Why won't the louvres on my split system move?

Press the swing button and watch for a minute. Some remotes have separate up-and-down and side-to-side swing, and some set a fixed louvre position that stays until it's changed. In some modes, such as the start of a heating cycle, the louvre holds one position until the unit has warmed up. Your manual explains how your model behaves.

Curtains, a shelf, a ceiling bulkhead or something pushed into the outlet can stop a louvre partway. Avoid pushing or pulling louvres by hand. The motors turn them through small plastic gears that strip easily.

Each louvre is moved by a small stepper motor. When it fails, the louvre stays fixed, often half open, and the unit may click or buzz as it tries to move it. A broken linkage between motor and louvre gives a similar result, or the louvre moves on one side only. Less often the fault is on the control board, which usually shows up in other ways too, such as an error code.

On a unit that otherwise runs well, a louvre motor is usually a modest repair, provided the part is still available for your model. It matters most in rooms where airflow direction counts, such as sending cool air across a room in summer and warm air down towards the floor in winter. On an old unit with other faults, it may be one reason among several to think about replacing it. The repair means opening the unit near live parts, so it's a job for a technician.