Has anyone from an automotive school called and asked you to speak yet? Following you through the heater box was the most straightforward I've ever seen it explained. Best real world mechanic channel on TH-cam. Keep it up!
I agree with you it reminded me of when I was in college and learning algebra Until I had someone explain it so I could understand it I could understand the words that the prof keep saying so after failing the class two times the third I had a prof that could it explain it in more simple terms so I could understand it better. I finally passed it and it sure help with other classes as in Statistics which came naturally after that.
Watching you patiently and systematically work, helps me feel more confident about completing my projects. Your daughter is getting close to the age of teaching her how to identify tools. Never hurts to have an extra pair of hands to pass you tools. She is just adorable. You are so blessed
I have done one dash out heater core replacement on my 02 Dodge 1500 a number of years ago that I bought new and still have in decent shape at 250k miles. Since I live in SW Florida I just froze the blend door in the AC position a number of years ago and get along fine. Am now faced with a blend door problem on my grandson's 08 Dodge Dakota which has 4 actuators that I have found and the bad one is the one in the middle. So glad I ran across your post on access via radio removal. As a large not too flexible 78-year-old that will be my route. Thanks
I gotta say you sure took the dash apart a lot more than I ever did. Don't think I have pulled the dash completely out for an evap on a Mopar veh. That may have to do with working in the dealership so mostly all under warranty. I do pull the carpet all the way out and pressure wash, with soap, it for a heater core leak that has saturated the carpet. I did that for warranty or customer pay even though I didn't get to flag hours for it under warranty and never gouged a customer for it. The good thing about working at the dealership is I can make up the loss hrs on electrical warranty jobs. I'm good at sticking it a little to the manufacture rather than to a customer. Again loving your videos. Keep it up.
When I find a problem that I haven't been into before, I generally look to your video channel first. I like how you get right down to it and explain what you have encountered in the past on different vehicles. I appreciate how you talk in a straight forward fashion and try your best to get everything you're doing included on the video. I also like how you give any extra advice on your past experiences and try to help your followers save money and time and get it fixed right the first time, thank you.
I've seen many of your videos when after market stuff got in your way. Point well taken. Somebody did a lot of work to repair the heater box so you could do a lot of work to make it right. That was the best demonstration of a heater system I've seen. Those TV auto shows have nothing compared to what we can see here.
Eric, I would like to say thanks for your "If I can do this, you can do this" encouragement. Having the defrost mode fail on my ram, I was in need of this repair being done. At 65, I wasn't sure if I should attempt repair myself or take to a local repair shop; I decide to do the job. During research, I came across a firm called Blend Door USA that makes & sells aluminum replacement doors for Dodge ram pick ups only, The instrument panel (dash board) on this year ram model tend to crack & fall apart, so I replaced the dash top while removed from truck. I also spent much time replacing the foam missing between the air duct joints. Thanks again for your swell troubleshooting videos.
Eric, this is a very informative post. Most people will just throw out a car if it has serious HVAC issues, at least here in N.Y.S., so you don’t see this done much at all. Thank you for continuing to share your excellent work with us.
I had to laugh when you smirked and said "there's not much to it". Of courser that's after the entire dash, computer and accumulator are removed so you can get access. This is the best video I've found of this procedure. I think people get tired of trying to video everything, so most heater core videos are clipped by frustrated mechanics trying to get finished. It's so nice to see it wide open where you can see everything. If this was my truck I'd invest in long underwear and put up with a door that doesn't work, ha ha. But if the core starts leaking, you either fix it or bypass the core entirely.
This is another great video, 7 years ago remains relevant as I get ready to do this over my Christmas break.. That "home made" door is from HeaterTreater it looks like, but BlendDoorUSA is a good option for all aluminum blend doors.. thanks for this Mr O
Beautiful work! Love the testing and verification process. I have had the displeasure of installing "cut-in" blend doors a couple times. Difference is, I made nice cuts with a Dremel. Also threw away the foil tape junk, used Gorilla tape and heat treated it.
Excellent, very informative video. Make no apologies for anything you did, it is all great. Many, many thanks from many people. It is guys like you that renew my faith inhumanity.
I'm a new fan....but just completed the replacement of all 5 blend doors and heater core on my 05 Ram with no issues or 'you didn't show THAT in the video!" moments. Eric, you're the man! Thanks for making these videos.
Holy smokes! Your tips and tricks. Using an air blower through over flow hose! I've always used a pressure tester devise. Wow, was I wasting my efforts and time. We all look past the obvious simple solutions. You are the man! Though you think some 9f your videos aren't interesting I ALWAYS learn something. Keep up the good work
Is it just me or do most people find screwing with this interior stuff a lot more intimidating than working on an engine. This interior stuff just scares the crap out of me as it's all fragile plastic held together with apparently chewing gum and bailing wire. Don't like messing with dash boards. Amazing job Eric, I'm sure I'd have broken something. I'm really busy preparing my car for it's latest, and hopefully last, paint job which will happen post SEMA. Rather paint a car any day than screw with a dash. I know sandpaper, paint and spray guns. I know nothing about dashboards.
I agree completely. I tried to do some work on my Hyundai, and despite being careful, many of the clips fell inside the dash panel, and could not be retrieved, so I had to buy new ones. It appears that everything was designed for quick assembly, and not intended to be taken apart later.
This year, 2021 I did a heater core replacement on my 2001 Jimmy. I sympathize with your dilemma. I didn't have the debacle you have but I still had to take the whole dash out. I had no idea what I was getting into, but it all came out okay, much to my amazement.
I will be rebuilding my hvac box with the blenddoorusa kit. They have all aluminum doors and is 100% better than the oem plastic junk. Also changing heater core and evaporator on my 03 ram
It is such a pleasure to see a real mechanic do something right they are very far and few between these days, there is no such person around Where I live . I need a heater core put in my '96 trooper I have had to park it just because I can't find anyone to take the job.
Amazing, fabulous brain you have... and awesome patience. I've done a couple of heater cores and it is a whole new world behind that dash board... thumbs up to you.
