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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Explorer / November 2007

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03 Rear air problem

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Richard - 19 Oct 2007 17:26 GMT
2003 XLT 39K miles with rear air.

   I think I have the infamous "blend door" problem on my rear air.
When the rear air is turned on a loud "tick-tock" is heard from the
rear quarter panel.  I researched the FAQ sheet and have a question
about something.  A few posts said something about an electrical
problem, while most said the door is broken but both have the same
symptoms.  How do you know which one it is?   Is there a trick to
getting the side panel off?

Thanks
Debbie Grimes - 20 Oct 2007 02:02 GMT
OK I got the side cover off, now what?   Does the whole assembly have to
come off?   It looks to me like it is all one assembly.  Any suggestions?

/Richard

> 2003 XLT 39K miles with rear air.
>
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>
> Thanks
Debbie Grimes - 21 Oct 2007 04:46 GMT
OK  I took it apart today and found the actuator has a small gear
inside that is broken.  It has two teeth sheared off, which is making the
ticking sound when the broken gears mesh.  I suppose the gear can not be
replaced so it will have to be the complete unit.  I called the Ford store
today and they said about $75 and it would have to be ordered.  Does online
parts places have them or is $75 a fair price?
   I could not find the part with the numbers listed on the actuator:
2L2H-19E616-BA
451             B344022
MAN

Thanks

> 2003 XLT 39K miles with rear air.
>
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Thanks
akheel - 21 Oct 2007 09:11 GMT
>      OK  I took it apart today and found the actuator has a small gear
> inside that is broken.  It has two teeth sheared off, which is making
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>>
>> Thanks

Go here:
www.teamfordparts.com
looks like the part is $38.35 there.

Look under for your year, make and model:
Air conditioner and heater
  Condenser compressor and lines
    Evaporator and heater components
      Actuator
        No. 1

I need the same part I believe for my 2002 Mountaineer. Let us know if it
works out.
Debbie Grimes - 22 Oct 2007 01:01 GMT
Yes, that is the correct part.  Thank you for the link and how to
find it.  I searched yesterday and must have "walked" all around it.  The
exploded parts diagram REALLY helped.  Ironically the Ford guy asked me
which one it was on the phone yesterday by saying " is it the one closest to
the rear or the front?"   Just like the picture!
    I ordered the part, shipping and all came to $45.85.    Looks like I
saved approx. $37.
     Thanks again for the link.

> >      OK  I took it apart today and found the actuator has a small gear
> > inside that is broken.  It has two teeth sheared off, which is making
[quoted text clipped - 34 lines]
> I need the same part I believe for my 2002 Mountaineer. Let us know if it
> works out.
akheel - 23 Oct 2007 04:22 GMT
Your welcome. Only "payment" I ask is that you report back after you
receive and install the part and let us know how it worked out, if solved
the ticking problem and if there were any difficulties with ordering or
installation. Like I said I have to do the same job. Thanks in advance.

>         Yes, that is the correct part.  Thank you for the link and how
>         to
[quoted text clipped - 49 lines]
>> I need the same part I believe for my 2002 Mountaineer. Let us know
>> if it works out.
Richard - 25 Oct 2007 14:30 GMT
Well here goes:

Tools needed to make the job easier:
   10mm deep well socket
    7/16 deep well 1/4 drive socket or short extension
    allen wrench (for lower selt belt bolt)
    flashlight
    1 medium bag of M & M's  (optional)

1.  Ordered part at 10:00pm Sunday night
2.  Part arrived Tuesday afternoon
3.  Put part on Wed. afternoon
4.  Fixed problem!

   When you take off the paneling you can unplug the electrical
connector to see if that stops the "clicking" noise.  That should tell
you if it is actuator #1 or #2  causing the sound.   #1 is the blend
door and is located towards the rear of the truck.    When you
determine which one it is you might want to take the housing loose by
removing the two 10mm bolts.  Be very careful that you do not just
yank it away from the frame since ti is connected by heat / cooling
hoses.
  When I got the actuator off (three bolts) I checked to see if the
blend door was stuck (hence the broken actuator), mine was not tight
and moved very freely.   After the new part was installed everything
worked terrific.    Hopefully this should fix it for a while

Thanks for all of the help

/Richard

> Your welcome. Only "payment" I ask is that you report back after you
> receive and install the part and let us know how it worked out, if solved
[quoted text clipped - 56 lines]
>
> - Show quoted text -
wwallick@tampabay.rr.com - 25 Oct 2007 15:55 GMT
Congratuations, Richard - how long did this take?

Two years ago, the Ford dealer charged almost $400 for this job - just
about all of it was labor.

WLW

>Well here goes:
>
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>>
>> - Show quoted text -
Richard - 25 Oct 2007 16:07 GMT
About an hour, not counting the M & M's

/Richard

On Oct 25, 10:55 am, wwall...@tampabay.rr.com wrote:
> Congratuations, Richard - how long did this take?
>
[quoted text clipped - 96 lines]
>
> - Show quoted text -
akheel - 26 Oct 2007 09:08 GMT
Thanks! I know what I'm doing this weekend; going to check which actuator
is bad and order it. I unplugged it about two years ago and can't
remember which one. All I remember is that it was alternating between hot
and cold (hence the clicking) so I just waited until it got to cold and
unplugged it, as we don't use the rear heat, but the rear a/c is
important. The hot/cold thing makes me think it's probably the blend door
(Actuator 1) but I figure I ought to check to make sure.

