OK, so I'm biting the bullet and finally going to attempt to replace my driver air mix door motor in my 2004 Infiniti QX56, which has been clicking now for over 3 years. The access is a b**** and hence the reason I've put it off for so long. In an online search for an easy way to do this, I came across the thread where some people were able to replace this by reaching over the black box that houses the evaporator and removing it blindly. I tried this and to be honest, I don't see how anyone can do that. I was able to remove a few of the screws that attach the actuator but that's it. I tried for an hour and there was no way I was getting it out that way. So now I will need to remove the dashboard to gain access. I actually need to remove my instrument cluster to send in for refurbishment since my RPM indicator went dead recently so while that part is out being repaired, I might as well tackle this actuator repair since the truck will be non-operable. I have the new actuator part I need.

Can anyone point me to where it explains how to remove the top dashboard so I can gain access to the air mix door motor? In the past, I've replaced the lower air mix door (passenger) and the actuator behind the radio. I've also had the center console trim parts removed in the past when I installed a Neo Bluetooth set-up so if I need to remove all of that, I've go that covered. Also, I have the service manual but I cannot find where it describes how to remove the dashboard ...might have glossed over it by mistake.

Thanks!
Steve

you need the service manual to remove the dash. its mandatory!

and its not for the feint of heart either! I have seen a cat remove the dash and it looks scary as heck!

but get the service manual and you're golden bro. it's not hard, just time consuming. you will need 3 hands sometimes so best to have a buddy who is down for the assist.

Yeah, thanks man but as I mentioned in my post, I already have the service manual and looked through the various modules and could not find how to remove the dash. Which section is it in?

if you look at the HVAC section, it will give info on which part of the service manual you will need to reference to get to a certain part.

i would wager if you look at the hvac section that should give you a good start.

As a follow-up to my original post on this topic, I successfully replaced that upper blend door actuator motor last weekend and there were a few things I did to make this happen just so that others on here with the same problem can gain a bit more confidence on how to replace their failing actuator motors. I DID NOT need to remove the dashboard! What I did do is disconnect the battery, then removed the glove box assembly and black cover to the evaporator for a bit easier access to where the actuator sits. Now, here is the part that made this work for me. I also removed the shifter knob, center shifter assembly, radio/HVAC trim bezel, and removed the radio/CD head unit. Removing the head unit was key as it allows you to see the actuator. I still had to reach my hand over the evaporator to remove the screws and the actuator itself but being able to see where the screws were and how the door arms line up to the actuator was absolutely crucial for me. I did have to go out and buy one of those small flexible LED flashlights ($6.00 at Home Depot) so that I could verify that the door arms lined up into the new actuator correctly. If you don't get these arms lined up right, the entire job would be a waste of time. Shining that flexible light inside the tight spot where the actuator sits allows you to see how the black arm lines up. The white arm is closer to the front and since it's white, you can easily see how that lines up without the flashlight but the black arm that sits further back blends in with the black background and you cannot see it with some added light. I got everything put back together, reconnected the battery, started the truck up, and there it was, the sweet sound of silence! No more clicking. I then confirmed that the HVAC was working properly by cycling through the various A/C modes and everything worked as it should. This job sucks but I saved probably on the order of about $400-$500 in labor costs.