Wife’s Feet Are Freezing...... HELP!

[MikeG71]

I always have my heater set at Defrost & Floor. The temp usually at mid setting (between blue & red). While we’re driving my Wife has been informing me that her feet are freezing, and there is cold air at the floor board. She put her hand down there and said there is warm air blowing from the left (console) side and cold air on the right side. Almost as if there is cold air flooding from the glove box or an exterior vent was open.

I looked under there and only see the fan motor, no holes or missing grommets or anything like that. On the driver side I don’t feel any cold spots, and she said her feet don’t get cold when she’s driving.

If I adjust the heater control to feet only and crank up the temp she still feels cold air but the extra heat overpowers it. I’m pretty sure that even on the recirculate setting for vents & feet there is still a cold spot. Again this is only happening on the front passenger side.

Is there possibly a door in the heat box malfunctioning? Any insite will be greatly appreciated.



normal settings for me.

 

[justin13703]

Your recirculate door is broken and letting cold air blow in. It has either fallen off completely, or is stuck mid way between open and closed. There are a few ways to fix it but when mine did it I just bit the bullet and bought a new recirc assembly and pulled the dash and replaced it. It wasn’t expensive or even very hard. Just took a little time. Around 4 hours I think. There is a good write up on here somewhere about pulling the dash.

 

[gofishn]

You have an outside air vent to allow outside air into your HVAC SYstem.Once inside the system it goes to teh fan, which you can see its location under your passenger side dash are, right above your wifes feet. The fan takes that air and blows it past the heater for the air to warm /cool to whatever your heat/cool setting may be.

Even if the outside beldn door was in the stuck open postion, aqllowing outside ait to enter the hvac system, unhindered, it should still be within the enclosed system. Yes, the housing woudl get as cold as the outside air, throwing off cold air from the warmer inside air around the housing turning cold but there should be no "flow" of cold air. SHould feel like one of your home windows, get near it, you can feel the air closest to the window is colder, the closer you get.

IF there is aleak, it would not need to be very large, to throw off a ton of cold air. think about a door/window to your house that has a small bit of sunlight shining thru. there will bea slight, steady breeze of Cold. Now imagien if that same door was going down the road at speed. the air flow would be greater, even though the leak was slight.

I would suspect yor blend door is stuck adn needs fixed, as well as your HVAC system having a slght and very small leak and needs retighten or replaced.
that combination of thigns wold prodcue enough outside air flow that the heater would struggle to overcome, as it gets colder or the truck goes faster.

 

[MikeG71]

That works. It definitely gives me a place to start (as soon as the weather warms up). Thanks Guys!

 

[Karlsweg]

I pulled fan motor down and saw recurc door was broken. Unhooked actuator motor and got the new door on by feeding it up through the fan motor hole! About an hour to do,

 

[MikeG71]

Thanks Karl, sounds easier than taking the dash apart. I’ll try that route.

 

[Karlsweg]

Thanks Karl, sounds easier than taking the dash apart. I’ll try that route.

Just take off glove box door and you can see the actuator.

 

[Black W900]

Right before I sold my '08 the heater started doing that.
I didn't want to sell some poor ******* a truck with HVAC gremlins so I pulled the dash and replaced the blend doors, the blend door actuators and the heater core (since I was in there anyway).
Total cost was less than $200 and it took me a whole day to do it.
It was worth the time to take it apart and do it right....It was amazing how much dirt and crap accumulate in the box over time and I gave everything a thorough cleaning before I put it back together.
The truck even smelled cleaner after I did it.

 

[Pull Ya]

^^^^ Most people would have just sold the truck that way and figured the new owner would have to deal with the problem. Props to you for taking care of the problem before selling the truck. Not to many people around that are that thoughtful any more. What goes around come around----
Jay

 

[Black W900]

^^^^ Most people would have just sold the truck that way and figured the new owner would have to deal with the problem. Props to you for taking care of the problem before selling the truck. Not to many people around that are that thoughtful any more. What goes around come around----
Jay

I hate that ****.
I don't like when someone tries to get over on me and I won't knowingly do it to someone else.
I mean yeah It's a 10 year old truck and things can and do break unexpectedly, but to intentionally hide it and pass the truck off as solid is a punk move.