I just kept thinking, "Eric, just take the dang air intake tube off!" it was so in the way. Hats off to you for working through all this and filming it for us... I have this job in front of me so was good to see from your video what I have coming. So a BIG THANK YOU for this. What did all this cost the customer? Just round numbers... Thanks, Clay
Trinity's TOO CUTE, pantomiming you in the opening scene, monkeying around, and climbing on the stool. I'm sure that since she spends a lot of time in the shop, she's aware of avoiding nasty things on the floor or in all those drawers. Accidents will happen, but you can't protect the kids from every eventuality. EXCELLENT Job, sir! You turned a sow's ear back into a silk purse.
I'm glad you did not close with "if I can do it, you can do it", because you would never catch me doing that,, for sure and for certain! Great job Eric keeping the Hargrave's piggies warm. :)
I think you were very proficient and professional. I did the same change out on my 1995 dodge intrepid. It was well worth it. I'm thinking about doing the same to my ram. Thanks for good work. I'd refer you.
I did that similar thing in my 99 ford f150. The blend door snapped of course. 10 hours of labor to pull the dash. Bought the new redesigned blend door, two piece METAL pin instead if plastic. Cut a hole in my heater box via the glove box took me around 1 and half hours and the heater box doesnt leak or nothing after taping with that foil tape. I wouldnt do that on a customers car but my own helll ya!
I understand what your saying Eric. It’s not the aftermarket parts, it’s the dodos that install them. They don’t install wires, tubes, or the part clean and tidy. They don’t use any wire loom zip ties electrical tape. I like when they try to Connect wires together they use butt connectors and they don’t even heat shrink them or they tie the ends of the wire together and put a little bit of electrical tape around them. Then they just leave a rats nest of wires under the dash, or running along the floor. The ones I can’t stand the out of any of them are the young kids that install subwoofers and amps, it’s always a mess.
I had to do something similar. My 2011 f350 had a clogged evaporator so I had the pleasure of removing my interior and dash to replace it. I took my time about 12 hours and channeled my inner Eric O. Saved myself over $1500!
I'm sure you know that 86 Ford pickups blend doors are one peice contruction meaning the door and hinge is all made together and when the door moves it's bending the plastic tabs that are riveted to the heater box. One super cold day I put the heater setting on defrost when I did there was this loud bang and after that it wouldn't switch the air flow to the different positions those blasted plastic flexible hinges broke . So I gave it a good looking over and thought I bet I can use some really small metal hinges and drill a couple holes in the blend door at its edge and bolt the hinge to the blend door while bolting the other side of the hinge to the heater box where those blasted flexible hinges were mounted. It's lasted now for the past 5 years or so and still working great. If you ever run across an 80--86 F-150 that the blend door flexiable hinges are broke, by using metal hinges that old blend door can be reused and it's a quick and easy fix 😁
I'm working on an '04 Ram 1500 with weak heater mojo. First I'm gonna blow out the heater core. If that doesn't work -- I'm gonna wear wool socks and long johns 'cause I sure don't want to tear out the friggin' dashboard. Jeez Louise.
Proof that newer cars/trucks are designed to be assembled, not to be serviced (after the warranty) without great labor expenses. Vehicles with "dual heat & a/c" are even worse as they usually have two heater cores and evaporators which combined with, in most cases, the entire dash assembly has to be removed. For those folks who have an older vehicle, say 5 or 6 years, run the risk and likeliness that more than one plastic retainer or clip will break which leaves the owner with a less secure/mounted dash and other equipment. And depending on how much finesse your mechanic exerts in care to avoid breaking plastics etc. you could be buying parts that were perfectly fine before the elephant entered the cabin area. From what I see here, SMAR LLC does not rush it in attempts to avoid collateral damage due to brittle plastic from age and COLD weather. One reason why I won't let just any shop work on my older vehicles, they need tender gloves or I'm going to be stuck looking for parts that are no longer made or no longer available. Good job on this one.
Great job. Great explanation. I think Ford Escort had the easiest heater core to replace with the 2 screw access door, and the Dodge Ram has the most difficult. Although I seem to remember an old Buick or Cutlass required pulling the passenger fender out to access the heater hose connections. I like a challenge but I hate desigh stupidity. Thanks for the video. Cheers
Great demonstration of how the blend doors work. I was always curious as to how they worked. I have a Chevy Silverado and have been having problems with heat coming out of the dash vents when the blower is turned off.
I know it's much too late now, but im about to do the blend doors on my 06 1500. Those blend doors you said looked home made, were actually the ones that are sold from a company called "Heater Treater". I did some watching around in the past few weeks and found a company called "Blend Door USA" which makes aluminum ones that are machined to 1 solid piece.
I used to be a small engine mechanic. We would find the funniest things the good ol boys would do to get the job done! 🤣😂🤣 Many cases they make cheap fixes much more expensive. I enjoy good and bad ingenuity.
My lower jaw hit the floor when you said the Dorman instructions actually said to cut the heater box and then tape the holes. Now I _have_ heard it all! Well done as usual, thanks for the video.
You have a talent for the visual arts that is wasted on motor vehicles I hope someone in the documentary film business sees your videos until then keep them coming
+South Main Auto Repair - They told Walt Disney that he wasn't special. He dropped out of school. In fact you join an elite list of movers and shakers. Me as well. Failed the 10th grade after parents split up. Went back for a couple months and said nah i can do more working and did. Started at 14 and just stopped now. I've retired from 3 places and own a home in Hawaii. Two great kids and 3 great Grandbabies. I did OK not graduating. Got my GED off the coast of Russia in a US Navy Destroyer in 1984. If I've learned anything important it is that when the wife and I are in an elevator, I fart and blame the wife. Never fails.
Hahaha love the story man! In 10th grade when they kicked me out they said NEVER COME BACK lol. My mom and dad made me continue on at a school for trouble makers and that is where I finally ended up with a diploma... I think I was 20 when I finally finished lol. I hated school... still do I guess. Never thought I was learning stuff that I needed to know to survive. Now I am married , wonderful wife , 3 babies and who knows what the future holds!
I agree I can not stand how some people install aftermarket accessories!! Just because it’s not OEM doesn’t mean you shouldn’t install it like it’s OEM! Every aftermarket accessory that I install, I install it like it would be if it came from the factory that way. That means connectors everywhere that things come apart etc. VERY little to NO zip ties, I use conduit clips instead everywhere possible just like the factory wiring. Every single wire is ran inside conduit, not only that but if there’s an existing OEM wiring harness where my wires need to run then I will run them inside of the existing wire loom, no random wires hanging out but at the same time no more wire loom then there needs to be. Because 3-4-5 strips of conduit ran side by side in my opinion almost looks as bad as a bundle of wires ran beside one strip of conduit. I keep things as clean and as OEM looking as physically possible👌🏻 And for anyone else out there that installs aftermarket accessories if you don’t already I highly suggest you do the same! If your a business owner and/or installing aftermarket accessories is your job your customers will GREATLY appreciate it, trust me. But even if your installing something on your own vehicle you should still take the time to do it right, you’ll be SO much happier with the end result!
