Clicking in dash.

[Alex from GA]

"99 Eddie Bauer has a clicking that sounds like a heater/AC door opening and closing randomly. It doesn't do it after about 10 minutes. It's even there with the engine off and the key on. What can I do about it besides turn the radio up? Thanks.

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's probably an issue with a defective blend door actuator.

 

[Alex from GA]

Where is it, how do I get to it and how do I fix it?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Enter the key words "blend door" into the search bar at the top of the page. You will see many threads on this subject. Check the stock 1995 - 2001 section.

 

[koda2000]

It could be your blend door actuator has stripped it's gears. Open your glove box, empty it out, squeeze the sides to lower the glove box to the floor. On top of the heater box you'll see a black box with a white electrical connector. Unplug the connector and see if your noise stops. If it does your problem is either the actuator is stripped or the blend door is broken.

 

[Alex from GA]

Thank you. Maybe tomorrow I'll get to it.

 

[Alex from GA]

Closure. I removed the actuator, after much problem and overnight, took it apart and found a gear with missing teeth. Took the gear that moves the door and stuck it back in the heater box and the door is fine. Ordered an actuator, it'll be here Thursday. With the gear in the top of the box I can easily change it from air to heat if the glove box is in the back seat.

 

[koda2000]

Closure. I removed the actuator, after much problem and overnight, took it apart and found a gear with missing teeth. Took the gear that moves the door and stuck it back in the heater box and the door is fine. Ordered an actuator, it'll be here Thursday. With the gear in the top of the box I can easily change it from air to heat if the glove box is in the back seat.

Yes, I've done the same with the actuator on my daughter's '00 Mountaineer. I drilled a small hole in the corner of the gear so I could wire it in place for heat for winter, because I found the blend door tended to close if the fan was put on high. I'll think about installing a new actuator in the spring (or just wire the door in the other direction for A/C). That rear screw is fun, isn't it?

 

[Alex from GA]

Fun? No, but doable. I made an extension for my 1/4" ratchet where I could feel with my left hand and turn the ratchet with my right.

 

[BrooklynBay]

You could bypass the whole thing with a cable driven system from Dorman if you want to make it manually controlled.