How to: Cold air in glove box -OR- No air flow from vents on Max AC - Here's a workaround

[amurray25]

You may have pinched the vacuum tubes (if you dropped the motor fan). There is a small grey and a small black "wire" (actually a tube) running from the fan motor to a black, oval plastic "bottle". it's very easy to get those tubes caught in the seam of the fan edge if you take it off. The dealership did it to mine when I had them check this out (before I found this forum). Same thing happened --- air blew fine driving home that day --- next day, nothing. I loosened the bolts on the fan enough to wiggle those vacuum tubes clear of the coping, tightened the bolts back up, and it worked fine.

Thanks, I'll double check that here in a quick. I don't think I pinched them but you never know, it was getting darker out and I didnt have my work light available. Thanks!

 

[BrooksBC]

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

It worked like a charm!
Here's my addition to your wonder fix.
I bought a small piece of "all-thread" from depot (about 7" long) with a couple of nuts... drilled a tiny hole through the housing (where the bad door is)... pushed the door up into place... and stuck the all-thread in. It will hold for years!

I tried messing with the outside vent but I couldn't taped it very well.

(PS: all-thread = a long threaded rod)... I used a 1/4-20.

 

[hamjunk]

I too have been suffering with this same problem but due to it being quite hot around here lately (113 deg) I elected to take a stick i found in the yard and wedge it in the vent hole behind glove box and broke it off long enought to wedge into upper dash area, after i stuck my fingers in the vent grill and kinda got it back in the recirc location...maybe a 3 min fix but it sure helped my airflow. It has been broken entire time I owned it. I always thought my 2nd gen had a lot better ac even after checking freon levels. May fix it properly after it cools off...then agian I never really use the fresh air anyways.

oh almost forgot...I used a piece of metal kinda j shapped to get the door up where I could reach it with my fingers. Just used the hooked end in the vent holes

 

[flyinggreasemnky]

Thanks for this thread. I've had poor air flow since I got my explorer and never knew why till now. Definitely going to help with the DC heat in the constant traffic jams.

 

[rocknrone]

Just wanted to say thanks Curtis. I found this thread via internet search and was able to fix my a/c problems in no time flat! Thanks!

 

[slowstang88]

Just wanted to say thanks Curtis. I found this thread via internet search and was able to fix my a/c problems in no time flat! Thanks!

On my 05 XLT, the lock tab on the crank arm broke off and slid off the recirc door and allowed it to fall onto the fan impeding flow. All I did was remove glove box and blower, clip the mesh out with side cutters, put the door back up, mixed up some good ol JB Weld and pushed the crank arm back in and its held out so far!

 

[ahub]

thank you, hot here in central Florida

Your quick fix worked just as you stated! , many thanks God Bless You

 

[blueoval9erlifer]

Curtis and all others

Thank you for the post on how to fix the cold air in vehicle problem. I ended up taking the blower motor out and putting duct tape over the inside panel so i could still get fresh air in. Will end up taking whole dash apart sometime to fix right but for now my wife has nice warm feet and is happy happy happy.

 

[waynesmith]

Still at a loss

split the air box housing to access the flapper...Found it packed with mouse housing material........cleaned it our.....did see the flapper move when going to max-ac before I started.....nothing now......small mouse hole in the screen above the blower.....

when i ran the blower i didn't notice air being sucked in around the air box housing that i split.......

is it possible i still have mouse housing materials in my duct work???? good defrost flow but still reduced flow thru the dash and floor.....what does come out is hot......

when I look at the grill above the air box (where the door should be I see black foam material......

does th intake for the blower come from above or thru the channels around the blower.....I guessing the top....
the screen was trashed so i should put something there to keep mouse stuff and leaves out.....
getting cold up here in NH..

hope your still on the forum..thanx...wayne

 

[Curtis]

split the air box housing to access the flapper...Found it packed with mouse housing material........cleaned it our.....did see the flapper move when going to max-ac before I started.....nothing now......small mouse hole in the screen above the blower.....

when i ran the blower i didn't notice air being sucked in around the air box housing that i split.......

is it possible i still have mouse housing materials in my duct work???? good defrost flow but still reduced flow thru the dash and floor.....what does come out is hot......

when I look at the grill above the air box (where the door should be I see black foam material......

does th intake for the blower come from above or thru the channels around the blower.....I guessing the top....
the screen was trashed so i should put something there to keep mouse stuff and leaves out.....
getting cold up here in NH..

hope your still on the forum..thanx...wayne

If you're only getting hot air, Id tend to think you have a 'blend door' issue. Search the forum for it, its a known issue but totally separate from the recirc door. It makes the air hot/cold or blends for warm.

