Troubles with AC Again

[prg333]

Last June. I had the problem of the AC blowing hot air. I ran the system check and got codes 24 and 25. After that the AC worked fine. But I always got that clinking sound for the first 5 minutes or so, like the blend door was a bit stuck. It blew hot air just a few days ago. Whith the same clacking noise The compressor does come on. If I open the hood and turn on the AC, the unit gets cold and the pipe going out is cold as well. .

So I again did the system check and the same 24 and 25 codes came up. Then it blew cold for 3 minutes and then hot air came out again. I ended up running the system check 6 more times. Then I got coldish air for a 20 minute drive going 35-40.

I started the car 30 minutes later and got cool air again for 12 minutes then hot air again.

Tried it again today and got cool air for 2 minutes and then hot air.

Not sure if this can be an easier fix. Or if I have to get the big job of taking apart the dash to get to the part that needs to be replaced. :mad:

Any suggestions would be appreciated

[vegasmarauder]

It's the blend door actuator. It can come and go, but it is definately failing. Time to remove the dash and fix..

[prg333]

Does the entire dash have to come out? I saw a video of someone who used a shortcut on a 99 Marquis http://diy-auto-repair.wonderhowto.com/how-to/fix-blend-door-actuator-motor-99-mercury-grand-marquis-396512/

It took 2 hours VS 5

I would Not be doing such a big job myself. Because of my back I have a good mechanic that I would bring it to.

[prg333]

Is their a difference between a blend door actuator problem VS a heater box/blend door itself problem.

[fastblackmerc]

Codes 24 & 25 are problems with the blend door. The dash doesn't have to come out, just moved back some. I'm sure your mechanic will figure it out and I'm sure your not going to tell him how to do his job.

[prg333]

Thank you for the good info Fastblack merc. My mechanic is reasonable. So he would do any shortcut to save himself extra work and me $$$

Did you have to do this repair on your Marauder?

[Zack]

Just break the tab off the back while removing and cut the tab for the back hole off the new one.
2 bolts works just fine and makes life a lot easier

[fastblackmerc]

Thank you for the good info Fastblack merc. My mechanic is reasonable. So he would do any shortcut to save himself extra work and me $$$

Did you have to do this repair on your Marauder?

Not yet.... (of course you know it will break now that it will be close to 100 degrees this weekend weekend!)

I do have the part if needed.

I have done it on a few Marauders. I don't breaking anything off, etc. as it not much harder nor does it take that much more time to do it right.

One recommendation - get a genuine OEM Motorcraft part, it's about $75.00. You can find cheaper parts from Dorman and others but from what I've seen they don't last like the genuine Motorcraft part. You want part number: XW7Z-19E616-BA or YH1766.

I normally charge $375.00 which includes the part.

[marauderthis]

Too bad you are not nearby $100 +part and its all fixed

[prg333]

Yes I WISH I was closer to other members who could do this fix cheaply. I would even take whoever fixed the problem for dinner!

I live in Rockalnd County NY. Not far from NJ, just 15 minutes.

[marauderthis]

Dinner would do it and then afterwards we can play a fun
game of actuator baseball at a nearby Ford dealer

[RF Overlord]

FYI:

I looked up the blend door actuator on tascaparts web site...after talking to a very unfriendly man on the phone, it was determined that what they are calling the "HVAC Heater Blend Door Actuator" on their site is actually not for the blend door actuator at all...it's for the vacuum motors for the defrost and vent doors.

The actual blend door actuator is listed as "HVAC Air Adjustment Control Motor" part #XW7Z-19E616-BA. The "gentleman" I spoke with was not interested in the least in forwarding my discovery of their incorrect listing. So much for customer service.

[marauderthis]

Prq333 if your interested I can walk you through a procedure someone showed me which will provide uninterrupted cooling until you get it permanently fixed.
If your interested PM me.

[Zim Hosein]

I normally charge $375.00 which includes the part.

