I have a 2010 Explorer and one day my wife said she heard a loud pop, then the air inexplicably stopped blowing out of the normal ac vents and started blowing only out of the defrost vents. Still blowing strong and cold...but just out of the defrost vents only, even as I messed with the vent switch. Took it to shop thinking it was a dirty hose or something and they told me something had blown (can't remember what it was called) and it would cost $1300 to fix! Yeah, no. The mechanic told me that while he was checking it, he rigged it so it would work until I turned the engine off but that I had to leave it on high. A few days later, my wife started the engine and it started blowing out of the normal vents again. But now, we're afraid to turn it down from high and we're freezing to death everywhere we go. Any idea what could be causing it? And why it would cost 4 figures to fix? And why it would inexplicably start working again as long as it stays on high?
If the ac was still cold (when it was coming out of the defrost vents), it's something like this most likely http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/index.php?threads/a-c-only-blows-thru-defroster-vents.361535/ There's ways to rig it, as mentioned in this thread... I haven't had to tear into one personally but I have heard of this issue. And it's not the part but the labor... It's not hard to do (if you're mechanical), if not though the methods of rigging it beat the hell out of getting ripped off. There is also a possibility it's a hose for the vacuum controlling vent, sometimes when they dx these they just want to replace the whole thing.
I could do it for you... But unfortunately about to have to redo a head gasket... And I'm not a full time mechanic.. I have all the tools though
I had that issue on an early 90s GMC truck. Passed down from my dad, I couldn't take the AC off of Max AC or it wouldn't come back up. Less than a year later had to total it, crack in the engine block due to over heating.
Sounds like your Blend Door Actuator went out. Controlls the air floor between deforst/vent settings. Typically goes out when it's closed, which is typically the defrost vents. Typically a $40 part and about 30 mins worth of work.
And it stays on while max air pressure is forcing the doors open. Once that pressure drops, it closes all over again. They nearly always fail closed, which is the default position for windshield defrost. Your mechanic just turned the a/c on max and wedged the doors open again. If the actuator it self isn't bad, then once of the doors failed, those are replaceable as well. Now if it isn't that, it could be the blower or blower motor resistor. When the a/c is on, and not on max, does it still blow just as hard from the defrost vents as the regular vents or does the pressure drop?
Lol, such a great movie I seriously have the tools though!! Haha, what I've been doing for years is just doing all my own work on everything and from all the labor I've saved on over the years have just about everything... Decent size compressor, impact wrench, various specialty tools etc etc. I grew up with my brother who was actually a mechanic though (so that definitely helped learn from a young age ) Mechanics will tell you that the cars today are harder to work on than before... But for the most part they're full of it.
All he needs is you. And a new fetzer valve. https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor
Blend Door Actuator does sound like what he told me on the phone a few weeks ago. I'm not sure because I was still in shock when he told me because he had just quoted me how much it was going to cost to replace. My understanding is that the labor is what is going to cost, not so much the part. Sorry, I just can't justify spending $1,400 to fix something on a 6 year old car. I may have found an easy fix in the link CCity Zero so generously provided. I'm going to buy a dowel this weekend and stick it into the AC vent to keep the door open. We're only going to keep this car for another year or so, so really I just need to make it through the rest of the summer.
