the full range (I can watch the actuators respond from stop to stop every time), but I'm curious, and it can be annoying.

I already tried the 'learn' procedure of Auto mode on, disconnect battery, wait 2 min, plug in battery, ignition to ON, wait 2 min for calibration (I watched the system move the actuators to the stops successfully), key off, start engine, wait 2 min, test. They still work perfectly, and still creak.

I'm stumped, guys. Is this typical of the aftermarket Dorman replacements? I've found new OEM ACDelco ones online, but they're $91 apiece and are obviously flawed (plastic gears, metal shaft) anyway, which is why I went with Dorman in the first place. Don't really want to spend on those if I can help it.

What do you all think?

Thanks,
Komrad36

try un hooking the battery for 30 minutes, that may reset the actuators.

Thanks Scottydoggs!

I did as you suggested. After reconnecting the battery, I turned the key to ON, without starting the engine, and watched the CJ2 move the actuators back and forth from stop to stop, then settle in the middle.

However, both the driver's side and passenger's side actuators still do the creaking. I took a closer look and it's not intermittent so much as almost constant. Just slight twitches back, forth, back forth - short pause - back, forth, back, forth.... any time the ignition is on. Even when the CJ2 is off! In addition, I found they don't just do it at the stops. They will do this back-and-forth at either stop but ALSO anywhere in between if I set a corresponding temp of 70-75 or whatever. So it may not be the actuators themselves. Idk. Something is commanding them to just constantly move back and forth slightly, even when the CJ2 is turned off.

Any ideas anyone? Thank you all!

Komrad36

mine were doing that some time ago. did the reset deal, seemed ok, then it came back and stopped all on its own. maybe they will work themselves out.

Roger. It's not critical and they otherwise work perfectly
I don't want to lube them and risk breaking anything. If it ain't broke...
I may try reset again or something. I'll post back if anything works or self-fixes haha - though it's been doing this for a solid year.

Thanks again