How to: My take on the blend door fix for 95+ Explorers (several pics)

[Robert]

TSB article # 99-8-8 covers the nylon vs. ABS plastic doors and has some troubleshooting steps.

TSB article # 98-23-20 covers the issue of the incorrect door being installed on some vehicles. It lists the correct part numbers that should be installed.

According to the TSB's the entire plenum needs to be replaced.

 

[wpurple]

http://www.mightyap.com/Data/otl1200.pdf

just a good article to read although after reading it, I think I never want to buy a FORD again

 

[jjue]

You replace the whole plenum. I don't know of a part number for the door by itself.

 

[BoatsRcool]

ok well the car im getting, only max a/c worked, so i thought it was this,but he got some sensor changed, and someone said thats not possible because its a manual tranny - but all the a/c is working now... im getting a warrenty and paying $35 a month for it, so if this does happen i should be covered b/c A/C stuff is.

 

[X24]

Originally posted by BoatsRcool
...im getting a warrenty and paying $35 a month for it, so if this does happen i should be covered b/c A/C stuff is.

Be careful. Most warranties only cover major A/C stuff like the compressor and condenser.

 

[Robert]

Also be careful, since my aftermarket warranty company does not cover any item that the manufacturer has admitted any kind of responsibility through recalls or TSBs. My warranty company would not cover my blend door if it failed since there is a TSB. But then again, my warranty company wouldn't cover a whole lot on my Explorer now that just about everything has had a TSB of some kind written about it. This is also my warranty companies top of the line "Diamond Plan" that is supposed to cover every single thing on my vehicle except normal wear ant tear items.

 

[BoatsRcool]

what is a tsb.

 

[X24]

Technical service bullitin. Its something Ford issues when they know they have a problem. It states what the problem is and how to fix it.

 

[mikeh]

Arrg!! I just got done fixing the 00M12 problem and now I have this blend door problem.

Is there no end. I was hoping to be done with this crap for a while.

This morning on my way to work I notice my heat not getting hot. The truck warms up to a steady normal temp but the heat blows out ice cold. I play with it and switch it back and forth and at the end of the drive it finally switches over.

I don't plan on moving anything until next summer when I don't need heat anymore. Apparently you can't even turn the heat off or the door shuts to the cold setting.

Thanks for the writeup jjue. I would definitely like some more details like a list of requred parts but I probably will try to fix this one myself too.

Apparently this 98 is a lemon year. This will be my last Ford for sure!!

mikeh

 

[Robb]

mikeh,
Your problem sounds more like the heater valve gettin stuck, not the blend door. Does the a/c work fine, or only in MAX (or 60degrees with ATC)?

I thought the blend door problem had been fixed by '98, but I may be wrong.

Robb

 

[tedk]

Blend Door shape question

Hello,

I just looked at jjue info on the blend door problem. I fliped down glove box. When I went thru diagnostics (pressed off/floor simultaneously, then relese, then press automatic button) a square (about 4" x 4") door opened then closed when I changed the temp setting. This door is located behind the right side rear of glove box. It runs on approx the same plane as the windshield. It is conected to a round black metal actuator device (about 2" diameter) with a shiny flat metal bar. It plunges up to open door, and down to close it. Am I looking at the "infamous blend door" or it the blend door elsewhere?

Thanks,
Ted

 

[alphabets13]

i can almost guarantee you that no warranty co. is going to cover this problem. and for thr record i got mine fixed about 2 mos. ago and i got a deal at $597

 

[TPLYNCH]

Mikeh, I agree with Morrisey. Check your heater control valve. They do go bad. If you see Antifreeze on it, it's probably shot. They start leaking. That's one of the symptoms. Also when the blend door breaks, my understanding is it ends up dropping to the Heat position.

 

[Opera House]

tedk, you won't see the blend door

Without cutting through the plastic of the plenum. The door can get stuck in either extreme. Mine was stuck in the AC position and I couldn't get heat. I wrote a post here called "Blend door, so you're cold, cheap and lazy" back on 10-18-02 explaining where to cut the box so you can physically move the door so you can get heat till you come up with cash or the time for the repair.

 

[mrorayus]

Thanks for the tip off on the climate control problem, although this is exactly what I did not want to hear. I just love taking dashboards out of cars to replace heater cores and the like. I know what I am doung with my first week of winter break. Sure beats snowboarding, right? CrAp!!!

 

[itbejared]

Thanks for the info... I didn't have any luck with getting Ford to do it for me.. But I know a guy in the parts dept and I can get the new 'updated' chamber for only $75 I'll be doing it sometime soon.

 

[vbtruk]

Hey Guy's can you confirm if my blend door is GONE!
I have Always' got heat on and A/C seem's to only blow warm air and MAX A/C seems to work normal???
If it is the Blend door do i really need to pull everything out to fix it, or can i just replace the blend door box by removing the glove box? As i don't have all that much time to spend on ripping out the whole dash and i aint paying FORD for it!
Thanks for all your help!

 

[alphabets13]

sorry vbtruk, but it sounds like you have all the symptoms of a broken blend door. i know there is a thread and a way to give it a temporary fix by doing something behind the glove box but eventually that also will not hold up. but definitely don't go to ford like you said. i got mine done by a guy we knew and it was only $597. i say only, but ford wants like $900 to fix their mistake. screw them.

 

[vbtruk]

ok thanks i'll prob do the temp fix for now untill i get time to get it apart and fix it properly

 

[vbtruk]

Ok guy's looks like i will be pulling out my dash to fix it but i just need to confirm first: when i had the glove box down the other day i was turning the heater control back and forth and i could hear a noise like as if the blend door was moving but i only have heat!!! so is it definately the blend door? Because when i rang FORD they said they have never heard of this problem and said it could be something else, my biggest problem is that my Explorer was built in the US as a right hand drive for AUS and my parts differ to that of your's and my Ford CD does not cover the Right hand drive Explorer's. It's build date is DEC 97' and it's classified as a 98 model Explorer so i am gathering i have the faulty plastic blend door.
and one more thing when pulling out the dash do i need to remove all that stuff in the engine bay to get the dash out or was that done for something else?
any more info on pulling out the dash in more detail for this fix would be much appreciated and any info on the right hand drive built models would be great to, i mean like if they have different parts or stuff like that. Thanks guy's i will most probably be fixing it in about a mounth!