Is this a Blend Door problem

[cgriff54]

I have spent the last several days searching this forum and I think it's a Blend Door problem but not 100% convinced. I have Heat and AC, but when I turn the blower onto High (4) it blows like mad but I'm not getting much flow out of the vents. So is this a Blend door issue or should I be looking at something else. Just purchased a 2004 Explorer XLT and absolutely love it.

 

[rrgone]

If it blows hot when you select heat and cold when you select ac it's not a blend door problem. One or more of the directional doors isn't working. They are vacuum operated so you've probably got a vacuum leak somewhere. See JTSmith's very good post here for places to look for leaks: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192842
Good luck.

 

[cgriff54]

If it blows hot when you select heat and cold when you select ac it's not a blend door problem. One or more of the directional doors isn't working. They are vacuum operated so you've probably got a vacuum leak somewhere. See JTSmith's very good post here for places to look for leaks: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192842
Good luck.

Thanks for the help, I took a look at this thread and it states that it only applies to '95 to '01 Explorers, since this is my first Ford (Jeep and Dodge previously) are they similar in design or should I keep searching since I have an '04?

 

[Curtis]

I had the exact same symptoms...in my 04
Heat worked fine
AC was cold.
Its just I wasnt getting much air flow from the vents in the dash.

With extended warranty in hand I went to the Dealership.
They said it was normal

I took it back for a few days... and went back the them again after test driving a friends 04

They quickly diagnosed it as a inlet duct.
Aparently this duct has a door that changes the AC from normal to recirculate.
I think this door was not moving correctly and therfore lets the AC go to the outside when on Max.

The good news is that the new part, number FMC 1L2Z 18B259 AC, is ony $49

The bad news (if you dont have a warranty that will cover this) is that the labor for such a replacement is $650. 7 hrs on my receipt.
Pretty much the whole dash has to come out to get at this little door. Ford did offer to reach in and break the door off which they said would give better flow for only $200!!! Since I had the warranty I had it fixed properly.

any questions, let me know...

 

[rrgone]

The air flow system in the Gen3 Explorers is very similar to that in the Gen 2 shown in JTSmith's thread. The gen 3's have an extra mode door that the gen 2's don't. They still use vacuum and vacuum motors to position the mode doors to get the desired air flow (panel, floor, defrost, recirc). Hopefully you don't have a stuck mode door like Curtis did. Good luck. Let us know what you find out.

 

[dford]

On my 03 the door for recirculating the interior air fell off its mount and was laying on top of the fan housing. I pryed it up and wedged it on an angle against the housing using a screwdriver poked through the air grill on the housing and now the fan works great. My half ass repair will not allow me to recirculate the air and now I always have fresh air to the cabin.

 

[cgriff54]

On my 03 the door for recirculating the interior air fell off its mount and was laying on top of the fan housing. I pryed it up and wedged it on an angle against the housing using a screwdriver poked through the air grill on the housing and now the fan works great. My half ass repair will not allow me to recirculate the air and now I always have fresh air to the cabin.

dford any chance you an send me a picture of what you did this is my first Ford and my FSM hasn't arrived yet.

 

[dford]

Contact fellow Forum member bjwebb311 out of Florida. He posted an actual fix with pictures that got me as far as I did. It was dated 7/30/07 tittled Weak Air Flow.

 

[cmg540]

On my 03 the door for recirculating the interior air fell off its mount and was laying on top of the fan housing. I pryed it up and wedged it on an angle against the housing using a screwdriver poked through the air grill on the housing and now the fan works great. My half ass repair will not allow me to recirculate the air and now I always have fresh air to the cabin.

I have the same problem, except I completely removed the blend door, until I have more time to play with this and get it working again. So my question is what are the draw backs of leaving this out, other than always having fresh air into to the cabin. Is this going to kill my heat in the winter??

 

[hovjanessian]

Do he mean removing the center piece where the radio is?