kvanmet
Member
- Joined
- September 22, 2013
- Messages
- 15
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- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1997 explorer eddie bauer
Hello, I am new to this forum and seeking help. I have a 1997 explorer eddie bauer. My problem is that no matter what i set the control to, i only get lukewarm air out of the heater. max ac, floor panel vent defrost, all settings. I get no change when using the cold or hot adjustments. Some of the settings do nothing, at least till i turn the blower up to the highest speed. Now, i've done alot of research and there is a ton of information for this problem that suggests a faulty actuator or blend door. SO im going to start here with what I have done so far.
The first thing i did was remove the actuator from the top of the duct work. I left the wiring harness connected, and with the key on adjusted the temperature settings with the hot and cold buttons just to see if the actuator was turning, and it was. it moved very slowly like its on the verge of failure but it seems to have a full turn radius on it so i assumed it wasn't entirely the problem and moved on in my trouble shooting.
My next assumption was that even though the actuator would turn when removed from the shaft of the blend door, the door itself was broken or stuck in some way. I cut a whole in the ductwork just big enough to stick my hand through and reached back to manually open and close the blend door. it fully opens, and closes, with no restriction. by now im thinking WTF.
My next step was to let the engine run a bit to warm up. Before i continue here im going to throw in a few facts that may be relevant. The car has very recently had a new water pump, radiator, and thermostat installed. The highest the temperature gauge ever gets is 1/8" above the lowest mark, which to me indicates the thermostat is not working or is stuck open. Really dont know if that is relevant to this problem. this was all done at a shop before i got the car. Both hoses get very hot to the touch going into the core, between the core and the in line valve. With that all being said i let the engine "warm", turned the heater on to the highest heat setting, and stuck my hand inside the hole i cut to manually manipulate the blend door. first i tried holding it all the way shut. No difference in air temperature, even though when doing this the air inside the ductwork did seem to warm slightly, but im still blowing lukewarm at best through the vents. Next i tried holding the door all the way open, again at the hottest heat settings. Nothing. Still blowing lukewarm air, and the small amount of warmth i felt inside ductwork was now gone.
So, now im completely at a loss. i was able to determine that the actuator may be worn, or may not be (i only say this because it seemed to be very tired while it was turning) but is not bad since i saw it turn with my own eyes when i adjusted the temp settings. I also was able to determine there seems to be nothing wrong with the blend door since there was no change when i held it all the way shut or open with the engine running and heater settings on full heat. Can anyone help? Im really getting irritated. Thank you in advance
The first thing i did was remove the actuator from the top of the duct work. I left the wiring harness connected, and with the key on adjusted the temperature settings with the hot and cold buttons just to see if the actuator was turning, and it was. it moved very slowly like its on the verge of failure but it seems to have a full turn radius on it so i assumed it wasn't entirely the problem and moved on in my trouble shooting.
My next assumption was that even though the actuator would turn when removed from the shaft of the blend door, the door itself was broken or stuck in some way. I cut a whole in the ductwork just big enough to stick my hand through and reached back to manually open and close the blend door. it fully opens, and closes, with no restriction. by now im thinking WTF.
My next step was to let the engine run a bit to warm up. Before i continue here im going to throw in a few facts that may be relevant. The car has very recently had a new water pump, radiator, and thermostat installed. The highest the temperature gauge ever gets is 1/8" above the lowest mark, which to me indicates the thermostat is not working or is stuck open. Really dont know if that is relevant to this problem. this was all done at a shop before i got the car. Both hoses get very hot to the touch going into the core, between the core and the in line valve. With that all being said i let the engine "warm", turned the heater on to the highest heat setting, and stuck my hand inside the hole i cut to manually manipulate the blend door. first i tried holding it all the way shut. No difference in air temperature, even though when doing this the air inside the ductwork did seem to warm slightly, but im still blowing lukewarm at best through the vents. Next i tried holding the door all the way open, again at the hottest heat settings. Nothing. Still blowing lukewarm air, and the small amount of warmth i felt inside ductwork was now gone.
So, now im completely at a loss. i was able to determine that the actuator may be worn, or may not be (i only say this because it seemed to be very tired while it was turning) but is not bad since i saw it turn with my own eyes when i adjusted the temp settings. I also was able to determine there seems to be nothing wrong with the blend door since there was no change when i held it all the way shut or open with the engine running and heater settings on full heat. Can anyone help? Im really getting irritated. Thank you in advance
