01 XJ blend door actuator

my a/c started to blow cool, not cold. i am borrowing a set of a/c manifold gauges tomorrow to check the hi/lo pressures. my compressor comes on as does the elec fan. temp at center vents lingers around 65-70 deg F. I dont see any signs of leaks. i was reading through some threads that led me to the blend door actuator. i checked it by changing from heat to MAX a/c.....it didn't move. so i took it out and turned the blend door by hand.....no resistance. it moves freely. i'm 99% sure that the actuator is dead.

does anyone know of a way to test it? is it 12v? anyone have a wiring diagram?

however, even after gettting the blend door in the correct position to eliminate any heater core contribution, center vent temp only at about 60deg F. its about 85 deg here in Philadelphia today. what I have read indicates that one can expect about a 40 deg difference from outside ambient temp (45 deg), which I do not have.

thanks for any input. too hot to not have good a/c!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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well, i noodled more with the actuator last night..........it is NOT bad, just a loose plug/insert connection. I used a couple of matchsticks to firm it up. blend door works with the temp knob.

on to the A/C. put gauges on with engine off. both read around 80 psi. fired up the Peep, set a/c on recirc, temp on max cool and fan on high.

Lo pressure kept going up then down and the compressor kept cycling, so I jumpered the lo pressure switch to keep the compressor on. I let it run until the elec cooling fan came on...about 5-6 minutes.

Lo pressure around 24 psi and Hi pressure around 160 psi. So I deduce that my freon level is low.

I searched again for any leaks with my eyes since I don't have any tools to help me with this. But...................after I shut the Peep down and removed the gauges I looked into the ports and.................I saw bubbles coming out around the Hi pressure schrader valve.

Now, can the valve be replaced or do I have to buy the whole hose assembly that attaches to the compressor?

The valve core can be replaced. However, you will need to reclaim the refrigerant then evacuate the system before you recharge.

There are special tools that will allow you to swap out the core without emptying the system, but these are expensive and typically not for DIY.

The loss may still be due to a leak so a leak check may be in order.