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Recirc door/fresh air intake info and questions

51K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  DODGE RAM IT 
#1 ·
Like many others I am having some HVAC issues related to Dodge's poorly designed air handling system. While test driving the truck last winter my wife noticed cold air coming in from under the dash on the passenger side. I told the salesman and they "fixed" it before I bought the truck. He didn't bother to tell me how and I didn't ask. It didn't take long to figure out it wasn't fixed and a little research (courtesy of heatertreater.com) told me it was probably the recirc door and I have fresh, cold air passing through the exterior intake and out the interior intake. Fast forward through the summer when it didn't really matter and now it's getting time to fix it. So today I pull the glovebox out and drop the fan motor expecting to find a broken door. Nope, it's gone already. Then I get the idea to block off the exterior intake so I loosen the black plastic grille at the base of the windshield and peek under there on the passenger side. I found what I assume is the exterior fresh air intake in the form of an irregular oval shaped hole on the far passenger side and, surprise, it's covered. It looks like it's been sealed up with a rectangular metallic looking flexible sheet that is apparently covered with glue on the bottom side. So I assume this is the dealer fix. Looks like they removed the broken door and sealed the exterior intake.

So can anyone confirm if the hole on the far passenger side of the upper cowl is the fresh air intake?

Also, if it is I don't understand why there is still cold air coming in through the passenger side. Is there anywhere else the air could be coming from? I'm certain it's fresh air coming in somewhere and not the system blowing cold air. The flow is a little weak but the heat does blow from the passenger side foot vent and I can actually hear the air coming in while driving down the road.

Lastly, anyone know of any issues that can be caused by blocking the exterior intake inside the box? I have a template already made to make a blockoff plate.

Sorry this is so long. I'm a descriptive sort of person, lol. Thanks for any advice.
 
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#3 ·
The right side behind the glove box is the freash air intake. There is a Modification kit out from Dodge that gets you the complete assembly (Box, Servo, and Door).
This kit also includes 3 of the dervo couplers for the other doors. The new couplers are black instead of the white one from the factory. The stop tabs break off the white ones. The Dodge kit Part number is 68004226AC
 
#5 ·
I bought a 97 cent thin plastic cutting board at Walmart yesterday, cut it to fit, put foam insulation/weatherstripping around the edges, and screwed that bad boy over the fresh air intake vent up under the dash. Presto, fixed.

It was a bit of a PITA because you have to work through the blower motor hole and there is little room and some aggravating angles. But I finally got two screws in it and it seems solid and secure. If it breaks or fails for some other reason I am just going to go the heatertreater route.
 
#7 ·
If the weather is damp and you have no fresh air coming in, your windows may fog up. My blender door also broke off and fell over the blower motor, so I just removed it with the intention of trying to fix it someday. That was over a year ago and it hasn't bothered me much at all. And I live in the snowy northwest.
 
#8 ·
If the weather is damp and you have no fresh air coming in, your windows may fog up. My blender door also broke off and fell over the blower motor, so I just removed it with the intention of trying to fix it someday. That was over a year ago and it hasn't bothered me much at all. And I live in the snowy northwest.
Yeah, now that you mention it the windows have seemed to fog up a little easier since I fixed it. It's nothing the defroster or cracking a window won't fix though. The bigger problem is that as it's gotten colder we have realized there is still a little air coming in under there. The hole under the dash is irregularly shaped and not a completely flat surface so I don't think I have a perfect seal. So my fix has made the problem tolerable but not completely solved it. I will probably let it ride for the remainder of the year and spring for a heatertreater kit before next winter.

Do you not have passengers in your truck very often? My wife had to put her feet up in the seat (no shoes of course, lol) before I fixed it. The cold air coming in was freezing her feet. I could actually feel a little cold air circulating to my side....there was that much coming in. The heater has no problem keeping it warm in the truck even on a low setting but the passenger's feet are in for it, lol.
 
#10 ·
David, may i suggest that you go online to YOUTUBE
type in HeaterTreater
there is a section for Dodge, 3 videos from them. Pre 2002 & 2002 & newer
there are also several other videos from other sources, all about the climate control fixes

Good Luck
 
#11 ·
If you are sure that the air is coming from under the dash and not actually blowing from your hvac system then your recirc door is broken. Very common problem. Fresh ambient air enters the exterior intake and blows out the interior intake. Results in mild frostbite for your passenger on cold winter days.
 
G
#12 ·
ok let me try this again.
I had just typed all this out and have to do it again.
in a nut shell i have had my truck from day 1. the recirc has always been a problem with tons of mechanics trying to fix this problem I found that the one mechanic that I used at the dealership haha blocked off the intake from under the valence the black panel under window wipers and accessed the intake. I investigated closer and found even though he made a block for the fresh air he didnt block all ofthe ports. if you take your time and look there is along the firewall at the top is a narrow strip of space that will allow air to get in also look inside the triangular intake and you wil also see two oval holes patch those closed. ok now you talk about making a metal fabricated piece I just did the duct work on my home and had some of the aluminum tape for duct work it is actually metal backed tape cut two 4 inch legnths of tape put over those oval holes cut another length about 10 inches to cover the long narrow gap that is left of the triangle and then cut your tape to cover the triangle hole this tape is strong and will make the job much easier. you can find thie tape and any hardwere store. I have to say I now have awesome flow and no hot blazing heat coming in. I live in the south and damn son it gets hot the temp gage coming out of the vent would read 60f and would just blow out the the fresh air intake.
 
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