Mode actuator not working - blows at feet and wont change to vent or defrost?

Tiny
LOSBINKS
  • MEMBER
  • 2015 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 133,000 MILES
It will not blow air from vents. Air is cold. On a rare occasion the air will blow from the vents. What is causing this?
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Friday, May 14th, 2021 AT 12:55 PM

20 Replies

Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
This is most always the mode door actuator has failed or is failing. Attached is the process to access and replace this. This is responsible for directing the air to the selected location.

Here is a guide that will help with this:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

This is one on the blend door but the theory is the same.

Below is the process from the manual on how to do this. Please run through this material and let us know if you have other questions. Thanks
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Sunday, May 16th, 2021 AT 6:57 AM
Tiny
SEAN PEDONE
  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
  • 2013 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 2.5L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 110,000 MILES
I am trying to determine how to fix the (guessing) actuator that changes air flow for the A/C. When I turn on the A/C it will only blow out of the bottom feet vents. It will not change to the upper vents no matter what buttons I push. I think someone had this issue before where you take out the glovebox and so forth. I just want to make sure I'm looking at the same thing before I follow those directions.
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BORIS K
  • MECHANIC
  • 751 POSTS
Hello,

It looks like you might have a problem with the mode door motor which is located on the opposite side of the motor you were referring to. Please see picture below regarding the location.

To access the mode door motor you will have to remove the instrument lower panel on the driver's side. Then disconnect the harness from the motor. Remove the screws holding the motor and then the motor.

Please let us know how you get along.

Cheers, Boris
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SEAN PEDONE
  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
Okay, finally got the actuator out. Not easy. Best place to buy?
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,005 POSTS
Hi,

I notice you haven't been contacted. As far as the actuator, the best place is a dealer with an OEM part. However, that will likely cost you three times the amount of an aftermarket part.

I would call around to the different parts stores and see which one offers the best price.

If you have a chance, let us know how things turn out for you. We're interested in knowing.

Take care,

Joe
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
LOSBINKS
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Did this problem get resolved?
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SEAN PEDONE
  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
Okay, got Part number: 27731-3SB0A Actuator motor installed and no change. I may have overlooked a symptom when first asked. When I hit "AUTO" for the HVAC it defaults to the floor vents instead of the face vents. What would control that?
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JUSTINE MOORE
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2003 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 2.5L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
All summer my A/C would go from cold to hot, now my heater is more cold than warm. I've been doing all the suggested DIY projects with no results. My problem now is when I changed the cabin air filter I found a mouse nest in the top after removing the filter. I was forcing my fingers into the small opening and something broke. Just my luck. It is a hinged rectangular part with a foam insulation around the edges. Can someone the me what it's called, and how to replace it?
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
I think you have two issue now that the door broke. I suspect the actuator is what actually broke and not the door itself. I attached the process on how to access this from under the dash. The only way to know for sure what it was is to look up there when you get the blower motor out.

As for the air not being the right temp. More than likely this is the air temperature door actuator has failed. There is a chance that this is a temperature sensor but the actuators are more likely.

Let me know if you have questions and we can go from there. Thanks
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,005 POSTS
Hi,

It could be a few different things. Because of how new the vehicle is, it could be a breakdown in the CAN bus system. It could be related to the ECU, the control assembly, a short, and do on.

Here is what I suggest. We need to have the CAN bus system scanned to see if there are any diagnostic trouble codes. CAN stands for controller area network. Basically, all the different modules/computers are tied together via a few wires. By scanning the CAN, it may indicate where the problem is coming from.

Here is a quick video showing it being done. Note that by doing this, you are checking for codes at all modules and not just the powertrain.

https://youtu.be/InIlnsjOVFA

This is where I recommend starting because without some specific direction of possible issues, it will become a guessing game and that always leads to money spent on things that aren't needed.

Take care and let me know what you find.

Joe

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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JUSTINE MOORE
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Thank you, In the first image you sent the the grid looking thing is what looks like the part I broke. And that is called actuator? Does it change the direction of the air flow?
The temperature wasn't working before I broke the part. All summer the A/C would get warm. I could live with that but not the cold.
I had to have a new radiator about a year ago so I have new thermostats.
Thank you for your help.
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
That is the air door itself. I am not aware of how to get it without getting the entire housing. That door is what controls the inlet air. I suspect you had an issue with the blend door actuator but now you have this door issue so even if you fix the actuator, you will still have issues until the door is fixed.
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:10 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WAPOLO
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2001 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 91,000 MILES
My A/C was working properly a couple of days ago. Now the air is just flowing from the outlet closet to the windshield. No matter what button I chose to change the outflow, it does not work. Any ideas?
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,758 POSTS
The mode door operation is don't through electric motors/actuators, usually found on the left side of the HVAC housing. The door could be stuck or the actuator could just be bad. See if you can access the actuator and see how it is responding to mode change. Looks like this one is on the bottom of the housing

https://www.2carpros.com/images/external/87824568.jpg.gif
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
JAMIE TURNER
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1999 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 200,000 MILES
I have no air coming from the dash vents. It only comes out of the top and bottom. I have found 2 actuators and neither one of them have fixed the problem. Is there another on or do those two work together to control where the air comes out?
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 12,883 POSTS
Your description sounds like the ventilator door is stuck closed or the mode actuator has failed. As you have changed those out already then you will need to test the push controller to see if it is sending the correct signals to the mode control actuator. The images are the process to test the controller.
First verify that fuses 1, 2, 6, 8 and 30 are all good. Those provide the power to the HVAC control system.
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
RANSOM
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1997 NISSAN ALTIMA
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 205,902 MILES
My vents are stuck on defrost it blows both warm and cold air but it will not switch to blowing out inside the car, nor to the feet. I need to know what to tell the mechanic and a diagram of how to fix this.
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,606 POSTS
See if your ventmode door linage is broken or falling off then check to see if your motor is working see pic. It's electric.
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Monday, May 24th, 2021 AT 7:11 PM (Merged)
Tiny
SEAN PEDONE
  • MEMBER
  • 10 POSTS
Actuator replaced and air is working out of all vents when selected. Thank you for the help.
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2021 AT 4:47 PM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
Great info. Thanks for coming back to update us. That info will surely help others that will visit this page in the future. Thanks again for using 2CarPros.
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2021 AT 6:41 PM

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