SSM 49264 - Climate Control Temperature Will Not Adjust With Clicking/Snapping Noise From The Dash

[Frenchy]

Sorry if I'm entering this conversation at the wrong spot. Same problem with my 2019 Ranger Lariat. Drivers side unbearably hot (on top of central OK weather), wife's side is comfortably cool. Took it into the dealer for the blend door problem and a 4th trip for transmission programing problems. the blend door issue was going to cost $2500. They had the It written up as needing an entire AC plenum plus a new actuator. Decided to do an actuator myself per the YouTube vids. Unfortunately no has the Actuator in stock (tried the dealer, CarID and a ford house in Fla.) and some won't even guess on a delivery date. Question: can the faulty actuator be removed and the blend door be propped/jammed in the AC position just to get by until parts reappear?

So the actuator is not the problem. The problem is the HVAC temp box. What happened is the material used would Warp. Depending on the conditions it may be full cold or full hot. In order to fix this you have to replace the HVAC temp box. Good news it can be done in one day(if the dealer doesnt play games).

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[Toytec]

I may have to do something like this too. Truck is too hot to drive in hot weather.
I'll be watching to see if there is a work around until we can get the back ordered parts.

Could always disconnect heater hoses and put a jumper between them in a extreme case like this. Just a thought.

 

[dmeyer302]

Question: can the faulty actuator be removed and the blend door be propped/jammed in the AC position just to get by until parts reappear?

Yes, and in fact it's possible (not easy) to adjust the blend door manually from the seat.

• Remove plastic cover under steering wheel
• Remove steel plate
• Remove actuator, see a tip here
• Maybe remove a bit of ducting that exits above the brake pedal, I can't remember.
• The blend door is now controllable manually. If you practice a little, you can just reach through the holes and adjust it at will (even while driving)
  • Up is cold, down is warm

 

[landiscarrier]

Sorry if I'm entering this conversation at the wrong spot. Same problem with my 2019 Ranger Lariat. Drivers side unbearably hot (on top of central OK weather), wife's side is comfortably cool. Took it into the dealer for the blend door problem and a 4th trip for transmission programing problems. the blend door issue was going to cost $2500. They had the It written up as needing an entire AC plenum plus a new actuator. Decided to do an actuator myself per the YouTube vids. Unfortunately no has the Actuator in stock (tried the dealer, CarID and a ford house in Fla.) and some won't even guess on a delivery date. Question: can the faulty actuator be removed and the blend door be propped/jammed in the AC position just to get by until parts reappear?

That was the same issue I had...drivers side did nothing but HOT air even with the A/C on. They replaced the entire heater box and all has been good since then. It's my understanding that it's not entirely an actuator issues but the entire box and if you only do the actuator the problem will come back. Being that MANY 2019's are having this issue Ford should help you out. If they don't locally call the corporate customer service department.

 

[JayDavis]

Yes, and in fact it's possible (not easy) to adjust the blend door manually from the seat.

• Remove plastic cover under steering wheel
• Remove steel plate
• Remove actuator, see a tip here
• Maybe remove a bit of ducting that exits above the brake pedal, I can't remember.
• The blend door is now controllable manually. If you practice a little, you can just reach through the holes and adjust it at will (even while driving)
  • Up is cold, down is warm

dmeyer302, Thanks. That was one of the first vids I looked at. There is another where the guy disects the old version of the actuator and shows the faulty design and opens the newer version to show the differences. I'm thinking that the old disconnected actuator should be reattached to the wireing harness to "fool" the onboard diagnostics. Wish they'd left this stuff mechanical instead of flybywire

 

[SilverSlugger]

This makes me want to buy some type of warranty lol. I have a feeling that eventually ALL Rangers built in 2019 will need this done. sigh

 

[Langwilliams]

This makes me want to buy some type of warranty lol. I have a feeling that eventually ALL Rangers built in 2019 will need this done. sigh

I bought a warranty for this reason. It was $790 to extend the warranty to 6 years 75K. I'm driving under 12K a year now an I'm not known for keeping vehicles a long time so I thought this time/miles worked for me.

 

[dmeyer302]

I'm thinking that the old disconnected actuator should be reattached to the wireing harness to "fool" the onboard diagnostics.

My actuator has been disconnected for months and I haven't ever seen a code.

Wish they'd left this stuff mechanical instead of flybywire

Fly by wire temperature controls have been around a long time and are mostly standard these days, even on models that don't have automatic HVAC. Which makes it all the more disappointing that this is still a problem.

