Need your help, climate control diagnosis.

[AvalancheFX4]

Ever since I got cold and I started using the heater my climate control has been acting strange. I turn it on and get no air flow or noise for a few minutes , when it finally kicks on I hear a clicking sound and it stops and then starts again. It'll do this 3-4 times in a row until finally it blows steady with no hesitation, I turn the fan on max and no issues, smooth sound no grinding. Seems to happen whenever the truck is cold. Thanks

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[AzScorpion]

Can you tell where the clicking is coming from? It almost sounds like the heater box issues that the 2019-early 2020's had but they were supposed to have fixed that. When mine broke it was down low almost where the center stack ended.

 

[AvalancheFX4]

Can you tell where the clicking is coming from? It almost sounds like the heater box issues that the 2019-early 2020's had but they were supposed to have fixed that. When mine broke it was down low almost where the center stack ended.

It's definitely coming from the passenger side foot well. Not sure about pin point location though.

 

[AzScorpion]

It's definitely coming from the passenger side foot well. Not sure about pin point location though.

Mine sounded like it was more towards the center and it was the drivers side actuator that broke. Hopefully it's just a stuck blend door or something simple like a bent cable?

 

[AvalancheFX4]

Wonder if it could be a blend door not letting the air flow?

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

This is a Hail Mary as I don't recall hearing a clicking sound, but, are you in auto mode by chance? I had found with my 2022 that in auto mode it doesn't seem to ever want to engage the heater. If I take it out of auto and just put it on forward & footwell blower at say 78F it blows nice and hot with the vehicle at temp at any fan speed every time. So my solution unfortunately was to just give up on auto mode for the time being.

 

[AvalancheFX4]

This is a Hail Mary as I don't recall hearing a clicking sound, but, are you in auto mode by chance? I had found with my 2022 that in auto mode it doesn't seem to ever want to engage the heater. If I take it out of auto and just put it on forward & footwell blower at say 78F it blows nice and hot with the vehicle at temp at any fan speed every time. So my solution unfortunately was to just give up on auto mode for the time being.

No unfortunately it happens when it's in normal mode as well. Weird thing is once it's up and running everything works fine. I've cycled between all settings without a hitch.

 

[Dr_Strangelove]

Dang!

 

[AzScorpion]

Wonder if it could be a blend door not letting the air flow?

That's what it sounds like and once it unfreezes it (obviously) works fine. It's a real PITA area to get into and even try and see up there. I'm small and I was laying only back resting my head on the brake pedal and I could barely get my hands up in there and remove the actuator.

 

[airline tech]

If you have the Dual Automatic Temp control. I would put it in manual
Dual Automatic - Has 4 actuators

If Electric Manual - You only have 1 ea. - Temp Control Actuator, controlling both Dr/Pass

2 ea - Temp Control - Drivers / Passenger
1 ea - Air Inlet - (This is the Recert Door)
1 ea - Air Distrubution = (Directs Airflow) - Foot / Vent / Defrost

1. Cycle - Drivers / Passenger - Temp Control - Up and Down (separately)
2. Cycle - Recert - On/Off
3. Cycle - Air Distrubution- Floor / Vent / Defrost
To isolate which door actuator is causing the clicking

So, the noise is the actuator searching for the correct position to be in, it's either bad or binding due to bad door that it is driving (open/closed)
or
May just need a recalibration, procedure done with scan tool through the FCIM Module
If you have FORscan or Scanner, you may try pulling Code that is most likely set, clear it and reset FCIM module

 

[airline tech]

This is a Hail Mary as I don't recall hearing a clicking sound, but, are you in auto mode by chance? I had found with my 2022 that in auto mode it doesn't seem to ever want to engage the heater. If I take it out of auto and just put it on forward & footwell blower at say 78F it blows nice and hot with the vehicle at temp at any fan speed every time. So my solution unfortunately was to just give up on auto mode for the time being.