That's an extremely good price, considering what Ford dealerships charge, it's worth driving through a few states to reach someone w/ as much experience and knowledge as you I must say fastblackmerc! :beer:

[marauderthis]

Its $375 if FB likes you $475 and up if he doesn't :bows:




That's an extremely good price, considering what Ford dealerships charge, it's worth driving through a few states to reach someone w/ as much experience and knowledge as you I must say fastblackmerc! :beer:

[Zim Hosein]

Its $375 if FB likes you $475 and up if he doesn't :bows:

:eek:

Hopefully, if in the event that I personally need the repair, I fall in the foremost category marauderthis! :)

[a_d_a_m]

RockAuto lists this: DORMAN Part # 604214 {#XW7Z19E616BA} Temperature Actuator; Controls the blend of hot & cold air
Air Conditioning Door; Automatic Temperature Control

And it appears to be the correct part. Way cheaper than the Ford part...


Just break the tab off the back while removing and cut the tab for the back hole off the new one.
2 bolts works just fine and makes life a lot easier +1. This is how we did mine. Removed the airbag and glovebox door and went in that way. :beer:

[fastblackmerc]

Its $375 if FB likes you $475 and up if he doesn't :bows:

marauderthis........ For you and only you.... $575.00 because I like you!

[fastblackmerc]

RockAuto lists this: DORMAN Part # 604214 {#XW7Z19E616BA} Temperature Actuator; Controls the blend of hot & cold air
Air Conditioning Door; Automatic Temperature Control

And it appears to be the correct part. Way cheaper than the Ford part...

+1. This is how we did mine. Removed the airbag and glovebox door and went in that way. :beer:

Yes it is cheaper until you have to do the job again because the cheaper part fails soon after you install it.

Do yourself a favor and buy the Motorcraft part.

[marauderthis]

For your kindness I'll reciprocate by inducing the famous Mh350 to come to your house to fix your system absolutely free.
What's your address?

:hotrice:





marauderthis........ For you and only you.... $575.00 because I like you!

[a_d_a_m]

Yes it is cheaper until you have to do the job again because the cheaper part fails soon after you install it.

Do yourself a favor and buy the Motorcraft part. I had a dealer connection when it went bad on the Marauder, so that one's been replaced with a Motorcraft. But I will probably roll the dice and use the Dorman if/when it fails on my Marquis, because it's 10% of the cost and Ford's part doesn't appear to be that robust, either (since it lasted for less than 10 years).

[vegasmarauder]

Looking at the video it does save some time, but I don't think I want to torque on a 10 year old plastic dash panel to pull it away from the firewall. It is not that much harder to remove the bolts on the left side and the bolt that holds the end of the steering shaft on. The column does not have to be removed. It will give a lot more room to move the dash back to get inside the right side. The video says to do it by feel. I guarantee that if you have not done it before, it will be difficult to do it that way. Also, take a heavy blanket or moving blanket and lay it over the forward end of the center console. 03's have soft vynil of padding on the edges and the sharp bottom of the dash can cut those ends (04 consoles are hard plastic and more resistant to damage). The blanket will prevent damage. Also put the shifter in 1st gear (block the wheels) to get it out of the way and prevent damage to the shifter handle.

I've done about 6 or 7 of these now. A little trick I use is to remove the rear screws and then pry the old actuator up until the front mounting lug snaps off leaving the screw in place. Then back the screw off a few turns and remove the broken tab from the old actuator that's under the screw.

Then I cut very end (the rounded edge) of the most forward mounting ring on the new actuator off. It will make the front mount look like a slot instead of a circle. Then you can run the forward screw down almost to the end. The forward edge of the new actuator will slide under the screw. Install the rear screws as normal. I use a 5/16(8MM) flat ratchet on the forward screw to tighten it the rest of the way. I have heard people cut away the firewall insulation to make more room to get to the screw but this way you don't have to.

And I have big ham hands too and the wife got tired of me talking her thru removing and installing the front screw.

[fastblackmerc]

For your kindness I'll reciprocate by inducing the famous Mh350 to come to your house to fix your system absolutely free.
What's your address?

:hotrice:

I wouldn't let him work on his own car let alone mine.

Oh..... I forgot, he can't work on his own car!

