Screwy Controls!

[dagored11]

Let me start off by saying that I have consumed no alchohol or ingested any illegal substances. This being said, I got in my '02 Explorer XLT tonight, turned on the defroster to clear my windows - fog still on windows! Then I felt around - no air coming out of the defroster, coming out of the vents instead! After playing around for a while, I noticed something VERY strange - the controls for my heat/AC/defrost were all reversed! In order to get the defroster to blow air I had to set the control to vents - defrost/heat now comes on when I got to vent/floor, etc. Defrost now gives me full vents! What gives!!!!

 

[Exproblems]

Let me start off by saying that I have consumed no alchohol or ingested any illegal substances. This being said, I got in my '02 Explorer XLT tonight, turned on the defroster to clear my windows - fog still on windows! Then I felt around - no air coming out of the defroster, coming out of the vents instead! After playing around for a while, I noticed something VERY strange - the controls for my heat/AC/defrost were all reversed! In order to get the defroster to blow air I had to set the control to vents - defrost/heat now comes on when I got to vent/floor, etc. Defrost now gives me full vents! What gives!!!!

>>>>>>>>>>>

Take a look at the web link below and the info I supplied on this repair/removal. Sounds like your air recirculation door failed.

Air Recirculation Door Fix

You could have a broken "air recirculation door" . The air recirc door falls to the bottom of the air box that sits above the blower motor/fan and will block the flow of air to most dash vents. The air recirc door panel is approx 5 in High x 11 in Long and kind of flat. It's a very common problem, happened to me and I removed the air recirc door and now my air flow is great again. The air box is behind the glove box, go thru there to remove the air recirc door. Below is a link with photos to do this repair written by "Curtis". You only need to remove 4 screws (2 on the left side and 2 on the right side) to split open the air box. Do not remove the blower motor, not needed to do to do this repair. Open the air box from the right end of it, this end opens the farthest and you should be able to see the air recirc door laying flat inside, it shouldn't be there. Try and pull the air recirc door panel out by the 5 inch narrow end using needle nose pliers, might have to turn it sideways to do this. Might have to fight with it to get it out, but it will come out. Once this door is removed, you will lose "Max AC" coldness, but still have AC, just not as frosty cold. Remember, this "may be" your problem, some of your description has the symptoms of it. Good luck.

Try this link below to a post by "Curtis", disregard the blower motor removal part:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=284042