Blend Door Replacement - Air filter door broken
Thread Starter
Rookie
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 78
Likes: 1
From: NJ
Blend Door Replacement - Air filter door broken
It appears that I changed my A/C filter without pushing the air recirculation button and now I have to spend $1700 fixing the blend door/ servo.
Right now nothing major is happening--only the climate control system turns itself off when I leave the car and resets to 75 every time, but will this get worse?
Are there any methods or places to go to save the $1700? Can I get this repair done at a Toyota dealership instead?
Right now nothing major is happening--only the climate control system turns itself off when I leave the car and resets to 75 every time, but will this get worse?
Are there any methods or places to go to save the $1700? Can I get this repair done at a Toyota dealership instead?
It appears that I changed my A/C filter without pushing the air recirculation button and now I have to spend $1700 fixing the blend door/ servo.
Right now nothing major is happening--only the climate control system turns itself off when I leave the car and resets to 75 every time, but will this get worse?
Are there any methods or places to go to save the $1700? Can I get this repair done at a Toyota dealership instead?
Right now nothing major is happening--only the climate control system turns itself off when I leave the car and resets to 75 every time, but will this get worse?
Are there any methods or places to go to save the $1700? Can I get this repair done at a Toyota dealership instead?
i doubt it will get worse, but that's just my thinking though. i don't think it's something toyota can fix? don't think this is a part they share in their cars. worth looking into though
design defect? how so? before any job is done, instructions should be studied
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 740
Likes: 12
From: ca
I made this mistake on my GS, I looked into all the various avenues and there were none, shy of just taking it to a good Lexus mechanic and having them do it, in place of the dealer, I found a couple of independents that would do it for under a grand, its almost all labor, but its a whole day to take it all out, fix it and put it all back.
For me, I just left the door to the air filter off in the glove box and either set it to internal or external air input. 90% of the time it was external, but its easy enough to switch back and forth. The major bummer is the smog sensor wont have any effect so if your in traffic an get behind a smelly car, you have to manually flip it closed. The amount of impact I noticed on the blending it does was minimal compared to the above scenario I decided to just leave it to external and call it a day, but it always bugged me that it was not working as designed...
For me, I just left the door to the air filter off in the glove box and either set it to internal or external air input. 90% of the time it was external, but its easy enough to switch back and forth. The major bummer is the smog sensor wont have any effect so if your in traffic an get behind a smelly car, you have to manually flip it closed. The amount of impact I noticed on the blending it does was minimal compared to the above scenario I decided to just leave it to external and call it a day, but it always bugged me that it was not working as designed...
I made this mistake on my GS, I looked into all the various avenues and there were none, shy of just taking it to a good Lexus mechanic and having them do it, in place of the dealer, I found a couple of independents that would do it for under a grand, its almost all labor, but its a whole day to take it all out, fix it and put it all back.
For me, I just left the door to the air filter off in the glove box and either set it to internal or external air input. 90% of the time it was external, but its easy enough to switch back and forth. The major bummer is the smog sensor wont have any effect so if your in traffic an get behind a smelly car, you have to manually flip it closed. The amount of impact I noticed on the blending it does was minimal compared to the above scenario I decided to just leave it to external and call it a day, but it always bugged me that it was not working as designed...
For me, I just left the door to the air filter off in the glove box and either set it to internal or external air input. 90% of the time it was external, but its easy enough to switch back and forth. The major bummer is the smog sensor wont have any effect so if your in traffic an get behind a smelly car, you have to manually flip it closed. The amount of impact I noticed on the blending it does was minimal compared to the above scenario I decided to just leave it to external and call it a day, but it always bugged me that it was not working as designed...
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 740
Likes: 12
From: ca
I have not looked at the inside of an LS, but on the GS, its a very simple plastic gear that is attached to a small motor and that leads up to door which sits atop the exchanger unit.
The problem is that this gear and assembly is stitting in a very narrow space and the only way to get at it is to totally take that area apart, I bought the service manuals for the GS, and just got them for my LS and SC, but have not looked at that portion yet, I would presume Lexus made them just as difficult to get at.
I agree that its a really poor design in that its so easy to break this part if you even slightly pull on the the door, but your right, reading how to do this up front would be wise.. I just got excited and wanted it replaced now.. and once I heard the snap and saw what I did.. and then read about others and the cost.. my heart sank.. its really a crappy feeling, even a warning on the door in the glove box would be easy and probably stop 99% of the people from experiencing this.
