Sometimes air wont blow out the panel vents

ok on my ford tempo 1992 cool/heat panel i have push buttons: panel vent, wind def, rear def, max ac, floor, floor/def and ac.



sometimes no matter which button i press it will blow from the defrost at the top, no matter what until I press the buttons a few times or press max ac , turn on off again.



Any suggestions as to why it sometimes will not blow air from the panels?

A possible problem may lie with a faulty (ductwork) blend door motor or perhaps the connection to the door from the motor is disconnected or brokeen.

Does the fan work on all speeds?

To add: make sure the cabin filter (if so equipped) is clean and the fresh air vents are clean. These are the ones below the bottom corners of the windshield under the plastic screen.

Yes the fan works on all speeds, I don’t see where those filters are your talking about, you mean the dash where the defrost vents are?

It sounds like the blend door. It may be sticking or it may be a vacuum leak in a hose. I don’t know what kind of system your Ford has.

Good Luck

Cabin air filters are usually mounted below the fresh air vents behind or within the back of the glove compartment. (Inside the passenger cabin)

Take a close look at the side of the glove box door after you open it.

Is there a support arm with a removable screw or pin? On some vehicles, this screw or pin needs to be removed to allow the door to drop down thus gaining access to the filter.

If there is one in there, remove and replace with a new one but ensure you replace the new one the correct side up to allow proper air flow. You may see an indicating arrow on the front edge.

Also, if the old filter is full of deteriorated leaves, etc, you’ll have to clean out the outside vents below the windshield.

Failing to do so blocks the air flow and will cause a musty/mildew type odor to enter the cabin when the outside air is asked for.