IMPORTANT: Check your HVAC recirculate door and answer Poll (2 Viewers)

[Oakleyguy]

Well, turns out the hinge on mine is broken. Actuator functions normally. Has anyone found any other repair solutions beyond gluing the broken hinge to the actuator arm?

As others have mentioned, the service manual states you need to fully dismantle the dash to remove the blower motor housing.

 

[TonyP]

Strategically placed glue is the easiest and cheapest way to go.

 

[John E Davies]

I’ve been putting off this repair, hoping that some brave soul would have figured out by now, how to get the blower unit out in a couple of hours.

Someone noted a steel dash brace ... could that be cut away for clearance, then riveted back together with a steel reinforcement?

I am going to tackle this job when the weather moderates - it is too warm and smoky right now. I do not want to glue it, but that may be the end result.

John Davies
Spokane WA

 

[Oakleyguy]

I’ve been putting off this repair, hoping that some brave soul would have figured out by now, how to get the blower unit out in a couple of hours.

Someone noted a steel dash brace ... could that be cut away for clearance, then riveted back together with a steel reinforcement?

I am going to tackle this job when the weather moderates - it is too warm and smoky right now. I do not want to glue it, but that may be the end result.

John Davies
Spokane WA

I have a potential solution I've been working on. I'll post it up once I make sure it works.

(My 'glue job' failed after a few days.)

 

[99Cruiser]

My door at the hinge was not attached to the linkage arm. I noticed you can push the linkage arm back into the hole in the glovebox. I was able to line up the hinge and then pressed recirc and the linkage popped out of the hole, engaged the hinge and opened the door. However the door would not shut with fresh air pressed. I manually lowered door and hit recirc again and the door opens. I will try to glue it in the recirc position and hopefully it will lower. There is probably less stress on the glue when lowering as opposed to opening. I wonder if you could put a screw through the hinge into the linkage? Watch your fingers on the squirrel cage, got a nice little surprise to the knuckles.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Bought my 2010 this past week and noticed a clicking noise behind the glove box on startup. Ran Techstream tonight and saw a DTC for the recirc door, and then remembered seeing this thread.

Long story short, my recirc door was inoperative. But instead of being broken, the linkage between the arm of servo and the arm of the hinge became disconnected. Instead of pulling everything apart, I lay on my back in the floor board, armed with a small flashlight, a long screwdriver, and my reading glasses (can't see that close anymore). I was able to pop the linkage back together with the screwdriver from below. All fixed. Many thanks to those who have contributed to this thread.

 

[04UZJ100]

Just looked and mine appears that the hinge was broken on the right side at the dealer sometime it was in for service. Freaking animals.

My door freely moves if I push on it. I found it in the fresh air mode and that’s where I’ll leave it.

I will follow up directly with Lexus to see if they can make this right since I purchased from the same dealer that sold it new and where it was serviced.

 

[mdcoa]

Going to decide tomorrow on purchase of an '08 LC. Long distance buy--I asked the dealer to check this recirc door, and he confirmed it's inop. I haven't yet asked him if he can hear the servo when he hits the switch, or if he can see what's broken in there, but I plan to.

Thoughts on how this should affect whether I buy and how much I pay? Sounds like one can pretty much expect it to be broken on a truck that old, so maybe it's not a deal-breaker or much of a price changer?

Thanks in advance. . .

 

[04UZJ100]

Going to decide tomorrow on purchase of an '08 LC. Long distance buy--I asked the dealer to check this recirc door, and he confirmed it's inop. I haven't yet asked him if he can hear the servo when he hits the switch, or if he can see what's broken in there, but I plan to.

Thoughts on how this should affect whether I buy and how much I pay? Sounds like one can pretty much expect it to be broken on a truck that old, so maybe it's not a deal-breaker or much of a price changer?

Thanks in advance. . .

The DIY in he beginning of this thread seems pretty straightforward. No more than $500 of negotiation room for dealer to perform, IMO.

 

[KLF]

Mine was busted on my '11 (I think I posted in this thread earlier). I never missed it.

 

[mdcoa]

The DIY in he beginning of this thread seems pretty straightforward. No more than $500 of negotiation room for dealer to perform, IMO.

Thanks, folks--I did see the "I never missed it" approach, and may be fine with that. I've read the DIY bits, too, but am not sure this is a candidate for it, since for all I know the motor's not running, or the hinge point is shattered like some I've seen in threads on this topic on mud. May well just roll the dice if all else on the inspection I had done today is in order--thanks again for the input.

 

[Union]

Mine works fine, I'd also like to mention that Toyota put a nice sticker on the plastic cover with 2 steps.

1. Put in recirc mode
2. Change filter

Like the child I am, I pushed the button over and over watching the door open and close, haha!

 

[04UZJ100]

Thanks, folks--I did see the "I never missed it" approach, and may be fine with that. I've read the DIY bits, too, but am not sure this is a candidate for it, since for all I know the motor's not running, or the hinge point is shattered like some I've seen in threads on this topic on mud. May well just roll the dice if all else on the inspection I had done today is in order--thanks again for the input.

He DIY replacement includes everything you need.

 

[mdcoa]

He DIY replacement includes everything you need.

Ok, thanks!

 

[MikeVpdx503]

Just checked in my "new to me" 2013 LC200. Cannot hear the servo when I hit the switch, but doesn't come down when recirc turned off. Goes up fine and comes back down if switched in mid travel, so something must be working right, but does not come down when fully in the up position. My eyes are getting too old and cannot see what the problem is. Taking the rig in for 60K service in a few weeks and should have 12 months CPO warranty, let's hope this is covered or may try to DIY route vs paying for a repair on something that happened before I purchased the truck.

 

[99Cruiser]

Just checked in my "new to me" 2013 LC200. Cannot hear the servo when I hit the switch, but doesn't come down when recirc turned off. Goes up fine and comes back down if switched in mid travel, so something must be working right, but does not come down when fully in the up position. My eyes are getting too old and cannot see what the problem is. Taking the rig in for 60K service in a few weeks and should have 12 months CPO warranty, let's hope this is covered or may try to DIY route vs paying for a repair on something that happened before I purchased the truck.

Mine does same thing but I am thinking when the glove box insert is in there is enough suction created by the blower to pull the door down when switched to fresh air. On mine the servo only opens the door when in recirc mode and it holds it open. It won't close the door when I have the insert out and switched on fresh air only when I put the insert back in will it close on its own. It works but maybe not correctly.

 

[pjm10626]

Checked my new to us 2015 with 115k miles. It has the factory signage warning. The right side of the door is cracked and not attached to the shaft. I tried pulling the shaft out and ended up pushing it through the hole. I will tear further into it and try to glue the door then glue the hinge to the shaft. Rediculous this is. Glad I found this thread or it would be forever broken.

 

[speyrod]

Mine does same thing but I am thinking when the glove box insert is in there is enough suction created by the blower to pull the door down when switched to fresh air. On mine the servo only opens the door when in recirc mode and it holds it open. It won't close the door when I have the insert out and switched on fresh air only when I put the insert back in will it close on its own. It works but maybe not correctly.

Did you find out if this was the case? reading these threads it sounds like people test the operation it raises and lowers.

 

[99Cruiser]

Mine won't lower if I watch it with the insert out. It only raises it.

 

[speyrod]

Mine won't lower if I watch it with the insert out. It only raises it.

Thanks, that is the same issue I am having. One of these days I guess I'll pull her apart. I don't use recirculate often but still want it to work.