[rtuite]

Just got the head gaskets done, now it looks like the passenger side blend door is stuck in the "cold" position.

How hard is this to replace and am I looking at another dealer-only part?

I got the "over a barrel" dealership only parts treatment on a few odds and ends for the head gasket job (like a rusted out 8" pipe that was $125), and I'm still feeling the sting of shelling out $4k for head gaskets and tires recently, so I'm not really excited about spending more than I have to.

 

[FLsubies]

I would remove the actuator and see if it isn't the door itself that is getting stuck. Maybe all you need is a little cleaner or oil on the blend door.

 

[DJB]

More likely to be poor coolant flow through heater core and if you’re lucky, might be air lock. Others have noticed that the heater core can get blocked and this seems to affect passengers side more than drivers (although I had the opposite experience being a right hand drive UK car). It gets blocked just with regular coolant debris but if you’ve added a head gasket leak stop product then the core just filters this out.
Forget flushing; the only cure is to replace the core. Do a search - others have done this themselves without too much trouble.

 

[DJB]

I had to replace ‘rusted 8” pipe’ too - the one that runs in front of the oil sump? I was so annoyed at the dealer price that I got my own swaged alloy pipe for under $10 equivalent.

 

[rtuite]

We actually got it working. Had to cycle cold/hot a few times and it freed up. Weird things you deal with when a car sits for ~4 months.

It could have also been air locked which burped it's self out with some running.

@DJB - Yeah, that's the one. I just dealt with buying it because time and effort played a big factor into the equation.

We also had to replace one of the VVL pressure switches, also guessing failed from sitting. unno:

In any case, she's up and running now with no codes, my wife has her car back , and all is well!
:beer:

 

[Misty-one]

Has anyone replaced a blend door? Any pictures of the process of removing the panels to get to it, I have a 08 tribeca, drivers side tempetatue not cold, passenger side works fine.

 

[alholme]

Has anyone replaced a blend door? Any pictures of the process of removing the panels to get to it, I have a 08 tribeca, drivers side tempetatue not cold, passenger side works fine.

Did you ever get an answer?