Heater only works on panel/floor setting

[R.J.]

It's been cold lately, and the only time I get heat out of the climate control is when the setting is on panel/floor setting, but only the panel vents come out warm. I don't get heat through the floor vents, the defroster, and if I put the setting on panel only, then it's cold again. But slide it back to panel/floor setting and it's warm through the panel vents but still cold through the floor vents.

Where do I start?
Thanks

 

[R.J.]

Hopefully my 1990 B2 is similar or the same to a first gen explorer.

 

[Stic-o]

Blend door maybe?

 

[R.J.]

Blend door maybe?

Must be something like that

 

[R.J.]

I'll do some reading

 

[FR-425]

usually it's just the cable retainer at the control head that has come apart or broken. A little zip-tie magic will do the trick.

 

[R.J.]

Ok I think I figured out what my problem is, but haven't figured out why.

The problem is just that the temperature belnd door was not opening all the way. So with the vent selector door in just the right position it would get the warm air to come out the vents and not cold. You can see in the picture posted above that without the temperature blend door all the way open to heat, that it let's in cool air too. And that's why my feet would get cool air and my face would get warm air.

I've had this problem since I bought the car but never fixed it. But now after driving out to the snow for a day, I wanted to fix it.

The weird problem it's always had is the temp selector won't move all the way side to side. I never was too concerned because my AC blows cold, and I usaully get enough heat for where I live. So what I did for now is unclipped the cable at the blend door, and adjusted it so that the door opens all the way for heat. You can now hear the "thud" from the door closing when I turn on full heat. Now.... Full cold does not close the door all the way. But it's winter.

To really fix it I'll have to pull the control unit out and see why the lever won't move past this point.

 

[R.J.]

Figured out why my selector on move fully to the right. It's just a problem in the little track that the lever slides through. If I pull the lever outward, I can move it fully side to side. So I guess it'll stay like that. Unless I wanted to swap out that whole unit.

 

[FR-425]

Found a penny in mine once. Bounced up from the ash tray.

 

[Stic-o]

Figured out why my selector on move fully to the right. It's just a problem in the little track that the lever slides through. If I pull the lever outward, I can move it fully side to side. So I guess it'll stay like that. Unless I wanted to swap out that whole unit.

I'm not planning to use the Navajo one, so you can have it when I pull it.

 

[R.J.]

I'm not planning to use the Navajo one, so you can have it when I pull it.

Thanks. I might as well. Mine works, you just have to know the trick how to use it.