Need Help 98 Ford Ranger 2.5l V4 Only Blows Heat. Can't Control The Temperature

 

I went to Ebay and bought a kit, was 130 plus, Ford Ranger Heater Blend Door Fix HeaterTreater. woked like a champ in my 96
Mike

 

The door is made of plastic. When turning the heat switch too far if puts too much pressure on it and it usually breaks on top of door. You can buy one from Rockauto for about $10.00. The hard part is installing it.


Check out the blend door fix first. If that doesn't work cut the plenum on bottom and install new door. There are posts on how to do it.

 

Max AC should blow cold still, selecting this makes the blend door position irrelevant. Mine does though I cannot control the temp either way, all hot or all cold. Its annoying but I can live with it on a 10 yo truck. I did the "fix", lasted a month..I just turn the heat on/off as needed or crack a window.

 

I found this site in 2004 while looking for information on blend door problems. I joined this site so that I could post a thank you because of the "nail fix" idea. My 98 Ranger is still running strong (192,000 miles) and the heater blend door, nail fix and all, works like a champ. No kinda-sorta-almost-sometimes to it, the nail fix saved me over $1,000.00 as that was what Ford quoted me for the cost of the repair. It cost me one small finish nail and about 2 hours of my time. This site is very informative and has answered several other questions that I have had about my Ranger and my Escape as well. I hope that I have answered some questions that some of the other members have had. Good luck!

 

hi everyone,
it seems that i have this problem with the blend door but think i want it fixed right and cheap. so im gonna check out the HeaterTreater site and go from there. i'll post later to let you all know how things turn out. wish me luck cause i'm freezing my a_ _ off right now

l8r

 

I know a lot of people would be interested in feedback on the HeaterTreater. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

hey everyone ,
i need some help!!okay i checked into the heatertreater deal. but here is my problem.i have a 1994 ranger 2.3L XLT the a/c hasn't worked since i got it from my brother for free. it's got 203,000 miles on it still runs great!! last winter i had heat,
this fall had heat, then it stopped working. winter is here and I'm freezing!!!!
water pump works,flushed the system,new thermostat., new coolant temp gauge,still no heat? so i dug in. i took the core out, can blow through it by mouth "even blew coolant on my shoulder" so it's not plugged up right?
i went by what i could make out of instructions on ebay, and other post. here and there about heatertreater online. so my first step was to find the step up motor for blend door on top of my plenum behind glove box...
WELL it's not there????? the site's all say 1993 to 2008 right? remember mine's a 1994
well WTF is mine?
so when i got the core out i looked and see one such blend door that work's with the movement of my temperature stick dial, and another door that works with the floor,panel, floor and panel,& defrost stick dial. and don't see room for another such door on this side of the firewall. and on top of the plenum there is just manual gears for the door's i talked earlier about.
so i don't want to spend $130.00 on a kit that i don't think is gonna help anyway. and I'm stumped at what the hell is wrong with my trucks heater
any help on this would be GREATLY appreciated..

 

This is what I would check:

1) With engine hot and heater controls set to high, check your heater hoses for warmth with your hand where they enter firewall. If no heat, your vacuum hose might be off your control valve.

2) Make sure your antifreeze is to the top of your radiator. Check when cool (of course you know that)

3) Try removing the motor that turns the blend door. With the temp. switch see if the motor rotates the control. You can access it through your glove box. Lift it up and out with a screwdriver. When done checking, put it back over and snap it down.

Post back with results.

 

thanks for trying to help...but as to answer's
1) what control valve do you mean?
2)done that, was the very first thing i did when i lost my heat
3)i dont think you understand my post..i dont have a blend door on my
truck that i can find!!
as to the instruction's for the "HEATERTREATER" fix paper work that i've seen.for trucks from 1993 to 2008
the blend door motor is ontop of the heater core plenum box that holds the heater core, right behind the glove box. there isn't one on my 1994 truck...i've gone as far as go to a junkyard and dug into a 2003 ranger and there it was, just like the paperwork said it would be..but my truck is totaly differnt than that one(plenum box and all)
so what im asking if the heater treater paperwork say's ford rangers from 1993 to 2008. how come my 1994 ford ranger is differnt!!
or is the 1993 to 2008 on their paperwork a typo or somthing?????????????

 

Just out of curiosity, how much rotation is the actuater pin supposed to have, when it is good? I am working on this and noticed I had about a 1/4 turn at the most with the typical 'V shaped remainder' shown in Fig. 2 of cgallen's post...

Pretty much same problem here too. '98 Ranger...Both heater hoses hot, so I know it is not the heater core or heater control valve (put my hand on hoses 'downstream' of heater control valve)...

 

macattack:

1) the heater hose runs from thermostat casing to the firewall, and 1/2 way there should be a heater control valve with a vacuum switch that may be stuck in the closed position.

paraaronoid:

the 1/4 turn is correct. the door swings 90 degrees open and closed. If it doesn't close completely, the a/c air is mixed with the heat and cools the air. why would ford do such a crazy thing?? I guess so the a/c works in winter so the seals don't leak. The problem is the blend door cracks at the top where the accuator turns the door and the plastic breaks.

ford: fixorrepairdaily

 

Thanks for the info.

I actually tried the "blend door fix" and found that the somewhat small amount of heat I was able to actually obtain (prior to fix) is now completely gone and is blowing even colder air. Would this at least be a sign that I still actually have a blend door and it isn't laying at the bottom of the plenum?

I plan on re-doing my fix and placing the nail further away from the actuator to better "grab" the door (if it is actually still there).

Is there a way to actually tell if I still have a blend door without taking the plenum out or cutting a hole in it?

 

I would cut a hole in the bottom of plenum and look inside. Use a razor knife and replace the peace of plastic with metal foil tape to reseal.....or, If you take the accuator off on top you can look with a mirror and light on top of the plenum to see the remaining part of the door. Believe me the door is there, just broke off on top. I cut the bottom of my plenum and replaced the blend door with a new one for 10 bucks, because the blend door fix did not work. The problem is getting it out and back together. I cut the whole bottom out and soldered a 1/2 inch copper cap to a piece of 1/2 inch pipe and screwed into the bottom of plenum, then taping the plastic cut out with foil tape. Any way you look at it it is a challenge.

The door is in the vertical position in the plenum.

 

HEY THANKS FOR THE REPLY 98 RANGE,
on my hose there is only a coolant temp gauge,and i put a new one on. what it does i don't know?. and it's electrical, and it's getting power.. PLEASE ANYBODY!! I'M LOOKING AT 14 DEG'S. WENSDAY MORNING
hey i shouldn't do this but I'm desperate. if you want to call me at 1-910-245-7884 the machine will pick up cause i screen all calls! say something and I'll pick up..after 6:30 pm till 10:00pm
thanks a bunch............