Automotive Air Conditioning Information Forum

Hello everyone

I have a european model lancer from 2010 with automatic AC. Lately when i was changing the vent position - in specific two positions i started to hear strange noises, like 2 parts rubbing each other.

I opened up the right side of the console and found out that there are two white plastics parts which you can see in below video, and when you move the vent position to legs or body, these two come close to each other and rub and make noise ( not audible in video much)

I showed to my mechanic he had the same observation but he s not much into hvac stuff. This happens on ac or when ac is off. Any ideas why this would happen,?

https://youtu.be/nZBQXn4b1OU

I greased the area little bit but no help.

I can't tell from the video, but is one of those cams (lacking a better term) interacting with the other cam, or do they move independently via separate actuators?

JohnHere wrote: ↑Tue Nov 29, 2022 4:31 pm I can't tell from the video, but is one of those cams (lacking a better term) interacting with the other cam, or do they move independently via separate actuators?

It is hard to say, i cannot see or reach deep piece of that two "cams". When you change the vent position both of them move at the same time but not exactly to same direction as you can see so i assume they might have separate actuators.

Till last week there was very little noise, so i assume they are supposed to calmly touching each other but since last week it went nuts.

The noise is audible when they come very close to each other ( in video around 10th sec).

Wear and tear i would understand but no idea what happened there and what is waiting for me in ear future if somehow those fail to move, not having ac or heater would be a huge problem for me.

They look like they are not supposed to touch, and are supposed to function independently. Somehow I think something has become twisted, torqued, or bent or something. Was the car hit by another car or other accident? That plastic is probably nylon, which can dry out and become brittle, and even warp with age.
I think I would be trying to push the two 'axles' that they rotate from away from each other, maybe something inside the case dislodged and is pushing one of the axles too close

tbirdtbird wrote: ↑Tue Nov 29, 2022 9:52 pm They look like they are not supposed to touch, and are supposed to function independently. Somehow I think something has become twisted, torqued, or bent or something. Was the car hit by another car or other accident? That plastic is probably nylon, which can dry out and become brittle, and even warp with age.
I think I would be trying to push the two 'axles' that they rotate from away from each other, maybe something inside the case dislodged and is pushing one of the axles too close

Bought the car 3 years ago, there was some fromt damagei think but it only stayed with bumper and front part of the hood.

The weather here is changing a lot in Poland, winter to -20 celsius and summer 30+ celsius, maybe it'b be leading the parts to bend as you mentioned? It came to my mind try to push em and move a little but i think i ll have to open the area more including the multimedia.

If I understand correctly, it appears that the two cams (white plastic parts) and actuators still work, just that the cams touch and make noise—although I don't hear any mechanical noise in the video, only voices. I'm guessing that one or both of the shafts on which they pivot have moved laterally somehow, causing the cams to rub together. Removing one or both of the actuator/cam assemblies and examining them might suggest a way to provide more clearance between the cams and eliminate the noise. Again, just a guess.