0:13 Got the supervisor looking over your shoulder this morning, I see. Priceless. That was an excellent overview on how air flows through the HVAC system and how to test the pressure lines before re installing the dash.
If I understand you correctly, You recommend the recirculation door, upper blend door and defroster door from Dorman. the other two at the AC evaporator go with OEM.I am in the process of doing this job before a Canadian winter arrives...
Wow, great job Eric. I don't know how you keep your cool with some of that stuff. I would have used up my vocabulary of swear words. Whatever you charge for that job, it's worth every penny.
I would pay good money to see the cursing and tool throwing that resulted from your discovery of that 4th rate hack job. hahaha I would have gone absolutely thermonuclear if i found a hack job like that on my vehicle.
That hack job is encouraged by Dorman. The only doors I could find at my local parts stores were "repair kits", which each contain the door you need, a length of aluminum duct tape, and some absolutely miserable instructions that tell you the go in through the dashboard and cut a hole in your HVAC box. While it's certainly true that this repair is a pain, it's not so bad that it's worth sliding in to this box, in my opinion.
It’s true, aftermarket isn’t always the way to go. Budget wise/band aid fix. Manufacturers have strict quality control with applications on hand. If anything remanufactured. Aftermarket seems to be made with dimensions in mind without yet real world RnD
It often does not pay to go with an aftermarket evap or heater core because they usually do not fit correctly It is worth it to pay the extra money and get the factory part.
As others have said, this video is amazing. My plan, until a half hour ago or so, was to just put the whole box back in the dash, put the whole truck back together, and take my chances. What could go wrong, right? I had just replaced my condenser and heater core, by the way. Anyway, I pushed one last time on the doors on the top, and something snapped. The doors fell down, still attached, but they weren't being held up anymore. It's possible that they just came dislodged from a gear in the motor, and they'll go the back up when the motor is engaged. But I did find a broken piece of metal nearby, so I can't be sure. If the heater and A/C weren't important in this truck, I wouldn't be doing this project at all. So now that I've found this video, I think the only thing that makes sense is to take apart the entire box (I had it half apart anyway, to replace the condenser), clean up the leaked antifreeze that's all over the insides, and make sure that every mechanism is in the right place and is properly unit tested. Your attention to detail showed me that's totally doable. I saw you activate the blower and I thought, "Hey, I can go do that right now." And I did. The others are more complex, because my wires and your wires are different colors. But I'll figure the rest out. I want to know that this box is going to work when I put everything back together. Wonderful video. Thanks for taking the time.
It turns out one of my doors broke, and I'm kind of glad it did, because I hear these doors are frail anyway. That just showed how easily a door can fail, and I don't ever want to take this HVAC box out again. So I finally sucked it up and broke it all down. I removed the wiring harness, took out all the doors, bought new doors all around (at vast expense. I bought one on Amazon and the rest were about the same price at the auto parts store. All told, approaching about $270 worth of doors). But once I got everything out of the box, then I was able to clean up all the plastic parts that come off, and I hosed down the top and bottom (after protecting the electrical connectors with some plastic wrap). Now all the old, nasty coolant residue is gone, the whole box is clean, and I know for sure that all the doors are in good shape. I tracked down all the wires and tested every door from the main plug. So NOW I can finally put this stupid thing back in and be reasonable confident it's all going to work. Thanks again for the great video. By the way, for those who are curious, you can also test the actuators with a 9V battery, if you don't want to deal with a full car battery or a jump starter. I can understand the temptation to use these "repair kits" (every door that i bought is actually called a repair kit) and just cut some holes in your HVAC box, instead of doing the job right. But I sure am glad I did the job right. It's a serious pain in the ass, but now that I'm on the downhill side of it, I will treasure my heat and A/C for as long as I have this truck.
I should update. I have everything back together and the truck is doing great. But I should point out that I agree that you should skip the blend doors from Dorman. I know this because I have a weird problem with them. The two doors are EXACTLY the same, and you can only put everything in one way, so what you end up with is the cams that go into the door hinges are pointing in opposite directions, which is WRONG. With the linkage rod connected, it causes the lower door to try to close as the top one is opening, and vice versa. So the strongest heat I had was mid-way. My workaround was to remove the linkage rod completely, for now. That causes the lower door to be in the lower position all the time, due to gravity, which is the heating position. Now when I turn my dial to full-hot, that opens up the air to go into the heater core, and it exits the heater core via that always-open bottom door. Meanwhile, I called Dorman today and tried to ask them what I'm missing about this cam that only goes in one way. We never got to that question, though, because the guy insisted that this particular part number of the defroster door. The problem is... he's wrong. Well, he's just reading off the computer screen. The computer is wrong. I guarantee it. I know what all the doors look like, and this is not a defroster door. So I finally ended the call, telling him that when A/C season comes along, if I'm not getting the air flow I need, then I'll take the thing apart again, buy a lower blend door from one of Dorman's competitors, and install that. He didn't seem to care that much. Then I called Jim from BlendDoorUsa.com. I left him a voice mail and he called me back in a few minutes. We bad-mouthed Dorman for a while, he validated everything I was saying, and I decided that he's the guy I'm going to buy my lower door from. I don't regret picking up the Dorman doors, since that's what was available either same or next day, and the BlendDoorUsa doors are more expensive. But the bottom Dorman door simply does not work. And then they have the nerve to insist that it's actually a defrost door, despite the obvious fact that the defrost door is not shaped like that. Dorman even sells a defrost door. I bought it also. Who knows that they call it. Well, they actually call them all "blend doors." Whatever. By the way, I had the same problem RE-connecting my A/C lines. Mine are still not connected, actually. I guess I may need new spring locks also, though I'm not finding them on the auto parts website at the moment. I'm not SUPER worried about it, because I guess whatever moisture they collect in the meantime will be be removed when I pull vacuum on it to charge it back up. Worst case scenario I'll have to replace that line because this does some damage to it. But since it's mid-winter, fixing that problem is not a super priority to me.
