An actuating drive for an air passage apparatus for engine cooling in a vehicle, comprising - a drive motor for adjusting the air passage apparatus between an open position in which the air passage apparatus is maximally open for passage of an air stream and a closed position in which the air passage apparatus is closed so as to minimize an air stream, and - a control unit for controlling the drive motor, in which control unit are stored operating parameters for a first operating mode of the drive motor, in order to adjust the air passage apparatus between the open and closed position, as intended, wherein - the actuating drive has a drive element which is drivable by the drive motor and a driven element movable along an adjustment path (α) with the drive element for adjusting the air passage apparatus, characterized in that - the drive element and the driven element are coupled together in an operating state for adjusting the air passage apparatus, and are decoupled from each other in another operating state, whereby the driven element is movable with respect to the drive element, and - the control unit is designed and configured such that - at least one operating variable (l, U, v) of the drive motor can be determined during an adjustment of the air passage apparatus, and an evaluation can be made whether the air passage apparatus is in an operating state in which the driven element is decoupled from the drive element, and - if such an operating state is present, the drive motor is operated in at least one additional operating mode, for at least one subsequent adjustment of the air passage apparatus, wherein different operating parameters are provided for controlling the drive motor, said operating parameters being different from those in the first operating mode. - a drive motor for adjusting the air passage apparatus between an open position in which the air passage apparatus is maximally open for passage of an air stream and a closed position in which the air passage apparatus is closed so as to minimize an air stream, and - a control unit for controlling the drive motor, in which control unit are stored operating parameters for a first operating mode of the drive motor, in order to adjust the air passage apparatus between the open and closed position, as intended, - the actuating drive has a drive element which is drivable by the drive motor and a driven element movable along an adjustment path (α) with the drive element for adjusting the air passage apparatus, - the drive element and the driven element are coupled together in an operating state for adjusting the air passage apparatus, and are decoupled from each other in another operating state, whereby the driven element is movable with respect to the drive element, and - the control unit is designed and configured such that - at least one operating variable (l, U, v) of the drive motor can be determined during an adjustment of the air passage apparatus, and an evaluation can be made whether the air passage apparatus is in an operating state in which the driven element is decoupled from the drive element, and - if such an operating state is present, the drive motor is operated in at least one additional operating mode, for at least one subsequent adjustment of the air passage apparatus, wherein different operating parameters are provided for controlling the drive motor, said operating parameters being different from those in the first operating mode. - at least one operating variable (l, U, v) of the drive motor can be determined during an adjustment of the air passage apparatus, and an evaluation can be made whether the air passage apparatus is in an operating state in which the driven element is decoupled from the drive element, and - if such an operating state is present, the drive motor is operated in at least one additional operating mode, for at least one subsequent adjustment of the air passage apparatus, wherein different operating parameters are provided for controlling the drive motor, said operating parameters being different from those in the first operating mode.