A/C vents on passenger side blowing hot while on cold setting | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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A/C vents on passenger side blowing hot while on cold setting

Floordford

Active Member
Joined
February 15, 2016
Messages
94
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City, State
Nashville
Year, Model & Trim Level
'07 Sport Trac 4.6 4x4
Im having a hard time finding the right answer to my issue. Ive searched and searched. So as the title states, when running the A/C the driver gets nice cold air but the passenger gets hot air but the setting is on cold. Ive tried selecting dual temp and also single temp and that doesnt seem to matter.
Can someone point out what needs to be examined to get an accurate diagnosis on this?
 



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Bumping this because I has a similar problem on passenger side, but only intermittent.... blows cold for most of the time, then warm, then back to cold.


2009 STA, 4.6 AWD
 






hi guys. this is very common. When your a/c gas is low pressure (r134a or r12 if u swapped), the driverside is the only side to get properly cooled. Give it another month or so and that side will also be getting warmer (since you probably have a leak).

9 times out of 10 it's the little spring-valve (forget what it's called) on the low-pressure side of your A/c system. If you top up the gas with a dye in it... you'll have 100% cooling for the rest of the summer and you can check and see if any dye got out in that valve area. If so... you have till spring to replace the valve, vacuum the system, and recharge.

best of luck guys :)

ps. the valve can be removed easily with a shrader-style tool (or an old ~1/8 long socket with a notch in it). Don't do what I did and try to just "tighten" it to stop the leak. you will snap off the top and you WILL NOT be able to remove it. I was going to replace the entire low-pressure lines then decided to replace the threaded assembly only (welding/etc required since I was lazy). LOL. Learn from my mistake.

edit.
the low pressure valve is the small vertical spring-valve located where you hook up your a/c equipment and recharge. I'm guessing it's got a black cap on it and it is on the driver-side near the front somewhere (close to your airbox/radiator).
 






My guess would be: If you have the dual zone climate control, the blend box door actuator on the passenger side is failing. Regardless if you are using the dual zone feature or not. (73° on driver, 68° on passenger)

Fairly common given its plastic gears and from past threads, its a chore to remove and replace. Inexpensive though.
 






@engineeering: I will get my system checked and charged. Thanks for all the info.

@Trac Marks: Where is the passenger side blend door actuator located so I can check that also. Thanks.
 






regarding the blend door.... this issue is very rare but possible. If this is the case... you should not be getting blowing air. I think you are getting warm blowing air.

You can get the blend door to open by pushing a 1/4" to 3/8" rod (about 24" long maybe) into the right-centre vent (between the directional blades ) and you can "push" the door open. If the electronic actuator (and plastic gears) has failed, this will open the vent for you so you can check (without disassembly to test). If you keep doing this with the rod though... you might damage the blend door or actuator.

Edit. The only reason I know this is because I searched the forums and got a similar answer when I had the problem. I ended up trying the blend door thing and i learned that mine was working fine and I still had hot air. I left if for a while and I ended up with hot air all around. I have the a/c tools so it wasn't hard to do a recharge/etc. I was actually pretty surprised that it worked cause I still don't know how exactly a lower efficiency with the a/c will cause the driver side to still be quite cold while the passenger was hot. Unless I pulled the whole system out and looked at how the vents are plumbed etc... couldn't tell you. But I'll bet that's your problem. Been wrong before.
 






@engineeering: Yes I am getting blowing air, cold(cool) then warm through passenger side dash vents. If it is extremely warm out (+85) the drivers side doesn't feel real cold. So I'm guessing you are probably correct in the AC system needs a recharge. Could this also cause the passenger side to blow cold air during the winter when the heat should be coming out. I bought this last Dec and when the heat was on, the passenger side sometimes blow cold, then hot again.
Thanks for all your info and help.
 






Sorry. But I'm not sure about that. I'm not as familiar with the heating system
 






@engineeering: Yes I am getting blowing air, cold(cool) then warm through passenger side dash vents. If it is extremely warm out (+85) the drivers side doesn't feel real cold. So I'm guessing you are probably correct in the AC system needs a recharge. Could this also cause the passenger side to blow cold air during the winter when the heat should be coming out. I bought this last Dec and when the heat was on, the passenger side sometimes blow cold, then hot again.
Thanks for all your info and help.
 






Recharged the A/C (full canister) last weekend and that indeed seems to have solved the warm passenger side problem. Hasn't blown warm since.
Now to figure out the sometimes cold on passenger side with heating.
 






Don't confuse the symptoms of low a freon charge with the symptoms of blend door actuation malfunction. Low freon charge can cause the a/c compressor to drop in and out and ALL air flow is either cold or not. It does not cause the air from one vent to be colder/warmer than the other!
That is a blend door malfunction issue!
 






My guess would be: If you have the dual zone climate control, the blend box door actuator on the passenger side is failing. Regardless if you are using the dual zone feature or not. (73° on driver, 68° on passenger)

Fairly common given its plastic gears and from past threads, its a chore to remove and replace. Inexpensive though.
I replaced the air blend actuator and it did not help with this problem at all, so now I suppose I have two good actuators lol
I am going to try putting more Freon in and hopefully that helps. It’s weird that it only gets hot on the passenger side
 






I replaced the air blend actuator and it did not help with this problem at all, so now I suppose I have two good actuators lol
I am going to try putting more Freon in and hopefully that helps. It’s weird that it only gets hot on the passenger side
What are you referring to when you say "actuator"? The little vacuum cans or the square motors?
 