@@johningram2153 ONCE YOU SEE BLEND DOOR USA PRODUCT YOU'LL BE SOLD. THE WHOLE KIT FOR AN 06 RAM 3500 I'M DOING TODAY IS ONLY 375.00. IT HAS REAR HEAT. W/O REAR HEAT THE KIT IS ONLY 325.00. SCOPE IT OUT SINCE YOU'RE PULLING IT BACK APART.
LOL on the Power Probes getting bigger every year...so true! And where's the bonus material where the old heater box gets "Eric's aftermarket treatment"?
+South Main Auto Repair -- Oh Baby Now You Know For Sure that I'm reserving couch time for this one's final tribute to Hack n Lack of Sanity!! The only real way to pass any sanity meter - Blow the Booger Up!
great info, I just replaced the blower motor resistor, but found out that there is a lot of debris in the heating element while at it. I'm not a mechanic, but definitely willing to try to change it all myself, only things is I will need to know all the names of the parts you are changing here so when I go out and get them they don't look at me like "wtf!"
I had to remove the dash on my 95 Ford T-Bird. What a chore that was!!! The dash on that thing weighs a friggin ton!!! To add insult to injury, I also had to unscrew the climate box from the firewall, and tear into it with my Dremel, to yank out the leaky evaporator for a new one. Then, I had to buy cork tape to seal the dang box back up. Automotive engineers being d___ as usual; sealing the evaporator into a plastic box!!! What an idea!!!!
I've had my dash out twice now to repair the hvac doors and once to replace the evaporator coil. Hope to never have to mess with it again. Plus, after 19 years, my dash has gotten too brittle to mess with.
That “key way” you keep talking about is the blend door servo coupler and there’s only one blend door in there. You keep calling everything a blend door. 5:46
Wow. This is exactly what I am currently doing. My dodge ram even has holes in the part just like yours. I even bought the same heater core and condenser off of Amazon. I haven't bought a new assembly though because I'm a broke teen that would rather spend $300 on a welding machine.
The c&c aluminum blend doors are the way to go if you are going keep the truck for a long time . The aluminum blend doors are absolutely the best way to go and mine were $315 bucks but high quality piece .
I know that Dorman is a hated brand name here, but I have to give credit where credit is due, especially with the Coolant Crossover Pipe and the Oil Cooler adapter for the 3.6 (2nd Gen) Pentastar Engines such as on my 2014 Grand Caravan. Dorman has OE Fix replacement parts that are made of aluminum instead of plastic (OEM).
+5 for those who individuals that find it unimportant to properly wire and route various systems! Sam Hill man, we had a previous owner fashion what should have been a weatherproof relay box out of masses of electrical tape and a blended mess of cabling proceeding in every possible way. When I finally get this plow working, I will have learned everything there is to know about vehicle wiring! Ha! Maybe the blend doors will magically start working so I don't have to undertake this "fun" disassembly and rebuild process!
It's amazing that this has been a common issue with these trucks since the early 2000's and they're still allowed to make them like that. The government needs to stop protecting these big companies and start making laws to protect consumers from these issues.
Has anyone from an automotive school called and asked you to speak yet? Following you through the heater box was the most straightforward I've ever seen it explained. Best real world mechanic channel on TH-cam. Keep it up!
+TheBurnout Haha no... when they kicked me out in 10th grade they said never come back so I don't expect a call any time soon lol
He would be a great teacher
You are the coworker everyone wants.
Take notes kids this is a flawless execution from the mechanical and production side!
I agree with you it reminded me of when I was in college and learning algebra Until I had someone explain it so I could understand it I could understand the words that the prof keep saying so after failing the class two times the third I had a prof that could it explain it in more simple terms so I could understand it better. I finally passed it and it sure help with other classes as in Statistics which came naturally after that.
Watching you patiently and systematically work, helps me feel more confident about completing my projects. Your daughter is getting close to the age of teaching her how to identify tools. Never hurts to have an extra pair of hands to pass you tools. She is just adorable. You are so blessed
I have done one dash out heater core replacement on my 02 Dodge 1500 a number of years ago that I bought new and still have in decent shape at 250k miles. Since I live in SW Florida I just froze the blend door in the AC position a number of years ago and get along fine. Am now faced with a blend door problem on my grandson's 08 Dodge Dakota which has 4 actuators that I have found and the bad one is the one in the middle. So glad I ran across your post on access via radio removal. As a large not too flexible 78-year-old that will be my route. Thanks
I gotta say you sure took the dash apart a lot more than I ever did. Don't think I have pulled the dash completely out for an evap on a Mopar veh. That may have to do with working in the dealership so mostly all under warranty. I do pull the carpet all the way out and pressure wash, with soap, it for a heater core leak that has saturated the carpet. I did that for warranty or customer pay even though I didn't get to flag hours for it under warranty and never gouged a customer for it. The good thing about working at the dealership is I can make up the loss hrs on electrical warranty jobs. I'm good at sticking it a little to the manufacture rather than to a customer. Again loving your videos. Keep it up.
When I find a problem that I haven't been into before, I generally look to your video channel first. I like how you get right down to it and explain what you have encountered in the past on different vehicles. I appreciate how you talk in a straight forward fashion and try your best to get everything you're doing included on the video. I also like how you give any extra advice on your past experiences and try to help your followers save money and time and get it fixed right the first time, thank you.
I need to find someone who is as professional and caring about the car your working on by me. I wish all mechanics were like you.
I've seen many of your videos when after market stuff got in your way. Point well taken. Somebody did a lot of work to repair the heater box so you could do a lot of work to make it right. That was the best demonstration of a heater system I've seen. Those TV auto shows have nothing compared to what we can see here.
+wyattoneable Thanks Wyatt!
you are a true pro, camera action and small children in back ground. keep up the good work ERIC.
+android nexus Thank you!
Eric, I would like to say thanks for your "If I can do this, you can do this" encouragement. Having the defrost mode fail on my ram, I was in need of this repair being done. At 65, I wasn't sure if I should attempt repair myself or take to a local repair shop; I decide to do the job. During research, I came across a firm called Blend Door USA that makes & sells aluminum replacement doors for Dodge ram pick ups only, The instrument panel (dash board) on this year ram model tend to crack & fall apart, so I replaced the dash top while removed from truck. I also spent much time replacing the foam missing between the air duct joints. Thanks again for your swell troubleshooting videos.