BTW, does anyone out there know if my problem might not be the actuator?
This is the second one to go, the first was replaced under warranty with
exactly the same symptoms. I remember reading somewhere about an
electrical issue with the hot/cold control knob that could cause a
similar problem.

> Well here goes:
>
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>>
>> - Show quoted text -
Richard - 26 Oct 2007 15:28 GMT
I bet you are correct with it being #1 .  #2 just seems to deflect the
flow from overhead to foot.    Just a thought:  When you take the
actuator off insert a screwdriver into the hole and see if the door
opens and closes smoothly.  You dont have to worry which position you
leave the door in because the new actuator is keyed to fit.
  It might be clicking because it is the most sorry, cheapest design
for a motor I have ever seen.   I disassembled the actuator and looked
at the little offending gear.  It's a wonder it works as long as it
does.
   Good luck this weekend.   It took about an hour taking the covers
off because I did not know if there were screws in any of it. (there
is not) .  It took about 45min finding the 10mm deep well socket.
Puttting it back together was really just a "snap".
   Have fun!

/Richard

> Thanks! I know what I'm doing this weekend; going to check which actuator
> is bad and order it. I unplugged it about two years ago and can't
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>
> - Show quoted text -
akheel - 01 Nov 2007 09:31 GMT
Did it! Took it apart on Saturday in probably 20 mins (only because I was
being careful), found clicking #1 actuator, ordered it from Team Ford
parts that day along with another part I needed for an unrelated job.
Parts shipped on Monday, were at my door on Tuesday. Put them in on
Tuesday evening. No clicking, everything works great. Snaped it all back
together. Done Tuesday night! Thanks for the all of the pointers.

BTW, I too took apart the actuator and the failure sounds to be the same
as yours, that little blue gear that sits between the motor and the
bigger blue gear. The splines had sheared off on one side of the smaller
end. The clicking must come from it rotating in place, sliping back, and
trying to rotate again, over and over. What a crappy design. Since this
is my second replacement (first under warranty) I have no doubt it will
crap out again. I'm hoping they upgraded the little offending piece of
s--t gear, but why do that when you can sell millions more of the whole
part!

> I bet you are correct with it being #1 .  #2 just seems to deflect the
> flow from overhead to foot.    Just a thought:  When you take the
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>>
>> - Show quoted text -
Richard - 01 Nov 2007 14:42 GMT
Great!  Glad to hear it solved your problem.   Thanks again for the
web site address and part location.

/Richard

> Did it! Took it apart on Saturday in probably 20 mins (only because I was
> being careful), found clicking #1 actuator, ordered it from Team Ford
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>
> - Show quoted text -
wwallick@tampabay.rr.com - 21 Oct 2007 16:44 GMT
Could you explain how you were able to "get at" the broken part?

The same thing happened two years ago on my 2002 Ex while it was under
extended warrantee. The overall cost was around $400. My part was $50.

Less than two years later it's broken again (parts made in China?). No
warrantee now.

Thanks,

WLW

>     OK  I took it apart today and found the actuator has a small gear
>inside that is broken.  It has two teeth sheared off, which is making the
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>>
>> Thanks
Debbie Grimes - 22 Oct 2007 01:14 GMT
First of all I don't know if 2002 and 2003 rear air is the same.  The
part I needed (if you look at the parts diagram that <akheel> linked to) is
Actuator #1.  As far as I know #1 controls the blend door where as #2
controls the air flow head/floor.

   It's pretty simple to get to on the '03.
1.  Remove just about ALL the rear sidepanels.  They just snap off, no
screws involved.  Well except the lower seatbelt bolt need to come off.

2.  Two 10mm fasteners hold the housing cover onto the vehicle.  If you have
a 10mm deepwell socket life would be much easier.

3.  GENTLY slide it away from the vehicle just enough to get your hands
behind the housing.  Remember it is still connected to the hoses, so be VERY
careful.

4.  Three screws hold the actuator in place and are easy to remove.  The
actuator has a shaft that fits inside the blend door arm and just pulls away
from the housing.

5.  Throw that sucker away

   I don't know if the parts and location are the same for 02 and 03 put my
part says for years 03-08

good luck and let me know if what little I know will help

/Richard

> Could you explain how you were able to "get at" the broken part?
>
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
> >>
> >> Thanks
wwallick@tampabay.rr.com - 22 Oct 2007 16:04 GMT
Richard, thank you, thank you , thank you!!!!!

That's just the info I needed. I used to get all the manuals on
whatever vehicle we had and did all kinds of repairs - "used to". At
73 crawling under cars, etc. is not as much "fun" as it was. Ha

A word of caution: about six months after the rear blend door broke,
the first time; the front one broke. Wouldn't it be nice if Ford did
something about these failures?

I read somewhere on the net that NOT setting the temp control as far
as it will go to cold might prevent these failures. Here in Florida we
always had the nob maxed out. Not anymore.

Let us know how your repair turns out.

Thanks again,

WLW

>   First of all I don't know if 2002 and 2003 rear air is the same.  The
>part I needed (if you look at the parts diagram that <akheel> linked to) is
[quoted text clipped - 63 lines]
>> >>
>> >> Thanks
 
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