# 2000 windstar blend door actuator



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Apparently, HVAC blend door problems are rather common across the Ford product line. A few months ago, my wife’s 2000 Windstar began making a ‘clicking’ sound whenever she would move the cool/heat slider on the dash. The slider wouldn’t work and the clicking sound would continue indefinitely. She moved the slider around until she found a spot (near full cold) where the clicking stopped. This was not that big of a deal in the summer, but it is now that the temp is in the teens every morning. She is quite emphatic that I fix the heat. 

I researched the problem and found that it is one of three things: 1) the actuator itself may have stripped its gears and that is causing the clicking. 2) the blend door itself may have broken inside the air plenum. 3) both 1 and 2 have occurred. The replacement procedure for the actuator is fairly straight-forward, and I bought the special radio removal tool from NAPA for less than $5. I am going to replace it tomorrow.

Question: If the blend door is broken, this requires surgery with a dremel and cut-off wheel on the plastic plenum to cut a hole big enough to get the broken door out and the new one in, then taping the hole shut with furnace tape. Both “Heater Treater” and Dorman make replacement doors. Has anyone ever done one of these repairs and if so, how did it go? I got the actuator from Rock Auto for $30, but from what I read on-line, the blend door itself is probably the reason the actuator failed in the first place. Any tips on making it go easier would be appreciated.


----------



## r0ckstarr (Jan 8, 2013)

Go to Youtube and search for: ford windstar blend door fix

A few videos covering different ways to do it.


----------



## cjm94 (Sep 25, 2011)

95% of the time it's just the actuator motor. Only proper way to replace the door is take out the dash and separate the heater box. Not saying it can't be done, just we could never do something like that in a shop and stand behind the repair.


----------



## Marqed97 (Mar 19, 2011)

If you get the step by step instructions, they're really not bad to do. The hvac box is split into top and bottom halves, and once you get it out of the vehicle, changing the door is a 15 minute job. No dremel or plastic cutting needed 

I used to love doing those. I always recommended an actuator and the door, though, as about half the time the door stuck and stripped out a few teeth in the actuator.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Got the actuator out, took it apart and found stripped gears. I put the spindle back in the hole and the door rotated smoothly so the door is ok. Got the actuator in and still no heat. Hmmmmm.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Follow-up: I worked on the Windstar Saturday. Here is the report.

First, remove the radio, using the special removal tool (less than $5 at NAPA). It didn’t want to come out. Left side was stuck and the tool kept coming out. After a couple of minutes of cursing, it finally popped the inside tab and the radio slid out.

Second, remove the heater control panel. Easy. Four 7mm screws hold it on. Once out, just pull the panel off. Four electrical connectors need to be removed. I left the 12V power outlet connected and just put the panel aside. 

Third, once off, there is a wiring harness that is connected with a plastic plug to the metal frame. The harness is in the way. I took an extension bar and a small socket, and tapped out the plug to move the harness out of the way. Not essential, but it made access to the actuator much easier. The actuator is held on with three 8mm screws. A 8mm deep well, ¼ inch socket a 10 inch extension and a ¼ inch thumbwheel ratchet and the screws came out easily. Then, pull off the actuator. Out it came.

Fourth, I pried open the actuator and examined the gears. Sure enough, one whole side of the small gear was chewed up. I took the big gear, with the blend door drive spindle on it and put the spindle back in the hole to connect to the blend door. I turned it and the door turned with a heavy, solid feel. I got a positive stop at the top, and at the bottom with no binding through the range of motion. Good! This means the blend door is fine, no need for the dremel surgery.

Fifth, Now things got weird. First, the blend door spindle on the actuator has U shape. Imagine the top of the U being closed off. The spindle will go in the blend door only one way. Out of the box, the bottom of the U is in the six o’clock position, like it is in print. Unfortunately, when you take the old actuator out, the blend door then closes (due to gravity) and the curve of the U is now in the nine o’clock postion.

There is no way to adjust the actuator, at least by hand, and it can’t be installed when the U is in the nine o’clock position. What to do?

I first tried plugging in the actuator, the heater controls and then moving the temp slider to cause the spindle to move. No good. The spindle didn’t move, the blower, etc. all worked but no response from the actuator. This was cause for concern. Next, I took the old spindle and moved the blend door manually to determine if the air flow changed from the top of the turn radius to the bottom. It did. I could hear the air moving in different patterns when I moved the blend door by hand. I also discovered that if I turned the blend door to the top of its range, it would stay in place as long as the blower motor was running. Evidently, pressure inside the plenum kept the door at its top position and over came gravity. Ah ha!

With the blower operating, I installed the new actuator (the U was in the correct orientation), screwed it in place and plugged it in. It fit right in place, no problem.

Then I turned the van off, connected everything, and started the van up. The actuator wasn’t responding to the temp slider. No noise of any kind came out. I turned the blower to low, changed the settings on the knob, tried the slider again. Nothing.

Not sure what to think now. Could be the new actuator is bad? Could be a fuse? Could be…what?

Any ideas? Thanks.


----------



## cjm94 (Sep 25, 2011)

I have seen the temperature slide switch go bad and cause the actuator to click like a bad one...don't ask me how I know it wasn't the actuator motor


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

The gears in the actuator were stripped. I am certain it was defective. More trouble shooting today. May shoot a video and post a link.


----------



## Marqed97 (Mar 19, 2011)

Check the fuse for it too. If it jammed up it can blow. When you first turn on the ignition with a new actuator, it will cycle from stop to stop (30-45 seconds) to learn it's range of motion. It'll also do this after a battery disconnection. 

I did, one time, end up getting an aftermarket actuator where the mounting tabs were at the wrong height. Once screwed down tight, it pushed the door down and jammed it. I think it was a Dorman part, which are usually pretty good, so it was surprising.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Finally got the Windstar out on the expressway for a long test drive. Temp outside was about 42. When the temp gauge was at the normal range, I turned on the heat. The slider was at full hot. There was heat. Some heat. Not full blast hot, but there was heat. I slid the slider to full cold. The air got cold. Back to full hot. The air got….less cold, but not as warm has it had been before.

I drove for a while at a steady 55 mph. No change. The temp of the air was cool. Slid it back to full cold and the air got cold. Back to full heat, and the air was cool, not warm.

I got off the interstate, left the heat setting on full heat, turned off the heater, drove a mile or two, turned around to get back on the interstate and turned on the heater again. Warm air, not HOT, but warm. When I slid it back to cold, then back to warm, no heat.

Hmmmm. It seems that the actuator was indeed bad, (since the gears in the old one were stripped), but this is only one part of my problem. Need to check coolant level or burp the system. Sounds like air in the heater core. I’ll check that out next.


----------



## Bigplanz (Apr 10, 2009)

Added a full gallon and a half of coolant using the lisle spill proof funnel and ford pressure cap adapter and burped the system with heater on full blast. Got lots of heat! Blend door works properly, and my wife is happy!


----------



## ukrkoz (Dec 31, 2010)

NOTHING,but nothing changes in Ford's realm. Same issue I had on my 87 Taurus. ****ers simply refuse to learn and do something about it.


----------

