Blend door acyuator blues

[brownie64]

are you sure your blend door itself is not broken? I have a spare actuator(for EATC) for my 2000 that I have verified works and fits I will take a picture and post it.
The fact that yours makes a clicking noise, if I read your post correctly, sounds to me like the actuator may be working and the door is broken. You can operate the blend door, with the actuator removed, with an allen wrench the same or similar size as the is on the actuator. Have you tried that to see if you can switch from heat to cold using an allen wrench?

Yes I'm positive it's the actuator when I plugged it in it moved per the temp. setting it just didn't know when to stop when it reached the end. When I took the actuator apart there was grease everywhere all over the electrical circuit board everywhere. I do move the blend door manually by using the gear that came with the faulty actuator. If you have an extra one that works would you be interested in selling it.

I also read somewhere that the EATC can lose it's memory when the battery has been disconnected for a long time, and needs to be
taken to a auto tech to be reprogramed got any thoughts on that?

 

[brownie64]

Eatc

There is something in the EATC that activates the A/C clutch. I recall reading that someone had a problem with theirs and fixed it. If I recall correctly it involved soldering an electrical board. Maybe if you post another thread specially about the A/C and the EATC that person will respond. I believe it was one of the regular posters. There is an EATC test procedure (Google it) in requires pushing and holding certain buttons, but I've never found it's told me anything if interest.

I don't know why the manual and EATC controls use a different blend door actuator. The actuator does the same thing in both cases. Maybe it has something to do with controlling the temp automatically.

Have you checked fuses and swapped the A/C relay?

Well I bit the bullet and took apart the EATC, and it was a bad connection I soldered it now I have cold A/C. Now if I can just get the blend door situation under control I'll have it all fixed and save around $1800.00. Thanks guys again.

 

[koda2000]

Well I bit the bullet and took apart the EATC, and it was a bad connection I soldered it now I have cold A/C. Now if I can just get the blend door situation under control I'll have it all fixed and save around $1800.00. Thanks guys again.

Congrats. My money's on a broken blend door in your situation.

 

[brownie64]

Congrats. My money's on a broken blend door in your situation.

Thanks: It's a real load off my mind.

No it's the actuator I can move the blend door manually. I think they just sent me the wrong one the rocker gear in the original was bigger. The new one would move as I changed the temp, but it wouldn't stop when it got to the end just kept going until it started popping. Then when I opened it up there was grease all over everything electronics and all real piece of junk. I'm going to spring for a Motorcraft you know what they say you get what you pay for.

 

[SoNic67]

Mine was 'clicking' because a gear tooth was broken inside... See the small plastic gear on left:

 

[brownie64]

Mine was 'clicking' because a gear tooth was broken inside... See the small plastic gear on left:

Just what mine looked like except a lot more of the teeth were missing.

 

[koda2000]

So today I decided to locate the blend door actuator on my '01 ST. Found it right where I expected to (behind the glove box, on top of the heater plenum, left of center). I removed the electrical connector, which I still have to check with my multi-meter. The two screws at the front of the actuator are easy enough to get at, but how the heck do you the one in the rear center. I'm not even sure I can get my 1/4" ratchet in there. I definitely can't get my hand in this space. Hoping one of you who've done this can offer some advice. Maybe my problem is electrical and I wont have to remove the actuator.

Question - How does the manual TEMP switch work? Is it a rheostat, like the dimmer switch, if it is I wouldn't expect to have 8 pins on the actuator's electrical connector. There seems to be 8 markings on the switch face plate, but it's not like the switch clicks as you pass each one.

 

[crunchie_frog]

I had to grind down an 8 mm socket and was able to get to it with a ratchet and socket. I think I remember I was able to get my fingers on it as I was able to get it back in as well.

 

[koda2000]

Update:
According to the wiring diagram there are 5 wires on the actuator connector.

The TEMP switch is called a TEMP potentiometer. There appear to be only 3 wires that go from the TEMP switch to the TEMP/blend door actuator.

The 3 wires coming from the TEMP switch are labeled:
Air Temp DR Resistor wiper
Air Temp DR Resistor +
Air Temp DR Resistor -

There are 2 more wires in the electrical connector. One is 12V power w/key ON and the other is a ground. I've tested the electrical connector and I have power w/key ON and a ground.

I don't know how to test the 3 wires coming from the switch/potentiometer (seems to be a fancy name for a variable resistor) but I would think if the switch was not functioning, the actuator would still would work on full HOT. So this is leading me to believe the problem may be the actuator. Thoughts?

Thanks for the 8mm socket tip CF.

