Noise in back/side of explorer

I have noticed a sound- it sounds like the motor of the windshield wipers, click click, pause, click click, pause except it is coming from the panel behind the back seat behind the driver's side. The fuel is NOT on that side. There is nothing there, no speaker, no a/c.
Any idea what that sound is??

Thanks,
Stacy

Hey Stacy, welcome aboard.

Are you sure you don't have the aux climate control, aka 'rear air' (love that term) back there? Sure sounds like the noise one of the door actuators makes when they strip out.

ps: what make/model/year?

The explorer is a 2002 Limited.
I listened to it again this morning and there really isn't a pause, just the CLICK click, CLICK click. Honestly sounds like the windshield wiper motor.
I do have the rear air, but there is no vent where the sound is coming from, unless it's vented at the bottom of that panel, which I didn't look for. The sound is not in the door, it's in the panel behind the 2nd row seats, behind driver's side.

I will look for a vent at the bottom of that panel next time I get to the car.

Thanks for your help!
Stacy

It is the door actuator for the direction of the rear air. Try turning the rear air temp control from cool to hot and see if it goes away. I had to have the unit replaced because it was doing the same thing. Sounds like the gears are stripped.

X3 on the rear door actuator. There is a little A/C unit much like the one in the dash, with a flap to switch between hot/cold air. I have seen a bunch of units in the JY's you but you might be able to find just the part that broke. Not uncommon.

Yep, the rear climate control unit is located behind the plastic quarter trim panel on the driver's side. It has a blend door (blends hot and cold air to get your setting) and a mode door (directs air to floor or roof vents). Each door has an electric actuator that is a white cassett and contains small plastic gears that strip.

Here's a good tutorial on how to replace the actuators put up by member wchain: http://redassaggie00.blogspot.com/2007/11/my-first-technical-post.html

If it doesn't stop clicking when you fiddle with the controls then just remove fuse #25. That should kill it until you can fix it.

Thank you so much for your help!
And thanks for the link with directions.

Stacy