No air coming from Front Vents

5

Asked by PirateChic Aug 10, 2014 at 09:24 PM about the 1996 Ford Explorer 4 Dr XLT 4WD SUV

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Here's a run down of events leading up to this.  Maybe 2 years ago, heat and air worked fabulously.  Then one day, MAX setting on cold air stopped working, but all other settings continues to work.  Maybe a few months after, no air came through the front vents - it only came from the defrost vents (when set on defrost).  Now, no air (hot or cold) comes from from vents or defroster.  Heat/air only work from rear vents.
I think you can hear some kind of vacuum noise when you turn the air unit on - it kind of sounds like air coming out of a small balloon.  I got under the hood and checked all the hoses and they looked ok.  I did the spray with water test too and the hoses passed.
I have read and watched videos about possible fixes til I can't see straight.  Does anyone know what might be going on?  I'd really like to try to fix this myself or at least have a general idea of what needs to happen to get this corrected.  Thanks for light you can shed on my issue!

34 Answers

45,305

sounds like a bad blender door ill send you a link to a video with a some what simalur issue might help might not its almsot 1000 $ to fix and replace the whole air system or part at the dealer *they remove your whole dash to do it.*

88 people found this helpful.
45,305

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/6483/ford/explorer/ford-explorer-air-conditioner-and-heater-problems/p2 Is also fairly informative

20 people found this helpful.
45,305

check out the forums link i posted most often the blender door breaks in these trucks.

26 people found this helpful.
240

I did not get the forums link can u Please send it thanks.

5 people found this helpful.
45,305

my friend read 4 quotes up it even says forums in the first word it says in the link

9 people found this helpful.
830

it's not the blend door actuator !

25 people found this helpful.
45,305

i have seen a bunch where the main issue is the blend door. But its often the thing that attaches it to the control unit. The tab breaks off and the arm that adjusts the blend door just hangs down doing nothing.

26 people found this helpful.
870

The air blend door actuator only changes the temperature setting. It DOES NOT have anything to do with the position of which the air comes out.

33 people found this helpful.
170

yeah I am having the same problem with my 2000 mercury mountaineer. There is no air coming out of the front or defrost vents. The vents for the back seats work, but that's it. I heard that this is actually the blower motor under the hood. This is like a $50 dollar fix if you order it online and watch the 1A auto video that demonstrates how to replace it!

17 people found this helpful.
320

I had the same problem with my 2004 Explorer, everybody was saying that the blend actuator was the problem, look a bunch of videos to know how to do the job, well I replace the actuator and it didn't fix the problem, so I proceed to look at the system and found on the passenger side and found another damper with a plastic arm broken wish connect to the pneumatic actuator, luckily it was an easy fix for me, I replace the broken arm with a piece of plastic to extend and emulate the broken part, screwed, connect the actuator and that fix the problem, so I spent $40.00 on the electric actuator that I didn't need..

32 people found this helpful.
210

Look behind the glovebox. Opens out easy from inside by hand....tabs each side,Some years have cabin air filters there. (usually original & plugged solid). My 03 mountaineer doesn't .If not,take out 2 or 3 screws between the big round plastic (blower motor) and the plastic piece above it. Look in between with a flashlight . There is a piece of mesh netting on blower port.Mine has a big mouse/rat nest clogging it to almost no flow. Not sure how to get it out ....looking for that info now :)

21 people found this helpful.
870

Update to mine...i fixed my 95 explorer. Mine turned out that there is a suction vent located near the front of the vehicle, on the passenger side. I had checked all the venting near the firewall but was unaware of the one near the front of the vehicle. Once hooked back up, my vent switch worked perfectly. ***AND AGAIN, TO THOSE WHO ARE SUGGESTING IT...THE AIR BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLACE WHERE THE AIR COMES OUT! IT ONLY ADJUSTS THE TEMPERATURE ***

50 people found this helpful.
70

I have a 2008 Ford Explorer well I put A/C but all of sudden it got warm again what's the problem it's a4x4

7 people found this helpful.
45,305

if the ac is warm then you lost your coolant some place. Comman places for leaks is the ac rad or at the air box inside the car. if the grill is leaking you will see a large dark spot on it.