Eric, this is a very informative post. Most people will just throw out a car if it has serious HVAC issues, at least here in N.Y.S., so you don’t see this done much at all. Thank you for continuing to share your excellent work with us.
I had to laugh when you smirked and said "there's not much to it". Of courser that's after the entire dash, computer and accumulator are removed so you can get access. This is the best video I've found of this procedure. I think people get tired of trying to video everything, so most heater core videos are clipped by frustrated mechanics trying to get finished. It's so nice to see it wide open where you can see everything. If this was my truck I'd invest in long underwear and put up with a door that doesn't work, ha ha. But if the core starts leaking, you either fix it or bypass the core entirely.
Haha come on man ... nothing to it!
This is another great video, 7 years ago remains relevant as I get ready to do this over my Christmas break..
That "home made" door is from HeaterTreater it looks like, but BlendDoorUSA is a good option for all aluminum blend doors..
thanks for this Mr O
Beautiful work! Love the testing and verification process.
I have had the displeasure of installing "cut-in" blend doors a couple times. Difference is, I made nice cuts with a Dremel. Also threw away the foil tape junk, used Gorilla tape and heat treated it.
Excellent, very informative video. Make no apologies for anything you did, it is all great. Many, many thanks from many people. It is guys like you that renew my faith inhumanity.
+LILIANA HENRY Thanks :)
Gotta love HVAC work. Lots of great tips and humor in this episode. Thank you sir.
I'm a new fan....but just completed the replacement of all 5 blend doors and heater core on my 05 Ram with no issues or 'you didn't show THAT in the video!" moments. Eric, you're the man! Thanks for making these videos.
Thanks Eric, I never thought of pressurizing the coolant system in that way. That's a quick way to do it.
+Garrett McEwen quick and easy
Holy smokes! Your tips and tricks. Using an air blower through over flow hose! I've always used a pressure tester devise. Wow, was I wasting my efforts and time. We all look past the obvious simple solutions. You are the man! Though you think some 9f your videos aren't interesting I ALWAYS learn something. Keep up the good work
Is it just me or do most people find screwing with this interior stuff a lot more intimidating than working on an engine. This interior stuff just scares the crap out of me as it's all fragile plastic held together with apparently chewing gum and bailing wire. Don't like messing with dash boards. Amazing job Eric, I'm sure I'd have broken something. I'm really busy preparing my car for it's latest, and hopefully last, paint job which will happen post SEMA. Rather paint a car any day than screw with a dash. I know sandpaper, paint and spray guns. I know nothing about dashboards.
I agree completely. I tried to do some work on my Hyundai, and despite being careful, many of the clips fell inside the dash panel, and could not be retrieved, so I had to buy new ones. It appears that everything was designed for quick assembly, and not intended to be taken apart later.
Nope! You are not alone brother.
she's an angel straight from heaven..thanks Dr O
This year, 2021 I did a heater core replacement on my 2001 Jimmy. I sympathize with your dilemma. I didn't have the debacle you have but I still had to take the whole dash out. I had no idea what I was getting into, but it all came out okay, much to my amazement.
I will be rebuilding my hvac box with the blenddoorusa kit. They have all aluminum doors and is 100% better than the oem plastic junk. Also changing heater core and evaporator on my 03 ram
Your little daughter is absolutely the cutest little thing I've ever seen!
It is such a pleasure to see a real mechanic do something right they are very far and few between these days, there is no such person around Where I live . I need a heater core put in my '96 trooper I have had to park it just because I can't find anyone to take the job.
This is what I needed to see! I have an 03 Dodge 1500, and my heater has been out for two winters! Good to finally see what the issue is.
+Jason McCoy Cool! You will like part 2!
Awesome walk through! I'm about to try this myself and was feeling a bit overwhelmed. This definitely helps!
Thanks for taking the time to explain the air flow through the heater box and showing how the blend doors work.
Amazing, fabulous brain you have... and awesome patience. I've done a couple of heater cores and it is a whole new world behind that dash board... thumbs up to you.
I just kept thinking, "Eric, just take the dang air intake tube off!" it was so in the way. Hats off to you for working through all this and filming it for us... I have this job in front of me so was good to see from your video what I have coming. So a BIG THANK YOU for this. What did all this cost the customer? Just round numbers... Thanks, Clay
Trinity's TOO CUTE, pantomiming you in the opening scene, monkeying around, and climbing on the stool.
I'm sure that since she spends a lot of time in the shop, she's aware of avoiding nasty things on the floor or in all those drawers. Accidents will happen, but you can't protect the kids from every eventuality.
EXCELLENT Job, sir! You turned a sow's ear back into a silk purse.
Holding my breath at around 5:18 that she doesn't flip the stool over lol
We can edit the trip to the first aid kit out.
I'm glad you did not close with "if I can do it, you can do it", because you would never catch me doing that,, for sure and for certain! Great job Eric keeping the Hargrave's piggies warm. :)
I think you were very proficient and professional. I did the same change out on my 1995 dodge intrepid. It was well worth it. I'm thinking about doing the same to my ram. Thanks for good work. I'd refer you.
Thanks Eric for your excellent videos, the best on You Tube. I always enjoy and learn a lot watching them.
I just noticed an antifreeze smell in my dodge.Thanks for the video!!!
+Stiles S Well there ya go!
Although this video is somewhat dated, it has helped me a great deal. Very informative and well done, thank you.
Love your videos ! The best part is to include your family... it's a bowl of fresh air.
Great video, I finally get to see the guts of the HVAC box, thank you for your explanation and video.
I did that similar thing in my 99 ford f150. The blend door snapped of course. 10 hours of labor to pull the dash. Bought the new redesigned blend door, two piece METAL pin instead if plastic. Cut a hole in my heater box via the glove box took me around 1 and half hours and the heater box doesnt leak or nothing after taping with that foil tape. I wouldnt do that on a customers car but my own helll ya!