The problem is that this gear and assembly is stitting in a very narrow space and the only way to get at it is to totally take that area apart, I bought the service manuals for the GS, and just got them for my LS and SC, but have not looked at that portion yet, I would presume Lexus made them just as difficult to get at.
I agree that its a really poor design in that its so easy to break this part if you even slightly pull on the the door, but your right, reading how to do this up front would be wise.. I just got excited and wanted it replaced now.. and once I heard the snap and saw what I did.. and then read about others and the cost.. my heart sank.. its really a crappy feeling, even a warning on the door in the glove box would be easy and probably stop 99% of the people from experiencing this.
Trending Topics
Pole Position
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,730
Likes: 26
From: Sakon Nakhon
I never considered that when I changed my filter, so I'm puzzled why this happened to you - on a fairly simple procedure. I've had the filter out a few times since to add air freshening drops, and every time it goes back together without any hitches. Can you elaborate further on what exactly it is you did?
ClubLexus Stories
Celebrating Lexus & Toyota from Around the Globe
Lexus NX 350h: A Fuel-Sipping Secret Hot Hatch???
Michael S. Palmer
5 Best & 5 Worst Lexus Daily Drivers
Joe Kucinski
Top 5 Hottest Lexus & Toyotas in 2026 (Hardest To Buy)
Brett Foote
2026 Lexus IS 350 F Sport Review: The Last of Its Kind Still Rocks
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Confusing Things Lexus Has Ever Done!
Joe Kucinski
2026 Lexus ES Review: Lexus Re-Embraces Founding Principles
Michael S. Palmer
10 Lexus Bargains That are Cheaper Than a New Toyota RAV4
Joe Kucinski
8 Weirdest Things Lexus Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
10 Lexus Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 740
Likes: 12
From: ca
I never considered that when I changed my filter, so I'm puzzled why this happened to you - on a fairly simple procedure. I've had the filter out a few times since to add air freshening drops, and every time it goes back together without any hitches. Can you elaborate further on what exactly it is you did?
Lexus decided that the only way to get at the filter was to have the blending unit on recirculate mode so it pulls the door up allowing access to the filter.
There is an urge to just flip the door up if the filter is not exposed and that is where you put stress on the plastic gear and its very easily broken.. thus the expensive repair, because the only way to get at it is hours of disassembly and then reassembly.. its a little cheap plastic mechanism.
It must happen often as Lexus did release a TSB for how to do it. There are many folks out there that have made this mistake, myself included.
For those that change this filter themselves, its very simple, but be aware, if you DONT see the filter, STOP and make sure the AC is set to recirculate.. then you will see the blending door move up and out of the way exposing the filter and its safe to change at that point. I guess you have a 50/50 chance if you didnt know this :-)
I never considered that when I changed my filter, so I'm puzzled why this happened to you - on a fairly simple procedure. I've had the filter out a few times since to add air freshening drops, and every time it goes back together without any hitches. Can you elaborate further on what exactly it is you did?
Pole Position
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 262
Likes: 5
From: indiana
I don't recall anything similar for the cabin filter change on the LS430.
there is a plug behind the climate control that's empty and you can actually plug the clock harness into it, and it can fry your climate control ecu. is that a design defect? no. before you take apart the unit you should know where everything is plugged into.
there are tons of stuff on this car (and all cars imho) that can go wrong if one doesn't follow instructions correctly. i agree with burnaby, a warning side would help a lot. but i won't agree it's a design defect
Pole Position
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 262
Likes: 5
From: indiana
again, no one should go and do things without finding out the correct instructions. otherwise there is always a price to pay. i don't see that as a design "defect".
there is a plug behind the climate control that's empty and you can actually plug the clock harness into it, and it can fry your climate control ecu. is that a design defect? no. before you take apart the unit you should know where everything is plugged into.
there are tons of stuff on this car (and all cars imho) that can go wrong if one doesn't follow instructions correctly. i agree with burnaby, a warning side would help a lot. but i won't agree it's a design defect
there is a plug behind the climate control that's empty and you can actually plug the clock harness into it, and it can fry your climate control ecu. is that a design defect? no. before you take apart the unit you should know where everything is plugged into.
there are tons of stuff on this car (and all cars imho) that can go wrong if one doesn't follow instructions correctly. i agree with burnaby, a warning side would help a lot. but i won't agree it's a design defect
There are certain tasks that shouldn't require reading the manual, and an air filter change is one of them. And as to your example re the clock harness, yes I would say that is a poor design also. One purpose of having multiple shapes, sizes, and colors of connectors is to eliminate the possibility of inadvertently plugging a cable into the wrong connector, particularly when it would cause damage.
