Air flow from panel, in ALL modes

[alec2538]

Ever since I got my MM, I noticed that I get air flow from the panel vents all the time. I normally run in either A/C or VENT, so it's not a huge issue, but it does take away some flow when I request DEFROST.

I know about the common EATC o-rings, but I don't believe that's the issue. The strange thing is that all the modes work perfectly. When I command FLOOR, I can hear the flaps move and more air comes out the floor (and still, the panel). When I select DEFROST, same thing. There are no codes after performing the self-test, and the blend door works perfectly.

Is it possible I have a broken air mix flap inside the HVAC box? I don't see how it could be a failed vacuum actuator, the default fail position should be full closed, not full open. I must admit, I probably won't fix it since I prefer airflow from the vents 99.9% of the time. However, the lack of a strong defrost could present an issue in the MN winter.

[FordNut]

The easiest thing to change is the o-rings. Try that first.

[RF Overlord]

The floor/defrost is one door and the panel vents is a separate door. If the panel vent door is stuck open, most of the air flow will be in that direction, with only a little left for the floor/defrost. It sounds like your floor/defrost door is working.

Try this: remove the EATC and you'll see the vacuum connector on the back, with rainbow-coloured lines. The black line is the vacuum source from the reservoir, the red and yellow are for the floor/defrost and the blue is for the panel vents. If you can rig up a jumper line from the black to the blue, that will tell you whether the issue is the vent door or inside the EATC.