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Topic: electric blend door motors or a visit to the "junk yard" (Read 927 times) previous topic - next topic

electric blend door motors or a visit to the "junk yard"

Well there I was at the junk yard and I started poking around and saw an electric blend door motor sitting on the floor of a vehicle. That kept me poking around for the next 4 hours (I originally went there to get a 4 pin connector for my windshield wiper control box and found one within 15 minutes). I would have like to have stayed longer but the sun was going down and cooling off quickly. I picked up/removed 4 different types of motors to play with. I had heard about them and was curious about how these electric actuators worked to see if they would be useful for something else or possibly others looking to get away from the vacuum operated blend doors.  The Dodge Caravan has a motor that is very easily accessed and it uses an interesting method of limiting its travel. The crank arm on the motor just bottoms out on a stop in the plenum and as the motor pushes harder against it the electrical resistance is measured by the vehicle's computer and shuts the motor off. Without the computer, the motor will just keep going around and around. It seems that the plastic stop in the plenum is a common area of failure resulting in a costly repair. I am amazed at how many blend door problems are caused by poor engineering in this area. My E150 van had a problem and the quoted price to repair was $1200-$1500. I fixed myself in about 3 hours for less than $10.00. There is a person on the web that has a business especially for blend door repair. Check it out. www.heatertreater.net
   The next motor I played with was from an Infinity QX4. It is a unique motor that is also computer controlled but at least I could get it to run. It appears to have internal controls that once hit with 12 VDC it will cycle 180* in one direction. Just reverse the wires to have it cycle back to the original position. That one has some usefulness without a separate computer to control it. The other two motors I have not figured out yet but I am going to the library to look up the wiring diagrams for them, they came out of Nissans. When I checked out of the junk yard and I told the guy why I wanted these motors, (to play and experiment with) he only charged me $5.00 including the 4 pin connector. Great, that was only $1.25/hr for fantastic entertainment and education. I learn a lot at junk yards and am amazed at the amount of engineering and design that goes into automobiles only to be discarded in a few years. I would love to roam around in a RV "salvage yard" for a couple of days.

I have replaced all of my blend door motors with cables and am convinced that is the best solution. Some of the late model Volvo's in the junk yard had cable controls.

Pictures; Left to right, Dodge Caravan, Infinity QX4, Nissan 1, Nissan 2

Picture now up.



Rick

Re: electric blend motors or a visit to the "junk yard"

Reply #1 –
Quote from: Rick –
I have replaced all of my blend door motors with cables and am convinced that is the best solution. Some of the late model Volvo's in the junk yard had cable controls.

Pictures; Left to right, Dodge Caravan, Infinity QX4, Nissan 1, Nissan 2
Rick,
Did you forget the Pictures?  :(
The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: electric blend door motors or a visit to the "junk yard"

Reply #2 –
Rick, If you ever get near exit 22 on I44 in Carthage , MO you will find Colaw salvage, I like to get out and  walk around.  If you want something and you act right they will give you a golf cart to roam around in.  Eveytime I am there I look at that poor old Bus Type FT in the back row, only one there and most of it is gone.
Plenty of parking for MH and Toad and a CW type store up front.
 

Re: electric blend door motors or a visit to the "junk yard"

Reply #3 –
Rick,

I do not have a love of junk yards as you do.  I grew up in one.  Besides getting to know my father as a person, I also learned to identify weak spots in construction (to make the dismantling easier).  Often, to dispel boredom (later in the teen-years) my father and I would discuss why and how any particular machine or part found its way here.  I remember the best example was the failure of a 2-cent neophrene bushing that caused numerous small electric motors to become junk.  I still look at all mechanical items with the young eyes of a junkman's son.  Perhaps that is why a Foretravel will be our last motorhome.

andy
Carolyn and Lewis (Andy1) Anderson
1996 U270 36'