Another blend door actuator question

gunns · Jun 12, 2021

First off this concerns our 2004 Escalade.
I’ve read a lot of posts concerning the passenger side actuator and how it is a bear to change. Its supposed to require the removal of the dash. I must be confusing it with another actuator. I found a YouTube vid on the actuator R&R. I was looking for a vid on changing the cabin air filter. It showed the filter location behind the black plastic shroud under the dash on the passenger side. It looked like a straight forward easy task. I removed the shroud but there was no cabin air filter cover/holder that could be removed. The whole unit was one piece. Apparently Cadillac changed the system sometime between 2004 & 2005 so there was no longer a replaceable filter.
Now the confusion starts! The vid , as a side note, points to a unit with wiring just a couple inches to the left and refers to it as “The Blend Door Actuator (BDA)”. If this is indeed the passenger side BDA it is a snap chore done in about 15 min. What gives? Are we talking about two different items?

Also it there a BDA on the drivers side and if so where is it located? Any and all help will be appreciated by this septuagenarian wrench spinner.

carguy75 · Jun 13, 2021

A video is worth a thousand words.

Cameron0588 · Jun 13, 2021

I have a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado and it doesn't have a place for an air filter and I don't know exactly what year after that they reintroduced them but i know The 3rd generation of Escalade sealed the door to the air filter requiring you to cut the slot out then buying a a kit that Dorman makes for an easy door that covers the filter spot. That is why if you turn your ac to full blast you get a gust of dirt in your face.

The blend door is on the passenger side and is pretty easy to change. The mode door is on the driver side and that one is a pain to get the old one out and the new one in. Getting it out is a little bit easier but once you get the new one in you have to line the gear of with the teeth on the actuator which is super hard. This second paragraph is pertaining to Escalades and most Chevrolets built between 2002-2006. The blend door actuator is for temperature and the mode door actuator is for face, feet, defrost

gunns · Jun 14, 2021

Cameron0588 said:
I have a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado and it doesn't have a place for an air filter and I don't know exactly what year after that they reintroduced them but i know The 3rd generation of Escalade sealed the door to the air filter requiring you to cut the slot out then buying a a kit that Dorman makes for an easy door that covers the filter spot. That is why if you turn your ac to full blast you get a gust of dirt in your face.

The blend door is on the passenger side and is pretty easy to change. The mode door is on the driver side and that one is a pain to get the old one out and the new one in. Getting it out is a little big easier but once you get the new one in you have to line the gear of with the teeth on the actuator which is super hard. This second paragraph is pertaining to Escalades and most Chevrolets built between 2002-2006.

Thanks Cameron0588!

gunns · Jun 16, 2021

Thanks again! I had to reread your initial post. Originally I focused on the first part and was still processing it while reading the last part. Big mistake! Your very last sentence answered one of my most important questions. The difference between mode and temperature control. My issue was temperature control. So it’s the passenger side control I need to replace. How did I get so lucky in it being the easier of the two to replace? Why do they talk about having to remove the dash to get to the actuator on the passenger side? Does it have to do with the year of the Escalade? As it stands now it looks like a 10-15 min job. I saw it when I attempted to change the nonexistent cabin air filter. Thanks a bunch again!!!!

Cameron0588 · Jun 16, 2021

You’re welcome

Another blend door actuator question

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