6 people found this helpful.
370

I have a 2010 ford explorer. I was told the little vent or flap the directs the air to the front vents was getting stuck. What can i do to repair it.

37 people found this helpful.
45,305

cleaning out the are athe flap is in would help maybe greasing it as well

3 people found this helpful.
460

For me temp controlled air was coming out the defrost vents and not the front vents. Have an arm under the glove box broken. Was able to stick my hand in there and switch it back for the time being.

46 people found this helpful.
80

I have an 02, everything seems to work except the defrost, pulled the motor, clean up inside. . The 3 actuators on the passenger's side all seem to function properly as does the door above the blower motor. No vacuum leaks at those points either. Checked the vacuum lines in the engine compartment, 15 inches at 5200'. The door for the defrost seems to work but no changes at the actual openings by the windshield.

8 people found this helpful.
40

in most cases of no blow it's either a fuse or the resistor

4 people found this helpful.
200

The same lever for the front vents broke on my 2010 Sport Trac just the other day. I took the liberty of fixing it but it was hell with tight quarters! Plus I found a cable bundle that had been rubbing against the frame structure behind the dash. Eventually that would've caused all kinds of fun. Here's the before and after photo of the "fix". Those actuators are pulling way too much in my opinion. A dampening spring would help relieve each end of the cycle.

17 people found this helpful.
200

My model is a 2010 (last year of production) so I had to fabricate my own lever. I didn't check around but doubt you'll find the part online. A junk yard may be the best bet.

3 people found this helpful.
100

Similar to other folks, my air pressure was getting lost between the front vents and the defrost vents. The plastic bit that connects to the door actuator has broken off. I drilled a hole in what remained of the plastic bit and ran a zip tie through the hole I drilled and the preexisting hole on the arm of the actuator. Worked like a charm.

10 people found this helpful.

2006 Ford explorer, my vents blow and I just put a clutch fan on it not long ago. But I dont have cool air, it a little cool but not like it should be

70

Just fixed mine (09 Explorer XLT). Like others above said- the plastic arm that attaches to the mechanism that moves in and out and therefore opens and closes the "door" to the two main front vents is broken. I heard a loud snap several days before the air stopped coming from the front vents and only from the defrost vents. I drilled a hole in what was left of the plastic arm base and then used two small zip ties to attach the arm to a hole which was already in the metal piece that moves in and out. It's a real PITA because room is very very limited. I took off my glovebox entirely to make more elbow room- just 3 7mm screws. After completion, I tested and it works fine now. My only worry is that I drilled a little too close to the outside of the arm so there's not as much plastic as there could be to protect it from snapping loose but the plastic was pretty tough/ thick. Took me about 30 minutes to do with a lot of swearing and cursing in-between.

7 people found this helpful.
20

Jon, your explanation and solution line up with what a couple others did, and that's that I'll likely need to do as well. I took my 08 Explorer Sport Trac to a reputable shop yesterday and they recommended replacing a "plenum" box which would require removing the entire dashboard and cost about $1,100. Can you please tell/show me which side or area to open up to get to where this arm needs to be reattached?

2 people found this helpful.
80

Brian, there's a very simple solution that I just ordered yesterday. This guy Sean 3D printed a solution and sells them. https://www.etsy.com/listing/767020476/ford-blend- door-lever-fix Or for those that have the equipment to do this... https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3751515 Hope this helps.

4 people found this helpful.
80

Sorry, I forgot the steps to locate this. Open the glove box and push the side tabs in so it drops all the way down. Make sure you have a flashlight and shine it slightly upward towards the stereo. If you cannot see the metal actuator arm, turn on your truck and move through the vent settings until you do see it. Once it is sticking out, look just above it and you should see what looks like a plastic crank handle. The actuator arm should be connected to this, if not the stub has broken off and Sean's fix will work. He provides instructions on how to do the fix.

4 people found this helpful.

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