Diy - How To Repair R33 Air Mix/blend Actuator

[kingtube69]

Hi All,

Recently my A/C would only blow stinking hot air which was awfully uncomfortable to drive in but it's been too cold to have it off. It started off that it was sporadic but eventually got worse. After some soul searching I found out that the part is a the Air Mix/Blend actuator which controls how much fresh air vs heater air comes through the vents.

Tools/Requirements:

- Soldering Iron and Solder

- Assorted Phillips head and flat head screw drivers

- Vice to hold everything

- Power supply to test the motor itself

- Permanent marker to mark existing points

- Sand paper

Difficulty:

- Low

Time Required:

- 1 Hour

Optional:

- Brand new OEM mix actuator

- Used OEM working mix actuator

1) Start by testing the actuator using the diagnostics system - If you have error 26, the problem is most certainly the actuator

http://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/426605-aircon-diagnostics-r33/

2) Locate the actuator under the drivers side dash to the left

 

3) Remove cap holding the actuator rod in place, mark the rod for reference and pop the rod out of it's "seat"

 

 

4) Disconnect the wiring connector from the mix actuator

 

5) Remove the three securing screws shown below and take the actuator out of the car

 

*over to the bench*

 

 

6) Mark some reference points on the arm for the actuator - This will make it easier to assemble again later

 

 

7) Unscrew the actuator off its mounting bracket

 

 

8) Remove the two screws that seal the housing

 

 

9) Using a flat head screwdriver gently pry the arm off the actuator

 

 

10) Separate the two clips that hold the housing together from the side and gently open the actuator case

 

 

11) Remove all of the little gears from the housing and set them aside somewhere they won't roll away

 

 

12) Remove the circuit board and motor from the housing to reveal the last large gear with contacts on it

 

 

13) Gently bend the contacts upwards to ensure they haven't been worn out and bent over time - Give the contacts a light sand at while you're at it

 

14) Clean the contact surface on the circuit board - I wasn't sure what sort of grease this was so I left a thin coat on the board anyway

 

15) Connect a power source to the motor terminals to ensure the motor still functions - If not see the options above or look at a replacement motor (from Jaycar or other electronics stores or eBay)

 

16) Take your soldering iron and melt the solder on the joints of the board - Take the time to add a bit more solder where necessary

 

17) If all went well work your way back from step 12 and test the actuator again

 

Edited April 24 by PranK
Copied images from photobucket

[PranK]

Awesome DIY! I'll add to the list.

[jmknights93]

Another quality DIY

[kingtube69]

Awesome DIY! I'll add to the list.

Thanks Prank!

Another quality DIY

Cheers JMKnights - Nice sig pic

[ausdrift]

Great DIY and pics. So loose soldering joints was the cause?

[kingtube69]

Great DIY and pics. So loose soldering joints was the cause?

Cheers AD, most issues with Nissan electrical are dry solder joints but I think the root cause was the contacts on the large cog.

[MatthewT85]

does someone have a pic of what its suppose to look like when hooked up on the other side, ive just taken mine apart and put it together and it works when not hooked up to the door but when i hooked it up it wouldnt work, i think its just cause it fell off and now is in the wrong position.

 

with out it hooked up going full hot makes the arm move to the front of the car.  going full cold makes it move closer to the cabin/gearbox

But i cant seem to get it to line up with the door when i set it too full hot or full cold when i move the door myself

 

Edited March 14, 2017 by MatthewT85

[-Tom]

Awesome write up + pics.

This is pretty much the same process for the R32 as they seem to fail a lot

[SeanR32GtSt]

I had this done on my r32 but it still blows hot air if the vents are off completely and I’m driving 100+kph 

[JV7]

Mate you saved be from dying in the Perth summer. AC wasn't changing direction and just going into diagnostics mode fixed it. You're a legend and I would shout you a beer if I could!

[PranK]

I have copied the images in the original post from photobucket to the SAU servers to make sure they stay available.