Air Blend Door Actuator Problem

The mode door actuator is on the left and the resirc door actuator is at the top of the dash near the windshield.

Air blend door actuator problem.

The symptoms associated with this are often complaints that the front windshield is slow to defrost or remains foggy. A somewhat common problem in vehicles a few years old the heat and air system in your vehicle may be the victim of a faulty blend door actuator. The plastic doors break over time like bending a coat hanger back and forth. A blend door actuator is linked to an air control door pivot found on the last drive of the unit.

The blend door actuator is located in the center of the core box up under the dash. A plastic gear set is frequently rotated from one side to another by the electric motor an actuator can become faulty if the plastic gear set turns out to be fragile and it breaks. The actuator motors may also make a noise if they ve failed but this isn t always the case. Then locate and identify the actuator to be replaced.

Use a test light or power probe and verify that the proper signal is being received to the actuator based on your wiring diagram. There is a replacement mode or blend actuator available at most auto parts stores dorman part 604 107 price 39 99. The control unit goes through this calibration process approximately every 20 times the vehicle is started. The blend door actuator is most of the time at least accessible for testing but sometimes removal of the dash is necessary for replacement.

The symptoms of a bad blend door actuator include a lack of heat or air conditioning or failure of air to blow through some or all of the vents. The root cause of most blend door problems is the overstress on the blend door during this calibration process. Blend door actuator locations begin by identifying the problem either defrost mid or floor or temperature modes not working. These units can be either hanging in front of you or in a little more obscure places such as on the side the hvac plenum.

You can get the motorcraft actuators much cheaper than the ford dealer here on amazon check fitment guide http amzn to 1sxtnld one bit of advice i can gi. The electronic actuator that controls the direction of airflow is called a blend door actuator.