I understand what your saying Eric. It’s not the aftermarket parts, it’s the dodos that install them. They don’t install wires, tubes, or the part clean and tidy. They don’t use any wire loom zip ties electrical tape. I like when they try to Connect wires together they use butt connectors and they don’t even heat shrink them or they tie the ends of the wire together and put a little bit of electrical tape around them. Then they just leave a rats nest of wires under the dash, or running along the floor. The ones I can’t stand the out of any of them are the young kids that install subwoofers and amps, it’s always a mess.
Great video Eric, only thing I missed was the brake clean :}}
Great video Eric with tips sprinkled throughout and lots of attention to detail. Try not working too hard and stay relaxed....
+stuzman52 Work hard!? Me... nahhhh haha thanks Terry
+stuzman52 everythings easy when your a master tech like eric o
I had to do something similar. My 2011 f350 had a clogged evaporator so I had the pleasure of removing my interior and dash to replace it. I took my time about 12 hours and channeled my inner Eric O. Saved myself over $1500!
I know I'm late to the party but what a great, informative video, he's so good at explaining everything he's doing, my new favorite channel
I'm sure you know that 86 Ford pickups blend doors are one peice contruction meaning the door and hinge is all made together and when the door moves it's bending the plastic tabs that are riveted to the heater box. One super cold day I put the heater setting on defrost when I did there was this loud bang and after that it wouldn't switch the air flow to the different positions those blasted plastic flexible hinges broke . So I gave it a good looking over and thought I bet I can use some really small metal hinges and drill a couple holes in the blend door at its edge and bolt the hinge to the blend door while bolting the other side of the hinge to the heater box where those blasted flexible hinges were mounted. It's lasted now for the past 5 years or so and still working great. If you ever run across an 80--86 F-150 that the blend door flexiable hinges are broke, by using metal hinges that old blend door can be reused and it's a quick and easy fix 😁
I'm working on an '04 Ram 1500 with weak heater mojo. First I'm gonna blow out the heater core. If that doesn't work -- I'm gonna wear wool socks and long johns 'cause I sure don't want to tear out the friggin' dashboard. Jeez Louise.
Electric hunting socks?
localcrew it’s what u pay a mechanic for.......my 04 actuator is acting unruly too, so back to the shop she goes
All similar problems in the 2001 (and latter) Grand Cherokee. I amazed how Jeep could get a bad idea and then never correct it. I have felt your pain.
Very interesting. Well done explanation. In your future you should be teaching. You have a gift.
I loved that top at the end. Eric learned me a new fact. Thanks buddy
+Jason Curry That is what I try to do
Great video. You have unlimited patience. I like your attention to detail.
+Dennis Wilkinson unlimited patienceHAHA My wife laughed when she read this
Always enjoy watching your work. Along with always learning keep up the good work man! Peace from Australia! :)
Proof that newer cars/trucks are designed to be assembled, not to be serviced (after the warranty) without great labor expenses. Vehicles with "dual heat & a/c" are even worse as they usually have two heater cores and evaporators which combined with, in most cases, the entire dash assembly has to be removed. For those folks who have an older vehicle, say 5 or 6 years, run the risk and likeliness that more than one plastic retainer or clip will break which leaves the owner with a less secure/mounted dash and other equipment. And depending on how much finesse your mechanic exerts in care to avoid breaking plastics etc. you could be buying parts that were perfectly fine before the elephant entered the cabin area. From what I see here, SMAR LLC does not rush it in attempts to avoid collateral damage due to brittle plastic from age and COLD weather. One reason why I won't let just any shop work on my older vehicles, they need tender gloves or I'm going to be stuck looking for parts that are no longer made or no longer available. Good job on this one.
Great job. Great explanation. I think Ford Escort had the easiest heater core to replace with the 2 screw access door, and the Dodge Ram has the most difficult. Although I seem to remember an old Buick or Cutlass required pulling the passenger fender out to access the heater hose connections. I like a challenge but I hate desigh stupidity. Thanks for the video. Cheers
To South main auto repair : Excellent video’s thanks for taking time to make them all.
Great demonstration of how the blend doors work. I was always curious as to how they worked. I have a Chevy Silverado and have been having problems with heat coming out of the dash vents when the blower is turned off.
Well I enjoyed it lots of good info. Your little girl stole the show, for a little while anyway.
+Eric Corse She is a show stealer every time!
Not very good, imagine something sharp or glas on the floor.
Thank you Mr. NEGATIVE!! Lets all live in a bubble so nothing can happen to us.
pcuser80 imagine a person who maintains a clean shop where broken glass, etc are swept up and tossed in the garbage
I thought the vent on the end with the holes went to defroster and mode 1 door went to panel?
I know it's much too late now, but im about to do the blend doors on my 06 1500. Those blend doors you said looked home made, were actually the ones that are sold from a company called "Heater Treater". I did some watching around in the past few weeks and found a company called "Blend Door USA" which makes aluminum ones that are machined to 1 solid piece.
I used to be a small engine mechanic. We would find the funniest things the good ol boys would do to get the job done! 🤣😂🤣 Many cases they make cheap fixes much more expensive. I enjoy good and bad ingenuity.
My lower jaw hit the floor when you said the Dorman instructions actually said to cut the heater box and then tape the holes. Now I _have_ heard it all! Well done as usual, thanks for the video.
You have a talent for the visual arts that is wasted on motor vehicles I hope someone in the documentary film business sees your videos until then keep them coming
+Colin McGregor We're keeping that a secret ;)
+Colin McGregor Oh man I could hit it big! :) Haha prolly not, just a plain old mechanic is all
+South Main Auto Repair - They told Walt Disney that he wasn't special. He dropped out of school. In fact you join an elite list of movers and shakers. Me as well. Failed the 10th grade after parents split up. Went back for a couple months and said nah i can do more working and did. Started at 14 and just stopped now. I've retired from 3 places and own a home in Hawaii. Two great kids and 3 great Grandbabies. I did OK not graduating. Got my GED off the coast of Russia in a US Navy Destroyer in 1984. If I've learned anything important it is that when the wife and I are in an elevator, I fart and blame the wife. Never fails.
Hahaha love the story man! In 10th grade when they kicked me out they said NEVER COME BACK lol. My mom and dad made me continue on at a school for trouble makers and that is where I finally ended up with a diploma... I think I was 20 when I finally finished lol. I hated school... still do I guess. Never thought I was learning stuff that I needed to know to survive. Now I am married , wonderful wife , 3 babies and who knows what the future holds!