 

[koda2000]

If anyone wants to see how I removed my blend door actuator, read the last page of my "NEW TOY" thread in the ST sub-forum.

 

[56tburd]

Blend door actuator

Don't let pictures confuse you. The manual actuator looked like the automatic one in my 98, but it didn't work properly; the electronics appeared to be wrong. The Dorman auto actuator has a modified base plate that can be removed. It worked fine. It's my understanding that the blend door breaks because the actuator doesn't stop when needed. For those of who have a broken blend door, it's less than $20 at Napa, and can be removed through a hole cut in the bottom of the plenum. A make shift bracket and some aluminum duct tape used to support the "new" access cover has kept mine working for years.

 

[polagui]

Check this out, it was very helpful...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-36aM360V8

When I was trying to find info on my ac-heater-blend-doors-actuator problem, I found this post from a member, it helped me get to the problem.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=272849

 

[brownie64]

So today I decided to locate the blend door actuator on my '01 ST. Found it right where I expected to (behind the glove box, on top of the heater plenum, left of center). I removed the electrical connector, which I still have to check with my multi-meter. The two screws at the front of the actuator are easy enough to get at, but how the heck do you the one in the rear center. I'm not even sure I can get my 1/4" ratchet in there. I definitely can't get my hand in this space. Hoping one of you who've done this can offer some advice. Maybe my problem is electrical and I wont have to remove the actuator.

Question - How does the manual TEMP switch work? Is it a rheostat, like the dimmer switch, if it is I wouldn't expect to have 8 pins on the actuator's electrical connector. There seems to be 8 markings on the switch face plate, but it's not like the switch clicks as you pass each one.

I too ground down a socket. It takes a lot of patience. the thing I did was to keep felling the bolt with my finger, and found references and mentally memorized where it was. Thin you have to slide the socket wrench and feel your way to fitting it on the bolt. Like I said it takes a lot of patience, but just keep in the back of your mind the
$1000.00 you will have to pay a mechanic to do the job it really helps motivate you. It took me over 6 hours to remove this part when it gets too frustrating just take a break cool down remember the money you are going to be saving. I did it others did it , and I have no doubt you can do it. Good luck. P.S. I don't think I'm going to replace the bolt myself for two reasons. One if the new actuator fails it would have to be taken off again, and two I feel the two bolts will suffice to do the job. One more thing stay away from the Dorman actuators I know that there are times you can save some money by buying a cheaper part, but this is not one of them. The pins that you plug into are not chamfered, and the grease that was supposed to be on the gears was everywhere even on the electronic parts. I would definitely spend a little more and get the motor craft OME I have seen them on e-bay for the EATC for $80.00 and I know the manual ones are cheaper.
One more little tip duct tape some string to your tool because if you loose it from your fingers it will fall behind the heater plenum.

 

[SoNic67]

I had to grind down an 8 mm socket and was able to get to it with a ratchet and socket. I think I remember I was able to get my fingers on it as I was able to get it back in as well.

I cut in half a 8mm wrench. Didn't put back the screw with the new actuator...

 

[koda2000]

I posted this on the ST sub-forum earlier this week. See the PhotoBucket links of what I made/used to get the rear actuator bolt out. As long as I don't accidently drop the bolt/screw reinstalling it, it should also work fine for tightening the screw when I install the new actuator....

Ok. I had to move the antenna lead, ground down a cheap socket as thin as possible and use a really thin ratcheting device, but I got the blend door actuator off. I haven't tested it yet (ran out of time) but I'll get back to it later today. The ratchet I used was from a set of Ace Hardware ratcheting wrenches, which had a 3/8's and 1/4" socket adaptor. The socket was a 5/16's from a $29 socket set (same as 8mm). It had a much deeper throat, so I was able to grind a lot off of it. I ground it down to bolt-head depth. The tool ended up being quite a bit thinner than my 1/4" ratchet even with the ground down socket. Probably about 3/8" thinner and I needed every bit of that. Putting the rear bolt back in will be challenging (just enough room to get 2 forefingers in there) but I think I can do it.

It worked very well on the rear bolt (once I got the socket on it) and was okay for loosening the front 2 bolts, but I had to finish the front 2 with an 8mm wrench as the ratchet would get stuck against the bottom of the dash before the bolts came out.

Here's a pic of what I used. I guess I'll add it to my "Special Tools Draw".

http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/kodabear2000/media/115_0061_zpsi4w7ktwz.jpg.html?o=1

http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/kodabear2000/media/115_0062_zpsbuqqaxev.jpg.html?o=1

BTW, the actuator tested bad.