Had the stereo receiver replaced on my 2002 T-bird and found that the climate control is mixing in too much hot air right after the installation. So much so that even with the A/C on, it is only a little cooler. Had the A/C checked out just to rule it out and it is fine. The mechanic said the blend door actuator needs to be replaced. Turns out T-birds have 5 actuators and the one very near to the stereo is the Cool air bypass, which sounds like the issue to me. The company that installed the stereo agreed to try to perform a “trouble-shooting” inspection, so I would like to point them in the right direction right off.
My question to this forum is what is the liklihood that the problem is actually the actuator? Isn’t it more like that the linkage was disturbed or the blend door itself was damaged?
Couple of other things I have observed is 1) The temp will get warmer when the temp setting is increased so it is modulatating somewhat 2) Figured out how to run a climate control self check and doesn’t appear that any error codes come up. Does that mean the actuator is functioning OK?
If they find the problem, will they make the repair or send you to another shop? It appears that the shop primarily does sound system installations and that’s why I ask. Also, the shop may have a set procedure for troubleshooting this system since there are several parts to it. They may not appreciate you short circuiting the work by telling them where to look. It may turn out that more parts of the system might need replacement and allowing them to do it their way may result in fewer return trips.
I definitely won’t be telling them how to do their job. I don’t know what to expect from the install shop, but my guess is that I will end up having to take it somewhere else that can properly diagnose and fix the problem and then hopefully get reimbursed, but I am skeptical. I am just trying to educate myself so I can understand what the possibilities might be.
If I do have to take it somewhere else, then I have to decided whether I should take it to the dealer or an independent shop. My friend with a Ford has not been impressed with the service dept’s ability to diagnose her problem at our local dealer and I usually go to independent shops, but will they be able to diagnose the issue? Any advice on this is greatly appreciated.
I’m not sure what problems your friend’s car had and whether they were willing to pay a fair amount to diagnose and repair . . .
If you take the car to an independent shop, you need to be choosey . . . don’t take it to a shop that specializes in front end work, brakes, tires and such things
You need to find a shop that’s comfortable working on Fords and has someone with a good head on their shoulders who knows how to use a pro-level scanner, follow trouble trees, read wiring diagrams, etc.
That was my first thought too, but the first Reply from Tester says that “The blend door actuator engages the blend door directly with a square drive shaft”, so there is no seperate linkage. Thanks for the thought though
The “self-check” display you show in the photo above looks like it is testing that all the individual display segments light up. Does the owner’s manual say it tests more than that?
Suggest to take the audio shop up on their offer to do an inspection. It’s possible an electrical connector was knocked loose during the radio install. It’s also possible the new radio is larger than the old one, and is now pinching on a wire or pushing on a connector, causing a problematic connection.
fyi, I believe the door actuator is probably a small specialty-type electric motor, called a “servo motor”. Those motors often respond to a specific sequence of voltage pulses from a control module., rather than a constant voltage supply. They also often have an associated sensor which allows the controller to verify they are in the correct position. Sometimes that position gets confused, and the actuators require a “homing procedure”. That procedure may require a specialty scan tool.
Are those numbers in the picture what you see on the display all the time? Or is that the LED test screen that goes away? If those are the temps displayed, you likely don’t have an actuator problem…
The self check was not in the owners manual. I saw a YouTube on how to perform that so I’m not sure what the lack of error codes means. You have a good point about the electrical connection to the actuator. I will ask they check for that when they inspect it. The new radio is actually smaller than the old one but perhaps something got jostled. Thanks for your reply!
No, it reads as you would expect. The pic was at the end of a self check cycle. All 8’s is supposed to mean all in normal, so that’s why I thought it must not be the actuator itself, but who knows?