I agree I can not stand how some people install aftermarket accessories!! Just because it’s not OEM doesn’t mean you shouldn’t install it like it’s OEM! Every aftermarket accessory that I install, I install it like it would be if it came from the factory that way. That means connectors everywhere that things come apart etc. VERY little to NO zip ties, I use conduit clips instead everywhere possible just like the factory wiring. Every single wire is ran inside conduit, not only that but if there’s an existing OEM wiring harness where my wires need to run then I will run them inside of the existing wire loom, no random wires hanging out but at the same time no more wire loom then there needs to be. Because 3-4-5 strips of conduit ran side by side in my opinion almost looks as bad as a bundle of wires ran beside one strip of conduit. I keep things as clean and as OEM looking as physically possible👌🏻 And for anyone else out there that installs aftermarket accessories if you don’t already I highly suggest you do the same! If your a business owner and/or installing aftermarket accessories is your job your customers will GREATLY appreciate it, trust me. But even if your installing something on your own vehicle you should still take the time to do it right, you’ll be SO much happier with the end result!
Handy test for leaks.Need to be tweak savvy with them there hoses.Plenty of detailed info and demos.Should be of mighty help to any interested doers.
0:13 Got the supervisor looking over your shoulder this morning, I see. Priceless. That was an excellent overview on how air flows through the HVAC system and how to test the pressure lines before re installing the dash.
+Sandbag1300 Yeah she was keepin an eye on me :) Glad you liked the demo
That dash install was awesome. Couldn't nh have fallen more into place like you said
Hey there SMA, glad to be back. Glad every time you upload a new vid haha
If I understand you correctly, You recommend the recirculation door, upper blend door and defroster door from Dorman. the other two at the AC evaporator go with OEM.I am in the process of doing this job before a Canadian winter arrives...
Great Video!! Like the added humor to the "Butchers Repair" previously done. Very informative! THX!!
Excellent demonstration and test.
Thanks for sharing and best regards from the UK.
Watching old videos
Today..
Great vid !
But without a doubt the star of the show is I am sure your assistant !
Wow, great job Eric. I don't know how you keep your cool with some of that stuff. I would have used up my vocabulary of swear words. Whatever you charge for that job, it's worth every penny.
first class as always eric thanks
I would pay good money to see the cursing and tool throwing that resulted from your discovery of that 4th rate hack job. hahaha
I would have gone absolutely thermonuclear if i found a hack job like that on my vehicle.
+zoidberg444 it was a mess let me tell ya
Looks like you got the boss with you
That hack job is encouraged by Dorman. The only doors I could find at my local parts stores were "repair kits", which each contain the door you need, a length of aluminum duct tape, and some absolutely miserable instructions that tell you the go in through the dashboard and cut a hole in your HVAC box. While it's certainly true that this repair is a pain, it's not so bad that it's worth sliding in to this box, in my opinion.
It’s true, aftermarket isn’t always the way to go. Budget wise/band aid fix. Manufacturers have strict quality control with applications on hand. If anything remanufactured. Aftermarket seems to be made with dimensions in mind without yet real world RnD
Disappointment at epic level! No break clean
*throws tools, kicks rocks, shrugs in disgust*
I will have nightmares for weeks!
+ibbeach09 Haha I'll try better
+South Main Auto Repair I have no doubt. Happy Halloween. Lol
Start teaching that young lady how to turn a wrench. She would be a mechanical genious by the age of 16.
at the job right now... oh well glad I will have a video to watch tonight, thanks Eric!
"There may be some wonderful installs that I've never seen."
Yeah...that's the point of a good install...
Great information as I am a RAM owner. Looking forward to "Part too". But wait a minute...what no brake cleaner, say it ain't so.
It often does not pay to go with an aftermarket evap or heater core because they usually do not fit correctly It is worth it to pay the extra money and get the factory part.
As others have said, this video is amazing. My plan, until a half hour ago or so, was to just put the whole box back in the dash, put the whole truck back together, and take my chances. What could go wrong, right? I had just replaced my condenser and heater core, by the way. Anyway, I pushed one last time on the doors on the top, and something snapped. The doors fell down, still attached, but they weren't being held up anymore. It's possible that they just came dislodged from a gear in the motor, and they'll go the back up when the motor is engaged. But I did find a broken piece of metal nearby, so I can't be sure. If the heater and A/C weren't important in this truck, I wouldn't be doing this project at all. So now that I've found this video, I think the only thing that makes sense is to take apart the entire box (I had it half apart anyway, to replace the condenser), clean up the leaked antifreeze that's all over the insides, and make sure that every mechanism is in the right place and is properly unit tested. Your attention to detail showed me that's totally doable. I saw you activate the blower and I thought, "Hey, I can go do that right now." And I did. The others are more complex, because my wires and your wires are different colors. But I'll figure the rest out. I want to know that this box is going to work when I put everything back together. Wonderful video. Thanks for taking the time.
It turns out one of my doors broke, and I'm kind of glad it did, because I hear these doors are frail anyway. That just showed how easily a door can fail, and I don't ever want to take this HVAC box out again. So I finally sucked it up and broke it all down. I removed the wiring harness, took out all the doors, bought new doors all around (at vast expense. I bought one on Amazon and the rest were about the same price at the auto parts store. All told, approaching about $270 worth of doors). But once I got everything out of the box, then I was able to clean up all the plastic parts that come off, and I hosed down the top and bottom (after protecting the electrical connectors with some plastic wrap). Now all the old, nasty coolant residue is gone, the whole box is clean, and I know for sure that all the doors are in good shape. I tracked down all the wires and tested every door from the main plug. So NOW I can finally put this stupid thing back in and be reasonable confident it's all going to work. Thanks again for the great video. By the way, for those who are curious, you can also test the actuators with a 9V battery, if you don't want to deal with a full car battery or a jump starter.
I can understand the temptation to use these "repair kits" (every door that i bought is actually called a repair kit) and just cut some holes in your HVAC box, instead of doing the job right. But I sure am glad I did the job right. It's a serious pain in the ass, but now that I'm on the downhill side of it, I will treasure my heat and A/C for as long as I have this truck.
I should update. I have everything back together and the truck is doing great. But I should point out that I agree that you should skip the blend doors from Dorman. I know this because I have a weird problem with them. The two doors are EXACTLY the same, and you can only put everything in one way, so what you end up with is the cams that go into the door hinges are pointing in opposite directions, which is WRONG. With the linkage rod connected, it causes the lower door to try to close as the top one is opening, and vice versa. So the strongest heat I had was mid-way.