 

[yjzonie]

Excellent thread Curtis, BIG improvement in air flow. Amazing how the door falls off and just lays there making the wife complain. Also the cold air issues in the glove box solved. Thanks a bunch

 

[Curtis]

Im glad this has helped so many people. I still have done done the 'official' fix of replacing the duct. The Explorer has become my second vehicle to my Expedition and I can still live with the work around. If I do replace it, I'll be sure to do a write up like this so others know whats involved.

 

[cross6]

Just did this fix tonight. Got sick of barely having any air flow. My poor knuckles suffered but man it's like a hurricane now. Should have done this a long time ago.

Thanks for posting this. Love free fixes.

 

[turblown]

FYI... Removed broken fresh air door, question about air inlet

 

[sfhess]

Thanks for all who contributed to this thread. We bought our 02 XLT in December 2012 and my wife had complained about the lack of air flow through the vents. The other night she came home and handed me a piece that fell from the passenger side of the dash which turned out to be the actuator arm from the left side of the recirc door. First I checked the service manual and the necessary steps to fix this problem frightened me. Then I used the SEARC function here and found this thread. I used the procedure shiown here to discover that the door had fallen and I removed it. Thanks for all the help. What a useful resource!

 

[turborich]

I just tackled this in my 04. There is no need to use tape of expanding foam under the cowl. Not even any reason to open the hood. Just put the door back into place and run a single screw through the door to keep it in place. The entire fix was about 30 minutes and now the air blows ice cold. Once you get the screws out which hold the air box together you can use a couple of wooden shims to open the box up enough to work inside of it. While the OP's tips were helpful it didn't have to be nearly as complicated.

 

[andypinto]

Nice stuff here, really!
I have a different issue in my 2002 Explorer manual A/C controls.
The air flow is stuck in the defrost vents, so I don't get any air through the front and floor vents.
Any ideas of what is wrong with my Ex.?
Thanks to all.
Andy

 

[antsmands]

I just tackled the fresh air door problem on my 03 this weekend and actually replaced the door to its original location and operation. After removing the screws from the fresh air box, prying the box open and shimming it and getting the fresh air door out, I simply cut a slit in the debris screen at the bottom of the fresh air box (blower motor removed) so that I could reach my hand into the space and manipulated the fresh air door. I place a slow setting plastic glue in the end of the fresh air door where the actuator pin sits (left side and just enough glue to catch the pin without oozing out). With a long flat head screw driver I pushed the actuator pin out of the box until it was flush with the side. I put the door back into the box, reached in through screen with my hand, grabbed the door and first placed the right molded hinge pin in the pin hole in the air box. I then ailgned the left side of the door in-line with the actuator and pushed the actuator into the slot (with my finger) to make a initial connection. The actuator pin and door slot are keyed so you may not be able to set in initally. I had to turn my vent knob back and forth from open to close a couple of times to get the pin to set with the door. You will know when it keyed correcty because it will go in and set fully. The door is now attached and hanging in the proper orientation. I allowed the glue to set about an hour before testing it and it is now working like new. If I had more room I would have also inset a small secrew as a back up to assure that the pin stays connected. Ford only press fit the actuator pin into the door and the normal movement loosens the connection over time anf the door simply fall down covering the blower fan causing the reduced air flow. Look at the initial post in this thread to see what everythnig looks like. It also makes it much easier if you completely remove your left front seat to give yourself sufficient space to work. I also took out the center console even thought you donot need to to complete this repair.

Hope this Helps!

Thanks to Curtis for starting this thread and for the excellent pics. They really help get this job done!

 

[Sconhars]

I've been suffering the S. Louisiana HEAT with this problem WAY TOO LONG! Thank you for this fix!! MAJOR IMPROVEMENT!!

Great Site!
2003 XLT

 

[pnkmoore]

Thank You!!!!

A few days ago my father-in-law generously gave my 18 year-old daughter his '03 Mountaineer to take to college in the fall. I doubt he ever noticed that the fan in the Mountaineer wasn't blowing properly. Being in South Louisiana in June, it was immediately apparent to my daughter and I. Following these instructions I skipped looking at the blower (all fans speeds made the same sound, other than increased velocity... and another forum I read regarding this problem says that's a sure indicator that the fresh air flap isn't working.) and I completed this repair in about 20 minutes using a small wrench, a screwdriver and a few contortion "grunts" while maneuvering parts of my person around in the front passenger foot well. Note: this '03 had a fifth screw on the box, on the far left, that unbolted from the bottom of the housing rather than the top. I saw at least one mention of that in earlier posts. Without removal of that fifth screw, I could not get the flap out without fear of overstressing the aging plastic, and removal and replacement of the fifth screw added no extra time at all. Thank you so much! Cabin is now freezing cold and Daughter thinks I'm a super-hero! We won't worry about blocking the fresh air intake... mild winters here.