 

[turkeybird56]

DITTO all above.

BLACK: U R too kind

 

[Black W900]

DITTO all above.

BLACK: U R too kind

Nope, I'm a self professed Hard Nosed Old *****.
But I try to be fair with people...The old ***** rears his ugly head when someone tries to get over on me.

 

[Fishstickz]

I have a similar problem, except cold air flows through the glove box itself. Could it still be the recirculator door causing that or something else entirely?

 

[Karlsweg]

I have a similar problem, except cold air flows through the glove box itself. Could it still be the recirculator door causing that or something else entirely?

I would say yes. Check the recirculating door.

 

[Fishstickz]

I would say yes. Check the recirculating door.

Dang, I always hate having to deal with the small areas of the dash. Even installing lights under my dash was a pain.

I figure if I'm in there I might just close the recirc doors permanently cuz I never use outside air anyways lol

 

[MikeG71]

I hate that ****.
I don't like when someone tries to get over on me and I won't knowingly do it to someone else.
I mean yeah It's a 10 year old truck and things can and do break unexpectedly, but to intentionally hide it and pass the truck off as solid is a punk move.

I agree, I think the worse I do (or done) is Not fix the issue, but tell the person what is exactly wrong and what parts are needed. But that's also depending on how in-depth said repair job maybe and what my time and/or schedule look like.



I think maybe I'll just hold off until Spring and just do it all as @Black W900 mentioned. At least then I'll know it was all done and I won't have to worry about other issues with it down the road. Where is the best place you guys found to source these parts? And is there a write up on here for the Dash disassembly? I tried to search for something but had no luck.

Thanks again! ~Mike

 

[gofishn]

I have a similar problem, except cold air flows through the glove box itself. Could it still be the recirculator door causing that or something else entirely?

it'snotgoing to beJUST the recyclingdoor. again,allthat does is allow outside air intothesystem.for you to feel cold air thru theglovebox arera, there must be a leak in the HVAC ductwork, most lkely at a seam

 

[justin13703]

It is ju

it'snotgoing to beJUST the recyclingdoor. again,allthat does is allow outside air intothesystem.for you to feel cold air thru theglovebox arera, there must be a leak in the HVAC ductwork, most lkely at a seam

It IS just the recirculating door. When it breaks it lets the cold air blow in the truck through the area where it should have closed off. Pop your glovebox out and have a look if it’s hard to understand.

 

[gofishn]

It is ju

It IS just the recirculating door. When it breaks it lets the cold air blow in the truck through the area where it should have closed off. Pop your glovebox out and have a look if it’s hard to understand.

His Original Post states that even when on recirculation mode, he feels a cold spot. WHich made me think that door was functioning properly.
though, You are correct, a stuck open recirc door could be the culprit, if there is a cold draft when door is supposed to be allowing cabin air only thru the system. Specially with a poorly closed fresh air door &/or poor seams.

Yes, if the recirc door s stuck open, when the fresh air duct is open, as well, there very well could be outside coming in, on that side of the truck and causing a cold draft.
However, when the recirc door is open and the fresh air door is closed, there should not be cold air.

Either way, OP should inspect, closely, look for cracks at the seams and, yes, check all doors and inspect for proper functioning.

Please, let us know the Cause, once it is fixed. May well help another, down the road.

 

[justin13703]

His Original Post states that even when on recirculation mode, he feels a cold spot. WHich made me think that door was functioning properly.
though, You are correct, a stuck open recirc door could be the culprit, if there is a cold draft when door is supposed to be allowing cabin air only thru the system. Specially with a poorly closed fresh air door &/or poor seams.

Yes, if the recirc door s stuck open, when the fresh air duct is open, as well, there very well could be outside coming in, on that side of the truck and causing a cold draft.
However, when the recirc door is open and the fresh air door is closed, there should not be cold air.

Either way, OP should inspect, closely, look for cracks at the seams and, yes, check all doors and inspect for proper functioning.

Please, let us know the Cause, once it is fixed. May well help another, down the road.

Unless his truck is different then mine, there is only one door. It goes one way or the other to switch between fresh air or recirculate. When it gets stuck mid way or breaks and falls off is when it will let cold air blow in from outside through the slots that normally pull air when it’s set to recirculate.