Blend door or vacuum line?

[Knetdude]

When we turn on the a/c the cold only comes out of the defrost vents. I removed the radio a/c panel and the blend door is still down. I reach in and gently push it and it goes up and the a/c then goes out the proper vents. When I turn the a/c off the door comes back down and stays. I turn the a/c back on and it goes back out the defrost vents again. The ford dealer wants $800 to replace the blend door actuator and recharge the a/c because they have to disconnect some a/c lines. From my research it looks like they are trying to hit a home run by doing un-needed work.

So is it the Blend Door Actuator or a vacuum line? 2005 Explorer XLT.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the A/C & heater section. It sounds like it's the vacuum line.

 

[shinerunner]

I'm with you on this! I have checked the vaccum lines and have found nothing! What now? I keep searching for answers and have come with a dead end, now what??

 

[BrooklynBay]

The color coded hard plastic vacuum lines usually crack near the rubber boot connector.

 

[essam]

I've just repaired mine two days ago with the exact symptoms. if you can push the door gently then the door is not attached to the vacuum motor (if it's attached it will resist pushing because of its spring). in this case the henge of the door is broken as it was on mine.
to confirm, drop down the glove box and look up inside and you'll see the vacuum motor arm hanging free and the broken henge is obvious there as well.

see the image below.

 

[rjpinaz]

essam, I just discovered that I have the exact same problem (broken door hinge).

How did you fix yours?
I am temporarily holding mine in the "vent position" using a plastic tie strap.

 

[essam]

well, it was a 0$ repair but took me about two hours. you'll have to make an extension to the broken arm and fix it on it properly that once the vacuum motor retracts it pulls on this arm aggressively and that why it broke in the first place.
now, the way i did was as follows: i took three pieces of plastic as the photo below shows, fixed them together using super glue, one screw to attach the new arm to the broken one, and another screw to hold the motor arm. you'll have to use super glow to fix it initially to the broken arm then use a drill pit to make a small hall under the blue screw in the broken arm not to crack it once screwing it in.

leave it for a while before attaching the motor arm to get the glue to dry, then attach the motor arm and fix a nut on the grey screw to keep it in place. make sure that the grey screw fits exactly in the place of broken knob for the door to move the correct distances back and forth.and here it is once done:

i did not have a proper nut so i used a small piece of the same plastic to hold the arm on the screw

 

[rjpinaz]

WOW. I'm impressed. Simple and effective. Thanks for the detailed photos and explanation.
I think the hardest part will be getting my hands up in there to connect everything together.
I will wait a few more weeks (for the weather to cool down a bit) before I attempt my fix. I will update this thread with my results.
Thanks!
Ray

 

[essam]

yep, making that piece was fun but getting it in place was like a pain in the neck!
let us know what happens when you do it.

cheers!

 

[treats54]

Thank you for this!! I have a couple of questions to help me understand your process and do it right the first time:
1. If super gluing the white to the black piece, white tap a hole for the blue screw?
2. What did you cut the v in the bottom piece of the white part?

 

[rrgone]

Nice fix essam. There are a couple more ideas using sheet metal in this post:
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=249624

 

[essam]

Thank you for this!! I have a couple of questions to help me understand your process and do it right the first time:
1. If super gluing the white to the black piece, white tap a hole for the blue screw?
2. What did you cut the v in the bottom piece of the white part?

1- super glue will not handle the stress on the arm and the extension will break again. that was my initial fix, then i had to add the screw
2- the original arm has a plastic support that prevents the extension from sliding in freely, so i had to cut the V shape in order to accommodate for this support.

 

[Exproblems]

I've just repaired mine two days ago with the exact symptoms. if you can push the door gently then the door is not attached to the vacuum motor (if it's attached it will resist pushing because of its spring). in this case the henge of the door is broken as it was on mine.
to confirm, drop down the glove box and look up inside and you'll see the vacuum motor arm hanging free and the broken henge is obvious there as well.

see the image below.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Essam,

In your photo here, what is the name of that "vacuum motor" and what does the black plastic arm coming off of it connect to? Does it have anything to do with controlling the air flow thru the dash vents? I'm trying to find this info out for someone else in here that is having vent issues. Thanks for ifo you can give me on this!

 

[essam]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Essam,

In your photo here, what is the name of that "vacuum motor" and what does the black plastic arm coming off of it connect to? Does it have anything to do with controlling the air flow thru the dash vents? I'm trying to find this info out for someone else in here that is having vent issues. Thanks for ifo you can give me on this!

Ford calls that HVAC door motor or actuator (Motorcraft part # YH-589), the one behind the glove box attaches to the circulation door, it directs air either to the defroster or to the dash vents.

 

[Exproblems]

Ford calls that HVAC door motor or actuator (Motorcraft part # YH-589), the one behind the glove box attaches to the circulation door, it directs air either to the defroster or to the dash vents.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks for that info Essam. I'll pass it on to someone else with that problem. Do you happen to know what it takes to remove and replace that HVAC motor? Like , how hard is it to do? Thanks again.

 

[essam]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks for that info Essam. I'll pass it on to someone else with that problem. Do you happen to know what it takes to remove and replace that HVAC motor? Like , how hard is it to do? Thanks again.

if we're talking about the one behind the glove box, it's pretty easy to remove. two bolts and you're done.
however, i don't get it that the motor is to be removed, as far as i know they hardly fail! I'd rather check for vacuum leak if the motor arm is not moving.

 

[Exproblems]

if we're talking about the one behind the glove box, it's pretty easy to remove. two bolts and you're done.
however, i don't get it that the motor is to be removed, as far as i know they hardly fail! I'd rather check for vacuum leak if the motor arm is not moving.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

According to the person I am trying to help, they say that the arm coming off of this HVAC motor that connects into the air circulation door itself, is broken off some where inside the plastic housing that the air circulation door sits in. I'll give him that info on checking for a vacuum leak first. Thank again on the info.

 

[alibaba1579]

Thanks for the pictures and description of alternative repairs. I used a zip tie through the arm opening and then around the elbow looking plastic piece. To keep the tie wrap in place I put down some double sided tape (orignal use for the tape is for attaching car plastic exterior parts) and then some added electrical tape ... works great now. Thanks for the pictures and description of where to find the offending broken plastic arm.

The Explorer runs great but the temps have been around 100 F all week and my wife was getting tired of running the AC through the defroster vents, it was condensing water on the windshield :
Dave

 

[mind]

I fixed one with two zip ties.
It wasn't easy, but it was free.
Dropped the glove box door, put one small zip tie through the actuator arm and loosely around the broken arm vertically, then i ran a second small zip tie through the first zip tie and around the broken arm horizontally.
Then, carefully tightened then up so they stayed in place.

Works good enough and it was free!

 

[timz]

I have this problem too. Only mine has broken not where the vacuum powered actuator rod meets the plastic, but the "axel" that goes into the plenum chamber broke as seen in the picture!

Anyone have any ideas? I have my Explorer half taken apart in my garage now. I think I want to take off the dash to make life easier. Have you seen a good how-to anywhere?