Blend Door Fix - NOT!!!

[tivranger]

New to the board, but have been doing a lot of reading here and elsewhere.

Just picked up a 1998 Ranger XLT Super Cab 2WD - good deal on a pretty nice truck. I've already reserached and fixed some of the "usual suspects" - door jam switch/Door Ajar; Air bag light (soldered new bulb in passenger seat switch); but I'm stuck on the blend door problem. Got the actuator out, drilled it and did the nail trick; had to drill 4-5 times before I was properly aligned to get it back in. Got it to blow all cold air, but wouldn't regulate back to hot. Pulled the actuator, repositioned the nail and reassembled. Got all hot air this time but won't regulate back to cold. I've drilled every conceivable angle and not much left before the arm gets cut off.

With all the success stories I've read I feel like the biggest dummy on the internet (and that's a big place). Has anyone else struggled with this?

 

[CDW6212R]

I hope you learn something that no one else has. The blend door issue is supposed to be a 95-97 problem only. I have a 98 with a similar symptom, and I have done all except the door, or the actuator motor. I'm hoping that mine is the actuator, but haven't had time. Good luck,

 

[Domen]

Try this:
http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~dmf/blenddoor.htm

I did it today. Blend door is working great. Took me two hours and cost me nothing. )))))))

 

[tivranger]

One Less Dummy on the Internet

Well, I'm nothing if not persistent. I ordered a replacement blend door from Motormite and was going to tackle cutting out the bottom of the plenum. But first I figured I would take one last stab at the "nail" fix. I cut a hole in the side of the plenum so I could see inside, then turning the heat to high I saw where the D pin was positioned. I then used the new door to help orient the angle of the nail. The actuator dropped right in, and BINGO: upon moving the mode dial from hot to cold and back I could see the door moving back and forth. A test drive proved everything out - still a lot of heat, but now ambient air at the cold setting and regular A/C. The replacement door cost about $10, so unlike some of you I didn't save $1000; only $990. Oh well, I'll take it.

 

[ronnidonni]

I found the blend door fix on another forum last year. Why, because I had total heat and the shop said $700 to fix it!
Anyway, it worked for me. Still working after a little over a year.
BTW, this is the fix with the drill/nail bit....