2004 Chevrolet Silverado, Changing The Passenger Side Blend Door Actuator, B0424

This 2004 Chevrolet Silverado came in with a faulty passenger side blend door actuator. In the last post I got you to this point. If you have not yet read that post please click here. Now that the dash cover is off and you can see the actuator, but you still cannot get to it. More things need to come apart.

Remove the wiring hold down clips from the metal brackets as shown below.

Remove the 7 mm headed screws from the brackets on the passenger side.

Using a ratchet remove the two 10 mm headed screws from the front edges of the bracket on the passenger side.

Remove the 7mm  screw from the driver’s side of the cross over bracket.  Remove  the bracket.

Now the “U” shaped bracket on the passenger side can be removed.

Remove the 7 mm screws on the driver’s side bracket. I also remove the two 10 mm bolts on the driver’s side bracket to make sure the dash will move around freely.

Disable the air bag or SRS system according to the manufacturers directions. Then remove the two upper 10 mm bolts from the air bag as shown in the next two pictures.

Then remove the two lower air bag screws.

Note that the air bag screws are shorter than the bracket screws. Do Not put the long bolts back in the airbag when reassembling.

< Pull the orange "positive assurance clip" from the yellow connector. Disconnect the connector and remove the airbag. Use the manufacturers recommendations for handling and storing the airbag.

Getting close but more still has to come out. The silver box shown below is the vehicle communication interface module. It may not be present on all vehicles as it is related to the Onstar System.

There are three 10 mm nuts that hold the module to the brackets. They are locking nuts so they have to be wrenched all of the way off.

Remove the two 10 mm nuts at the passenger end of the dash carrier. Do Not mix these nuts up with the ones removed from the VCIM brackets.

Now remove the 7 mm screw from the backside of the right passenger vent.

Remove the 7 mm screw from the position shown below.

Wiggle the corner of the dash out as shown below.

I used a screwdriver handle to keep the duct work lifted.

I also used a pry bar to lift the duct work slightly to give myself more room. The weight of the pry bar is enough to keep the duct work up but you may want someone to hold it for you. If someone hold it for you be sure they do not use the area in the center of the opening for a fulcrum. It will break the mounting panel where the nut is for the phillips headed screw that was removed much earlier.

The VCIM can now be wiggled up and the wires disconnected.

Remove the wiring harness retaining clip from the bracket as shown below.

Remove the wiring harness clip from the cross bar as shown in the two pictures below. Lift the harness slightly to gain more room to work.

Using a short 5.5 mm socket and ratchet, remove the two mounting screws. Disconnect the wiring from the actuator before removing the screws. makes it a little easier.

You will actually need to work through two openings and use both hands to make it easier.

A magnet on a stick works real well fro retrieving dropped screws and  sockets.

You can finally remove the actuator from the dash.

Free at last.

The new and old actuators. The numbers match 52402588.
If you need to buy one of these actuators please click here.

If you do not have a Tech 2 or similar scan tool to diagnose these actuators, you can do voltmeter testing at these connectors. That is a whole other post though.