Slight airflow from floor on all settings

[BigFellor]

Regardless of which setting I have the dial on (vent, defrost, etc.) I get a slight amount of airflow from the floor vents. When I switch to either vent and floor or defrost and floor there is considerably more flow from the floor. Is this normal?

 

[Exproblems]

Regardless of which setting I have the dial on (vent, defrost, etc.) I get a slight amount of airflow from the floor vents. When I switch to either vent and floor or defrost and floor there is considerably more flow from the floor. Is this normal?

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Some us in here have the same issue, getting blower air thru the floor vent even when other vents have been selected on the dash. No one has an answer for it as of yet, but it doesn't really bother me. Mine is doing this even with the broken air recirculation door having been removed. If you are losing blower air flow to the defroster vents or any other vents are losing air flow from the blower, your air recirculation door is most likely broken and blocking the flow of air to the vents. It doesn't always block all the flow of air to the vents, just most of it. Check the info below from me and the web link for the air recirc door removal post from "Curtis".


Air Recirculation Door Fix

You could have a broken "air recirculation door”. The air recirc door falls to the bottom of the air box that sits above the blower motor/fan and will block the flow of air to most dash vents. The air recirc door panel is approx 5 in High x 11 in Long and kind of flat. It's a very common problem, happened to me and I removed the air recirc door and now my air flow is great again. The air box is behind the glove box, go thru there to remove the air recirc door. Below is a link with photos to do this repair written by "Curtis". You only need to remove 4 screws (2 on the left side and 2 on the right side) to split open the air box. Do not remove the blower motor, not needed to do to do this repair. Open the air box from the right end of it, this end opens the farthest and you should be able to see the air recirc door laying flat inside, it shouldn't be there. Try and pull the air recirc door panel out by the 5 inch narrow end using needle nose pliers, might have to turn it sideways to do this. Might have to fight with it to get it out, but it will come out. Once this door is removed, you will lose "Max AC" coldness, but still have AC, just not as frosty cold. Remember, this "may be" your problem, some of your description has the symptoms of it. Good luck.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=284042

 

[jchristian79]

Same (or similar) problem with mine. I posted a thread a couple weeks ago that didn't really get anywhere. I've checked my recirc door and it's intact and working as it should so I've ruled that out. My next thing to check is all the vacuum lines. Not sure how to do that yet though...

 

[BigRondo]

I have the same issue but haven't investigated it yet. When I do, I'll post up my results in the jchristian79 thread: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=336376

 

[Exproblems]

My next thing to check is all the vacuum lines. Not sure how to do that yet though...

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I know from reading some posts on vacuum lines to the vent control knob on the dash, is there are 5 vacuum lines of different colors running from the back of the dash vent control knob to some kind of connection point closer to the firewall and then they go out in different directions from there to the engine compartment. You would have to trace them all the way to their point of origin. Doesn't sound easy to do. You should be able to see the 5 vaccum lines thru the glove box opening and then they disappear behind the dash.

 

[BigRondo]

My next thing to check is all the vacuum lines. Not sure how to do that yet though...

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I know from reading some posts on vacuum lines to the vent control knob on the dash, is there are 5 vacuum lines of different colors running from the back of the dash vent control knob to some kind of connection point closer to the firewall and then they go out in different directions from there to the engine compartment. You would have to trace them all the way to their point of origin. Doesn't sound easy to do. You should be able to see the 5 vaccum lines thru the glove box opening and then they disappear behind the dash.

Here is vacuum info for the Manual Climate Control, from my '02 shop manual. I can email or PM the full size pics if requested:

 

[jchristian79]

Here is vacuum info for the Manual Climate Control, from my '02 shop manual. I can email or PM the full size pics if requested:

Great info! So is the Function Selector Switch is the dash switch to select where air goes, right? The end view in the first pic, is that directly behind it?

This looks like it could get pretty tedious trying to test out all those lines, but at least it gives me a place to start, thanks for the info!

 

[glockman]

There is a vacuum operated damper behind the console just abve and to the right of the gas pedal. There are two lines connected to it. One is blue and the other I think is Yellow. They come directly off the back of the climate control switch. I have the opposite issue. I barely have any airflow from the floor. Most comes out of the defrost no matter what is selected. There is a damper for the floor, one for the panel and one for the defrost. The floor and panel are spring assisted to the closed position and vacuum over rides the spring. The defrost is the opposite. That way if you loose vacuum to the system the windshield will still be defrosted. Also, there is one hose that comes through the firewal behind the glove boxl, I believe it is white or black, it feeds vacuum to the entire climate control. If you don't have good vacuum there none of it will work correctly.

 

[BigRondo]

Great info! So is the Function Selector Switch is the dash switch to select where air goes, right? The end view in the first pic, is that directly behind it?

This looks like it could get pretty tedious trying to test out all those lines, but at least it gives me a place to start, thanks for the info!

Yes the function selector switch dictates where the air flow goes. The top left in the first picture shows the back of the selector switch.

 

[WaMtExplorer]

There is a vacuum operated damper behind the console just abve and to the right of the gas pedal. There are two lines connected to it. One is blue and the other I think is Yellow. They come directly off the back of the climate control switch. I have the opposite issue. I barely have any airflow from the floor. Most comes out of the defrost no matter what is selected. There is a damper for the floor, one for the panel and one for the defrost. The floor and panel are spring assisted to the closed position and vacuum over rides the spring. The defrost is the opposite. That way if you loose vacuum to the system the windshield will still be defrosted. Also, there is one hose that comes through the firewal behind the glove boxl, I believe it is white or black, it feeds vacuum to the entire climate control. If you don't have good vacuum there none of it will work correctly.

I have this problem as well except it is only when you select floor, floor defrost or just defrost. A lot of flow to defrost little to floor. So my question is should I check the hoses to those two first? Also mine is an '05 so are the line colors different?

 

[Exproblems]

Also mine is an '05 so are the line colors different?

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Yes, the vacuum hoses are different colors. Look at "Big Rondo's" post above that has the diagram of the vacuum hose connections and colors listed. The vehicle years for 3rd generation Explorers is 2002-2005.

 

[glockman]

Looks like the hose colors are the same on my 98. Blue goes to the floor damper, yellow goes to defrost. However, the yellow also goes to the opposite side of the floor damper to adjust flow when defrost/floor is selected. This partially closes the floor damper. I haven't put a gauge in either line yet so I can't be much help there. My best guess would be that they should be equal when def/floor is selected and the blue should have more vac when just floor is selected.

 

[glockman]

Stuck a gauge on the hoses at the floor vacuum actuator this morning. I am only getting 5 inches of hg. Traced that to the feed line under the glove box. Same thing there. Pulled the line under the hood that feeds the vacuum reservoir and got around 40 inches of hg there. Anyone know what it should read at the selector switch? I'm at 4500 ft of elevation so mine may be different than what others see.

 

[photon phil]

Same problem on my 05. I just got it back from the dealer. They wanted to replace the whole HVAC bos behind the dash. Only 1900 dollars There has to be a cheaper fix.

 

[Exproblems]

A lot of flow to defrost little to floor. QUOTE]>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Mine does this when selected to defrost. I get some air flow out of the floor vent, but most comes out of the defrost vent. Just going to live with it and it doesn't really bother me, keeps my feet warm and thaws and dries out any snow in the drivers footwell area.

 

[glockman]

Pull the passenger fender liner and check both vacuum lines coming from the vacuum res to the firewall. That's where my problem was. Both lines were broken on mine.