I'm sure I'm not the first one to figure this out, but I didn't see this info anywhere while doing a lot of searching.

Like many people, one of my mode doors has failed and I'm only able to get air out of the vent and defrost. Once last winter, I put it on floor and the heat came out there! I left it that way until a couple of weeks ago I absentmindedly turned it to defrost. I knew exactly what the problem was, but I've never wanted to tackle the job. Either I deal with cutting up the plenum, or I deal with paying for the AC evacuation/recharge. I was looking for the last couple of days at various sites with people that have done this, and most just pay for the AC charge. But on one site, I finally saw some really good pics of the unit. So good, that I got an idea.

Looking straight into the floor vents, I can see my diverter just hanging there, closed to the floor. When I turned the mod to floor, I could see it try to move a little. I went a got a long screw driver and just reached in and pushed on it as I selected the floor again. After helping it up a little ways, it seemed to stay up. I turned the blower on full, and the air pressure pushed it to rest of the way up.

Tonight, I'll just cut a 10 inch 1/4" or 3/8" dowel rod and keep that in the truck. I couldn't believe that this worked. Rather than take the entire plenum out of the truck or pay $625 at the dealership to fix it, I'll just keep the dowel rod in the center console. I was also thinking that I could attach a small block or wood or rubber to the end of it, and just leave it in the plenum. That way I could get a 40-50% mix of feet and defrost.

 

I laughed when I envisioned your truck in five years with labled dowels stuck in all the vents you need to push or pull to change modes.


"Defrost? Okay, honey, reach wayyy up under the dash and locate dowel B-2, push it in until you feel it stop, while you do that, I'll pull on this dowel here, and.. son? If you could turn the mode to defrost while we do this. Good, there we go!"

 

Don't forget to set the cruse first. It's hard to read the labels and keep your foot on the gas

 

I think you'll find your fix only working for so long. I believe the gears strip and is why they need "help", but they wont hold forever.
It'd be a good time to do the fix yourself with weather holding off for another month or so. I think the parts are only $30 or so.

 

I do the exact same thing. If I turn on the defrost, it will get stuck there. All it takes to switch it back is a long screwdriver to flip the door. I have not used the defrost in over 2 years, and everything else works fine. It's cool to see someone else has figured out a way around this problem! I thought I was the only one!! As long as I keep the **** to floor or vents, I am good. Once switched to defrost, if you don't know this trick, you are stuck with hot air blowing in your face.

 

Oh, and as far as the parts being $30 or so, it's just that. Parts. You have to pull the whole damn thing to get at the $30 part. Dealer will charge $800 to get to that part. I know I'll hear from the Heater Treater people on this, but unless you want to hack your HVAC box apart with a sawzall, removal is the only option.

 

I gave very serious consideration to the Heater Treater parts. The biggest obstacle to the mode 2 door is that you have to cut out a large metal bracket to get to it. I would use that as an excuse to buy a little 110V welder, it's just hard right now to justify spending that kind of money when I fixed it with a stick. Besides, I'm not wild about cutting the plenum up. When it does fail, I'll probably just pay for the AC part of it and pull the entire plenum.

Of course at the rate my box is rusting out, it might not qualify as a "pickup" by the time the door is completely shot.