I replaced the air blend actuator and it did not help with this problem at all, so now I suppose I have two good actuators lol
I am going to try putting more Freon in and hopefully that helps. It’s weird that it only gets hot on the passenger side
Good gosh, moron. If it wasn't blowing cold, Freon is the FIRST thing you should have checked!!!

My GF's '06 is now blowing much cooler on the right side than on the left. Seems that's a thing (even after being properly charged.) No ****, it's an actuator. WTF else would make it blow cold right, and less-cold left, when they use the same ****ing cooling source! ASSCLOWNS!
 






Im having a hard time finding the right answer to my issue. Ive searched and searched. So as the title states, when running the A/C the driver gets nice cold air but the passenger gets hot air but the setting is on cold. Ive tried selecting dual temp and also single temp and that doesnt seem to matter.
Can someone point out what needs to be examined to get an accurate diagnosis on this?
It can be several problems, but here was mine! I chased the exact same issue on 2009 EXP EB with dual air. Mine was erratic and sometimes clicked! I removed both of the blend door motors (pax/driver side). I found both were NOT is the same index position as the two new MOTORCRAFT motors I ordered, AS REMOVED!!!! (NOTE: when you turn your EXP off, both motors return to the same POWER OFF position. There is a circuit INSIDE each motor that sends a signal to the PCM to let it known the index position of each of the motors/doors! Both are attached to the left/right blend doors which in turn tell the PCM each doors position ~ OPEN or CLOSED. I also noticed a ton of grease on the copper position circuits inside. My assumption was the grease was causing an erratic electrical connection and thereby confusing the PCM with false door position indications. The PCM also uses this same position circuit to send power to the motors/doors to position them in OPEN or CLOSE as directing by operator input and other settings (temp/dual air on/off...etc).

I replaced both and BINGO! Everything went back to NORMAL OPERATION! $34 each for OEM AMAZON! well worth it. This job can be done at home, but it takes a good mechanic with patience and tool and hand skills! It an be done in 5 minutes per side ONCE you learn how to do it. IT may take you all day the first time!

NOTE: The most common cause of failure is the tiny toothed plastic gears inside the motor that break and lose a tooth. Mine were NOR broken.

My removed units make be good (after removing all that excess grease, but I did not take that chance!

You may have a broken tooth in one blend door only.
You may have a broken vacuum line between the blend motor and the one way check valve on the pax side firewall/engine compartment.
You may have the same issue I had.
I suggest you remove and replace the blend door motor from the side that is pushing warm air vs cold with AC on.
If no help, change the other side as well!

Here is a great link on the pax side removal EB with Dual Air.
 






Im having a hard time finding the right answer to my issue. Ive searched and searched. So as the title states, when running the A/C the driver gets nice cold air but the passenger gets hot air but the setting is on cold. Ive tried selecting dual temp and also single temp and that doesnt seem to matter.
Can someone point out what needs to be examined to get an accurate diagnosis on this?
Last summer I was having uneven temperatures between the driver and passenger sides. The reason was a weak compressor. Installed a new one and the problem disappeared and hasn't occurred since.
 






Last summer I was having uneven temperatures between the driver and passenger sides. The reason was a weak compressor. Installed a new one and the problem disappeared and hasn't occurred since.
I am happy it worked out for you, but they inadvertently fixed the real problem. The compressor efficiency has nothing to do with different temps coming out of one side/ducts vs the other! The temp being supplied to ALL areas is the same and equal to what the compressor capability! Think about it!
 






I am happy it worked out for you, but they inadvertently fixed the real problem. The compressor efficiency has nothing to do with different temps coming out of one side/ducts vs the other! The temp being supplied to ALL areas is the same and equal to what the compressor capability! Think about it!
I don't know what to tell you other than the compressor was replaced, the problem went away and hasn't returned. No other parts were replaced other than the compressor. The AC blows ice cold. The compressor was bad because turning the clutch plate was far too easy. If the compressor is working properly then there will be some resistance. It takes just a few minutes to check. I am not saying this is the problem but if the OP is having trouble diagnosing what is wrong this is one thing to easily cross off the list of possibilities.
 






I don't know what to tell you other than the compressor was replaced, the problem went away and hasn't returned. No other parts were replaced other than the compressor. The AC blows ice cold. The compressor was bad because turning the clutch plate was far too easy. If the compressor is working properly then there will be some resistance. It takes just a few minutes to check. I am not saying this is the problem but if the OP is having trouble diagnosing what is wrong this is one thing to easily cross off the list of possibilities.
A bad compressor is a bad compressor. It is physically impossible for a bad compressor to cause cold air to be emitted from one side and hot the other!.
 



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A bad compressor is a bad compressor. It is physically impossible for a bad compressor to cause cold air to be emitted from one side and hot the other!.
Mine wasn't blowing super hot air from one side. The temperature differential between the passenger and driver sides was very noticeable though. A new compressor solved the problem. I doubt there are any other issues with the heating and cooling system. It works completely normal. We don't know if the OP literally meant that "hot" air is blowing from the passenger side. If that is the case then I don't think it is the compressor.
 






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