[sspmustang]

Looking at the video it does save some time, but I don't think I want to torque on a 10 year old plastic dash panel to pull it away from the firewall. It is not that much harder to remove the bolts on the left side and the bolt that holds the end of the steering shaft on. The column does not have to be removed. It will give a lot more room to move the dash back to get inside the right side. The video says to do it by feel. I guarantee that if you have not done it before, it will be difficult to do it that way. Also, take a heavy blanket or moving blanket and lay it over the forward end of the center console. 03's have soft vynil of padding on the edges and the sharp bottom of the dash can cut those ends (04 consoles are hard plastic and more resistant to damage). The blanket will prevent damage. Also put the shifter in 1st gear (block the wheels) to get it out of the way and prevent damage to the shifter handle.

I've done about 6 or 7 of these now. A little trick I use is to remove the rear screws and then pry the old actuator up until the front mounting lug snaps off leaving the screw in place. Then back the screw off a few turns and remove the broken tab from the old actuator that's under the screw.

Then I cut very end (the rounded edge) of the most forward mounting ring on the new actuator off. It will make the front mount look like a slot instead of a circle. Then you can run the forward screw down almost to the end. The forward edge of the new actuator will slide under the screw. Install the rear screws as normal. I use a 5/16(8MM) flat ratchet on the forward screw to tighten it the rest of the way. I have heard people cut away the firewall insulation to make more room to get to the screw but this way you don't have to.

And I have big ham hands too and the wife got tired of me talking her thru removing and installing the front screw.

That's an excellent idea of slotting the actuator mounting tab. :up: I tackled mine this weekend, took about 2.5 hours, and thought about this from a design perspective. It would have made a *lot* of sense for Ford to design the part using that idea. As mentioned, the genuine Motorcraft part lists for about $75, but I got it for 10% less so it made sense to use it vs. the Dorman one.

If I had to redo this in the future - and hopefully I won't - I would also consider using Allen head screws for the actuator, as I think it would be easier to manage in the tight spots than the current 8MM ones.

This thread also helped tremendously, kudos to Juice for putting it together!

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=69180

[fastblackmerc]

That's an excellent idea of slotting the actuator mounting tab. :up: I tackled mine this weekend, took about 2.5 hours, and thought about this from a design perspective. It would have made a *lot* of sense for Ford to design the part using that idea. As mentioned, the genuine Motorcraft part lists for about $75, but I got it for 10% less so it made sense to use it vs. the Dorman one.

If I had to redo this in the future - and hopefully I won't - I would also consider using Allen head screws for the actuator, as I think it would be easier to manage in the tight spots than the current 8MM ones.

This thread also helped tremendously, kudos to Juice for putting it together!

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=69180

You have to remember that the evap / heater core / blower motor assembly was designed to be installed as one unit. The blend door actuator is easy to get at if the entire assembly is out of the car. Very rarely are there parts designed for ease of replacement.

[sspmustang]

You have to remember that the evap / heater core / blower motor assembly was designed to be installed as one unit. The blend door actuator is easy to get at if the entire assembly is out of the car. Very rarely are there parts designed for ease of replacement.

True, but it would seem to be a bit easier to assemble that way as well, where the time counts..

[marauderthis]

sspmustang:
What failed in the actuator?
Was it the circuitry or the plastic gears?






That's an excellent idea of slotting the actuator mounting tab. :up: I tackled mine this weekend, took about 2.5 hours, and thought about this from a design perspective. It would have made a *lot* of sense for Ford to design the part using that idea. As mentioned, the genuine Motorcraft part lists for about $75, but I got it for 10% less so it made sense to use it vs. the Dorman one.

If I had to redo this in the future - and hopefully I won't - I would also consider using Allen head screws for the actuator, as I think it would be easier to manage in the tight spots than the current 8MM ones.

This thread also helped tremendously, kudos to Juice for putting it together!

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?t=69180

[sspmustang]

The plastic gears.

[prg333]

I ran the self test and got codes 24 and 25 again. However, the AC is working well again as of yesterday. Maybe the test forced the blend door actuator to work properly again. I hope it lasts thru the summer.

[fastblackmerc]

I ran the self test and got codes 24 and 25 again. However, the AC is working well again as of yesterday. Maybe the test forced the blend door actuator to work properly again. I hope it lasts thru the summer.

Sometimes running the self test will fix the blend door issue temporarily..... You will have the problem again.

[prg333]

I do think the problem will most likely come up again. I will have to get it fixed then. But the problem started 2 years ago. So hopefully I can get it to go at least one more AC season