 

[Gallowizard]

Well, I guess it's good to know I am far from the first to have this bs happen.

44k miles with the single dial basic air control just started showing a number of these symptoms today. Low air flow and the AC will not kick on, or if it does it is barely noticeable. When making any adjustment to the temp knob you hear 3-4 fast audible clicks.. like shitty gears grinding against each other.

I am really hoping to avoid a full dash teardown.. Have to say, I am pretty disappointed to have something like this happen on a modern vehicle.

 

[kieefer]

Another update on my repair under warranty.
The ASS started working normally as it should, no idea why it didn’t work for so long.
As mentioned I now have floor heat which was dismal prior to the repair and the cab recirculating switch stays on and doesn’t time out.
Still no rattles.

 

[Frenchy]

Well, I guess it's good to know I am far from the first to have this bs happen.

44k miles with the single dial basic air control just started showing a number of these symptoms today. Low air flow and the AC will not kick on, or if it does it is barely noticeable. When making any adjustment to the temp knob you hear 3-4 fast audible clicks.. like shitty gears grinding against each other.

I am really hoping to avoid a full dash teardown.. Have to say, I am pretty disappointed to have something like this happen on a modern vehicle.

Remember, regardless of manufacturer any new model vehicle will have some sort of issue I. The first few years of production. This is common all around the board.

Yes it sucks about the HVAC Distribution box but there is a fix.

 

[JayDavis]

Remember, regardless of manufacturer any new model vehicle will have some sort of issue I. The first few years of production. This is common all around the board.

Yes it sucks about the HVAC Distribution box but there is a fix.

Yeah, that fix is $2500USD. Mine cratered after 77K mi. There's always the exception. I had the first iteration of the Expedition and a 10 cyl gas burning Excursion. Traded both in at 150K mi (company Vehicles). only "shop" time either saw was for oil change & tire rotations. I've had Expeds for over 20 years with ZERO shop time (other than oil changes).
I wont even start to tell of recent suspicious faults occurring with my Ranger after driving off the lot after an oil changer.

 

[AzScorpion]

Yes, and in fact it's possible (not easy) to adjust the blend door manually from the seat.

• Remove plastic cover under steering wheel
• Remove steel plate
• Remove actuator, see a tip here
• Maybe remove a bit of ducting that exits above the brake pedal, I can't remember.
• The blend door is now controllable manually. If you practice a little, you can just reach through the holes and adjust it at will (even while driving)
  • Up is cold, down is warm

Thanks for the video this just happened to mine today. Question, once the old actuator is out is it obvious when you stick your finger up there (yeah that doesn't sound right lol) as to where the blend door is? It's hard to tell in the video and I know it's a small area but this might just be a quick fix for me as I rarely need heat out here.

 

[Mokume]

MIne has been doing this for a few months, I just haven't had time to deal with. I am a tech at a Ford dealer, so I get to fix it myself. At least I'll get paid to do it.....

I've got a story that's somewhat related:

When I was wrenching at a Lincoln-Mercury dealership some time ago, a '72 Gran Torino 2 dr. coupe came in as a trade.

The car was a stripped model, but it at least had an C4 automatic, AM radio, A/C and power steering, it was super clean and had very low miles on it.

It also, as our used car shop guys diagnosed, a supposedly dead cylinder, the little 302 shook like it did. As a result used car sales decided to wholesale it, employees were allowed to buy wholesale vehicles.

The car intrigued me so I looked over the engine closely and confirmed my suspicions.
Ford had a recall going on then which involved the 5 blade radiator flex fans loosing blades, the torn up fan shroud on the Torino verified this, fortunately the radiator was not damaged. The unbalanced fan made the entire motor shake as though it had a dead cylinder.

I bought the car for $500 and with the title in hand asked a service writer to write it up under the recall and replaced the fan, I later got a shroud from a junkyard.

The 302 purred like a kitten thereafter, I sold the car for a handsome profit.

It looked exactly like the attached image, but it was a medium brown metallic with a white vinyl roof.

 

[dmeyer302]

Thanks for the video this just happened to mine today. Question, once the old actuator is out is it obvious when you stick your finger up there (yeah that doesn't sound right lol) as to where the blend door is? It's hard to tell in the video and I know it's a small area but this might just be a quick fix for me as I rarely need heat out here.

The thing you have to move is a chrome pin approx 1/8” diameter, which is at the end of the blend door lever arm. It will have grease all over it when you first pull the actuator off.

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