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Gurgling / Grinding from under dash near HVAC...RESOLVED!!

143K views 52 replies 36 participants last post by  AirBiscuitAlro 
#1 ·
For the last few months...our '04 Pilot would make a gurgling/grinding noise from under the dash when the A/C was on. The air continued to blow cold.

As the weather turned cooler - 60s in Houston...I noticed some additional strange behavior from the HVAC.

In "Auto" unless a VERY low temp was selected...warm air would continue to flow through the upper center vents.

If full heat was selected...warm air still would flow from the upper vents...not only to the floor as would be expected.

Doing some diagnostics...Long screw driver to components under dash to isolate noise...this little guy appeared to be the culprit.

The Blend control motor:

$238 list / $190 from my friendly local dealer...20 minutes laying upside down under the dash.

RESOLVED!

 
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#6 ·
My 2005 Pilot EX-L also has a gurgling/grinding noise from behind the CD changer (non-Navi). Sounds like it towards the passenger side and I'm thinking it could be this air mix motor.

Is the motor towards the passenger or driver's side footwell? What did you need to remove in order to get to this motor or can I see it without taking the dash apart?

Thanks.
 
#16 ·
I am in the same position, same problem. I was able to remove it. On the other end, where the rod is fastened, it snaps out of the other end. Once you unsnap it, it very end can be pulled out of the hole it sits in.

I am looking to buy a used Air Mix motor. Appears that the 99-04 Odyssey and the 02-06 MDX have the same part, in addition to 04-08 Pilots. Finding a few possibilities locally, does anyone know how to test this off the car to see if replacement parts are operational?

BTW, thanks for posting the picture, that was helpful.
 
#18 ·
I took my air mix (blend) motor apart, cleaned the encoder (rotary) contacts, burnished lightly with a read pencil eraser, sprayed some Caig DeOxit on it and put it back together. Worked fine afterwards.
 
#20 ·
CRC "QD Electronic Cleaner"

This is a great product for working on electronic parts. Costs about $4 at Walmart in the automotive section. You can also get it at any auto parts store as well (for more $$ of course). I use this stuff whenever I rebuild RC race motors and wash out bearings (soak in a shot glass). Won't harm plastic, and doesn't destroy your hands. Also great to wetting a q-tip for precision cleaning. One of the best products I've used. It's been popular in the RC racing community for years (sold under a different name of course).

 
#21 ·
+1 on CRC cleaner. I use DeOxit because it cleans and leaves a deoxidiing film. Used it for 30+ years in now thousands of electronic assemblies.

Oh, above should read "red eraser" e.g. the abrasive kind.
 
#24 ·
The thing wouldn't regulate cabin temp, vent temps were sometimes hot sometime cold, and I heard this clicking and whirring under the dash.

What it didn't resolve was set point being off 4 degrees; when set for 69, it actually ran about 73. Same error whether set for 75 or 65. No apparent (at lost not DIY) way to re-calibrate.
 
#28 ·
Cleaning contacts

Taking Belundy's advice, I removed the motor on an '04 Pilot I just purchased from a friend. It was still working - it was just losing resolution at cooler temps and making some noises.

I simply removed it, popped the cover, shot the contacts behind the large gear with CRC, blew it out with a computer air can, put some silicone grease on the gears and popped it back in. Seems good to go!
 
#30 ·
On my '07 EX, there's a plastic clip on the end of the cable that is connected to the rod. Carefully pry that clip off the rod and it will disconnect fairly easily.

This fix worked for me as well. Took out the old part, cleaned it with some electronics cleaner and added some dielectric grease and put it all back together. Has been working fine for a week now with no annoying gurgling noise. Sure beats spending $200 on a new dealer part. Thank you for the valuable info and super easy fix.
 
#31 ·
Motor upside down and temp became backwards

IMPORTANT FYI - if the motor falls out during cleaning, you have to make sure it goes back in the correct way. It will fit in the wrong way and it will mess up your life in a monumental way. The motor has some printed numbers on it. You should be able to see the numbers after you put it back in the slot where it came out of. If you can't see the numbers, it is upside down and will cause great grief as it will reverse all the actions of the temperature settings so hot will be kind of cold and cold will be hot. Trust me, as soon as you put it together wrong and test you will know the difference immediately. It will not break the car. Just don't think that the mechanical parts are wrong because they aren't. Also, if you take the think apart and don't note the position of the triangle piece, it does have a preferred frame reference. When you place the mechanism back up onto the place where it screws into, the triangle has to fit against the angled piece that you are screwing it to. That is how you know you got it right.
 
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