I have notice this as well - Auto-Mode) but the Ranger is notably different than older HVAC's
Keep in mind in Auto Mode, that when you first start your truck (non-remote) the blower motor will run in low or not run till it senses heater core temp has risen, then as you drive you can hear the blower motor ramp up in speed. This way it is not blowing cold air
If you try lowering (selected) temp down to say 70, you will see difference, in how it operates
It does take some getting used to in Auto, having blower motor kick down to low speed when it's 20 deg F, outside but the cab stays at 70.
In Auto Mode, Blower and Mode will adjust as needed, one thing I HATE is that it moves to floor, and I hate hot feet.

Now: If remote start (via) Ford Pass
It will automatically select (Max-Defrost) which puts blower in hi, in addition it selects heated rear window and mirrors on and heated seats on

 

[airline tech]

Ever since I got cold and I started using the heater my climate control has been acting strange. I turn it on and get no air flow or noise for a few minutes , when it finally kicks on I hear a clicking sound and it stops and then starts again. It'll do this 3-4 times in a row until finally it blows steady with no hesitation, I turn the fan on max and no issues, smooth sound no grinding. Seems to happen whenever the truck is cold. Thanks

RE: The no Airflow issue, this is normal -When in (Auto) and it's (Cold) outside temp, In Auto, the blower motor will not ramp up till the coolant flowing through the heater core is warm enough not to blow cold air, now the clicking noise. I posted above for pin-point diagnosis, you can drop glovebox down and you can see - Pass Temp Act and Air Inlet Actuator easily.
Now the driver's side (Temp Actuator) is hidden above and to the right of the gas pedal.
Now for the Mode Door Actuator - This requires the whole dash to come out, this was the issue with the early models (binding) door

And one other thing to check is the blower motor itself, might be debris in the blower wheel, pull cabin filter and you should be able to fit your hand down into the housing.
Although I doubt it, but it could be the blower motor itself, trying to turn on (binding) motor making the clicking sound when cold (generally) this is a grinding or high-pitched screeching sound (Motor-bearings) or bad windings in the motor not allowing enough current through to spin the motor. (Cold -Retracts) - (Heat-Expands) - If you deduce that this is the noise -try tapping on bottom of blower motor with handle end of screwdriver and see if it stops (noise)
The clicking would be the internal control module trying to engage the blower motor to spin

 

[airline tech]

I am attaching a Location Diagram for HVAC related components

 

[maxbottomtime]

If you have the Dual Automatic Temp control. I would put it in manual
Dual Automatic - Has 4 actuators

If Electric Manual - You only have 1 ea. - Temp Control Actuator, controlling both Dr/Pass

2 ea - Temp Control - Drivers / Passenger
1 ea - Air Inlet - (This is the Recert Door)
1 ea - Air Distrubution = (Directs Airflow) - Foot / Vent / Defrost

1. Cycle - Drivers / Passenger - Temp Control - Up and Down (separately)
2. Cycle - Recert - On/Off
3. Cycle - Air Distrubution- Floor / Vent / Defrost
To isolate which door actuator is causing the clicking

So, the noise is the actuator searching for the correct position to be in, it's either bad or binding due to bad door that it is driving (open/closed)
or
May just need a recalibration, procedure done with scan tool through the FCIM Module
If you have FORscan or Scanner, you may try pulling Code that is most likely set, clear it and reset FCIM module

Do you know if there is a built in self test for the hvac? I’m 750 miles from my laptop and forscan cable and my ac quit working…

could be debris/failed condenser but I also noticed the negative battery cable had loosened slightly (thanks dealer). Given how finicky the BCM was I was praying correcting this and pulling the battery to clear any codes would restore it, but no dice. Checked relay, fuse in engine bay and they are fine. Clutch just not engaging so assume either low pressure or thinks it is low pressure.

No gauges on the island of course.

 

[fob63]

Do you know if there is a built in self test for the hvac? I’m 750 miles from my laptop and forscan cable and my ac quit working…

could be debris/failed condenser but I also noticed the negative battery cable had loosened slightly (thanks dealer). Given how finicky the BCM was I was praying correcting this and pulling the battery to clear any codes would restore it, but no dice. Checked relay, fuse in engine bay and they are fine. Clutch just not engaging so assume either low pressure or thinks it is low pressure.

No gauges on the island of course.

Fan not working too?

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