ACC Blend Door Repair Oddity

[AT ONE SIR]

It seems that you are not a real SAAB owner until you have repaired the ACC blend doors. I had some time to change the air filters (engine and cabin), and since I was going to be under the cabin kicker, I thought I would take a look at my ACC blend on that side (I am getting error 12 and cold air only blows up on the windshield).

Cabin air filter change aside, I started to get at the blend motor on the passenger side. Before disconnecting the thermocouple and stepper motor connector, I noticed an extra blend motor connector that looks EXACTLY like the one that is connected to the passenger blend motor "R". Just hanging there unconnected. I have read just about every tutorial and SAAB ACC repair tutorial out there, and I have never seen this. Picture below. Maybe I missed something?

Anyone know what this is all about? I should add that I already did the drivers side ACC Blend inspection and I had a broken white arm that I am repairing with the aluminum version from an ebay seller called "jaysandkays" here. $30 USD. The "extra" harness is not the drivers side harness as that one was hanging on the other side of the dash. There are only 2 motors, right? What would that other harness be for?

Tips and things I learned:

1. I would seriously invest in a camping-style LED headlamp. I did this with a flashlight and almost exhausted my cursing vocabulary. Almost.
2. Vacuum out the old junk when replacing your cabin air filters, and replace the rectangular foam piece. Put foam bit on first, slide in filter, then remove double-sided tape to connect to foam. You can reach it.
3. Be prepared to see what looks to be white titanium grease gooped on the plastic blend door parts at the factory. I had to wipe it down to see if the internals of the plastic parts were in order and if they turned freely, etc.
4. Use the little foam plugs you punch out from the cabin air filter to slide over your thermocouples. Make a pilot hole with a nail and protect those pins.
5. Find out which way you can manually move the exposed vent linkages such that you get your desired output (hot/cold + dash/floor) for whatever season you are enjoying (and waiting for parts).
6. Take the stepper motors out and make sure the brass bits are oriented in the proper direction for reset re-assembly. My stepper motors were impossible to move by hand, and I needed to put a towel over a wrench to get them to move. But they did move smoothly with "that servo sound".
7. Don't leave your interior lights on during the whole repair, leaving you with a Saab that won't start. I haven't seen my buddy in a while anyway...

Hope this helps someone, or at least adds to the ACC Blend door repair corpus.

Along with the broken white arm, I also had a small black plastic disc fall out of the kicker from the drivers side. What's that disc all about?

[AT ONE SIR]

What is that other wiring harness for?

[walawala]

the other motor should be the air distribution flap

[AT ONE SIR]

the other motor should be the air distribution flap

I know. On the DRIVERS side. It is there with its own harness. This is on the PASSENGER side, so I'm a little perplexed and was hoping for some help.

[Finding41]

Is this on your new SUV?
My 9-5's have 2 motors on the pass side. One blend door and the other directional.
I haven't had the drivers side open yet.

[AT ONE SIR]

This is on my 2001 9-5 wagon. Still perplexed because I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere, and there are numerous ACC blend door articles, posts and tutorials on the interwebs.

[Finding41]

I needed a new blend door motor for my 04 Arc. I pulled one out of a 01 aero sedan at the junk yard. I thought it was the same.I was Wrong!
It had a different drive from the motor into a different gear box and then a different final drive going into the blend door! (I found this out when I got home.) I returned and got the plastic frame the whole thing goes in to be able to bolt it on. I decided to keep the motor and "make" it work.
I ended up using 2 part epoxy to "cement" the new (looked like this -D just the - is attached to the D) smaller and different shaped drive into the old drive socket. (old {04) looked like a hexagon.) I filled the hole, put it together and let it sit over night. (I applied it when it was just setting up enough to make sure It didn't run out of the hole.)
Works fine. Here are some pictures of it.

[AT ONE SIR]

wow. that's fantastic. Love to see make it work working. well done!

[walawala]

I know. On the DRIVERS side. It is there with its own harness. This is on the PASSENGER side, so I'm a little perplexed and was hoping for some help.

that's odd. WIS shows 2 motors on passanger side, and only 1 motor on the driver's side.

the air distribution motor comes with the linkage rod that also controls the air distribution to the rear vents exactly as the photos in Finding41's post.

you could try playing with the air distribution and heat control while look at the motors move to tell which motor does what

[Finding41]

that's odd. WIS shows 2 motors on passanger side, and only 1 motor on the driver's side.

the air distribution motor comes with the linkage rod that also controls the air distribution to the rear vents exactly as the photos in Finding41's post.

you could try playing with the air distribution and heat control while look at the motors move to tell which motor does what

I'm slowly learning to take pictures with my phone (BB Torch)before I pull things apart. (I say slowly because I forget sometimes and am kicking myself later.)
I did exactly what is described above. Play around untill you figure what does what. Only adjust ONE thing at a time!
I did worry about the motor/blend door position when I put it back together..... Ware was that set before I started....?
Either I am very lucky or it doesn't matter and adjusts its self accordingly. I think the latter is the case.