My workaround was to remove the linkage rod completely, for now. That causes the lower door to be in the lower position all the time, due to gravity, which is the heating position. Now when I turn my dial to full-hot, that opens up the air to go into the heater core, and it exits the heater core via that always-open bottom door.
Meanwhile, I called Dorman today and tried to ask them what I'm missing about this cam that only goes in one way. We never got to that question, though, because the guy insisted that this particular part number of the defroster door. The problem is... he's wrong. Well, he's just reading off the computer screen. The computer is wrong. I guarantee it. I know what all the doors look like, and this is not a defroster door. So I finally ended the call, telling him that when A/C season comes along, if I'm not getting the air flow I need, then I'll take the thing apart again, buy a lower blend door from one of Dorman's competitors, and install that. He didn't seem to care that much.
Then I called Jim from BlendDoorUsa.com. I left him a voice mail and he called me back in a few minutes. We bad-mouthed Dorman for a while, he validated everything I was saying, and I decided that he's the guy I'm going to buy my lower door from. I don't regret picking up the Dorman doors, since that's what was available either same or next day, and the BlendDoorUsa doors are more expensive. But the bottom Dorman door simply does not work. And then they have the nerve to insist that it's actually a defrost door, despite the obvious fact that the defrost door is not shaped like that. Dorman even sells a defrost door. I bought it also. Who knows that they call it. Well, they actually call them all "blend doors." Whatever.
By the way, I had the same problem RE-connecting my A/C lines. Mine are still not connected, actually. I guess I may need new spring locks also, though I'm not finding them on the auto parts website at the moment. I'm not SUPER worried about it, because I guess whatever moisture they collect in the meantime will be be removed when I pull vacuum on it to charge it back up. Worst case scenario I'll have to replace that line because this does some damage to it. But since it's mid-winter, fixing that problem is not a super priority to me.
@@johningram2153 ONCE YOU SEE BLEND DOOR USA PRODUCT YOU'LL BE SOLD. THE WHOLE KIT FOR AN 06 RAM 3500 I'M DOING TODAY IS ONLY 375.00. IT HAS REAR HEAT. W/O REAR HEAT THE KIT IS ONLY 325.00. SCOPE IT OUT SINCE YOU'RE PULLING IT BACK APART.
LOL on the Power Probes getting bigger every year...so true! And where's the bonus material where the old heater box gets "Eric's aftermarket treatment"?
I was thinking the same thing, only needs one round from his 500 S&W magnum pistola :)
+Steve Rob Oh Ivan is spoiling the grand finally lol
+South Main Auto Repair You should take that old busted heater box to the firing range
+South Main Auto Repair -- Oh Baby Now You Know For Sure that I'm reserving couch time for this one's final tribute to Hack n Lack of Sanity!! The only real way to pass any sanity meter - Blow the Booger Up!
+Hawaiian F150 LMAO I'm with ya :)
Nice work Eric and Merry Christmas to you and your family
I find your videos better than the last two movies I've seen on the big screen, I think I'll make make some popcorn next time I view. :)
+Mike Kaminski Hey Mike I appreciate that! We try to keep them fresh and informative! Thanks for the support!!
Wow you do good work! My 04 Ram has the same problem but I might need the Meat Wagon after I try to tackle this job with having a bad back.
great info, I just replaced the blower motor resistor, but found out that there is a lot of debris in the heating element while at it. I'm not a mechanic, but definitely willing to try to change it all myself, only things is I will need to know all the names of the parts you are changing here so when I go out and get them they don't look at me like "wtf!"
I had to remove the dash on my 95 Ford T-Bird. What a chore that was!!! The dash on that thing weighs a friggin ton!!! To add insult to injury, I also had to unscrew the climate box from the firewall, and tear into it with my Dremel, to yank out the leaky evaporator for a new one. Then, I had to buy cork tape to seal the dang box back up. Automotive engineers being d___ as usual; sealing the evaporator into a plastic box!!! What an idea!!!!
I've had my dash out twice now to repair the hvac doors and once to replace the evaporator coil. Hope to never have to mess with it again. Plus, after 19 years, my dash has gotten too brittle to mess with.
That “key way” you keep talking about is the blend door servo coupler and there’s only one blend door in there. You keep calling everything a blend door. 5:46
Pretty good demonstration brother
Wow. This is exactly what I am currently doing. My dodge ram even has holes in the part just like yours. I even bought the same heater core and condenser off of Amazon. I haven't bought a new assembly though because I'm a broke teen that would rather spend $300 on a welding machine.
Wrecking yard?
Lexan and gorilla glue?
The c&c aluminum blend doors are the way to go if you are going keep the truck for a long time . The aluminum blend doors are absolutely the best way to go and mine were $315 bucks but high quality piece .
Excellent session , thanks ..waiting on part 2...
+JOGO Coming soon
Got me through another night of OT. Thanks Eric👌
+Erik Andresen Haha Man I need that gig!
Nice! i hope you get a 98' Dodge 3500 5.9 liter dually in there.
I know that Dorman is a hated brand name here, but I have to give credit where credit is due, especially with the Coolant Crossover Pipe and the Oil Cooler adapter for the 3.6 (2nd Gen) Pentastar Engines such as on my 2014 Grand Caravan. Dorman has OE Fix replacement parts that are made of aluminum instead of plastic (OEM).
+5 for those who individuals that find it unimportant to properly wire and route various systems! Sam Hill man, we had a previous owner fashion what should have been a weatherproof relay box out of masses of electrical tape and a blended mess of cabling proceeding in every possible way. When I finally get this plow working, I will have learned everything there is to know about vehicle wiring! Ha! Maybe the blend doors will magically start working so I don't have to undertake this "fun" disassembly and rebuild process!
It's amazing that this has been a common issue with these trucks since the early 2000's and they're still allowed to make them like that. The government needs to stop protecting these big companies and start making laws to protect consumers from these issues.
Awesome vid Eric, nice tip at the end. 👍👍
+Steve Rob Thanks
Look at that sneaky little princess sneeking around behind you.
That’s actually the good aftermarket upgrade doors and yes those actuators are MORE than strong enough to move the heavy doors