Okay heres the deal....my ac blows out the defrost. i keep finding site that say it may be a broken blend door. i need photos i guess, because when i remove the glove box, i cant figure out where to go from there.....whats next? i cannot fugure out where anything is, or how to get to it!!! HELLLLPPPP

 

ITS A 2001 RANGER

 

Are you sure it's the blend door or possibly a vacuum leak forcing the HVAC into the default position (defrost/defog)?

 

I agree with Rackster. Sounds a lot more like a vacuum leak. A blend door problem would cause hot air to come out.

First thing to do would be to make sure you are actually getting vacuum into the cab. Pull out the heater controll and check that the vacuum connections are secure on the back of the select switch.

No vacuum = no vent controls.

Good luck on the project!

Tim

 

i have been having the same thing going on how do i check to see whats wrong with it autozone thinks i need all new parts but it still blows heat and a/c so whats the deal?

 

NathanRay,

Welcome to FTE!!

In my experience, I first started by reading about vacuum leaks and I did an Advanced Search here. You'll find that the factory default to defrost/defog is an early indicator of a vacuum problem. I also picked up an inexpensive vacuum gage at Advance Auto. I didn't end up needing it because I was able to find the leak...using my nose.

When I started, I traced the vacuum lines one-by-one, cleaning each one as I went along. This was done not so much for appearance, but to look for knicks or cracks in the lines. Most of the fittings were stuck on their stems, some were movable, so I cleaned those to. I started on the driver side, but when I got to the passenger side, I noticed a smell (burnt plastic) and found a plastic smudge on the exhaust manifold. I found that during replacement of the alternator, the Ford tech must have moved the line and it came in contact with the manifold. It melted and created the vacuum leak. I bought some tubing that fit over the outer diameter of the vacuum line snuggly, cut the melted ends of diagnally and slipped the tubing I bought over both.

So far, so good. Tubing hasn't shifted and the HVAC control **** works in all positions. To me, it sounds like a vacuum leak based on my reading and what I experienced. I suggest you try the same as I did. At the minimum, your lines get cleaned and lubed (Armor All).

Good luck!!

Kevin

 

I agree with Rackster.

 

i will have to try that when it stops raining lol

 

I have a similar problem with a 99 ranger but the AC only comes out the defrost when I am on Max AC and I am accelerating. I have not been able to find a vacuum leak, yet.
Has anyone had problem with the AC control switch itself? If so where can I get one?
One site a saw suggested the vacuum reservoir, but from what I can see of mine it looks OK.
I also have looked for the actuator that switches the vents that the air comes out of. What does it look like? Does it look like a thin black box? I have seen a couple of those while I have been looking in the dash.

 

Daniele,

Sounds like a low charge, but it could be that the control **** isn't working correctly. I spoke with the Ford tech when I had my vacuum leak to see if he thought it was the switch or a vacuum leak. He said it's almost never the switch (requires a special tool to remove the stereo after removing the dash console as I recall reading). Luckily, I didn't need to do the more time consuming repair as it was just the melted vacuum line.

Kevin

 

Actually it's not too bad getting to the switch. I had it out the other day to see if I could see any visible problem with it.
Thanks for the response . I don't want to just start throwing parts at the problem.

 

Daniele,

That's good to hear that access was easy. Good luck with the investigation.

Kevin

 

Hey daniele, I have a 99 Ranger with the exact same problem. I replaced the cannister but it did not make a difference. I have not found the problem yet but it sure is aggravating. As long as I am just cruising or decelerating it blows out the vents but on acceleration it blows out the defrost. Maybe between the two of us we can figure this out.

 

If you come across the cause please let us know. I have checked all of the vacuum lines that I can see. I can see the fresh air actuator, but not the one for the defrost vent. I am not sure where that is.

 

it was the relay under the hood it had came out just a little bit i pushed it in and it works great now