Hi All. This afternoon I was unable to get my 2011 Vic to blow cold air. It kept blowing very hot air even when set down to 60. I did run the heat this morning. I did the EATC diagnostics and got a code 025. After I exited the diagnostics, it started to work properly again. I ran diagnostics a few more times and haven't received any more error codes and the temperature selection still seems to work OK.

Any advice on what to look for? Can these doors occasionally stick? I wonder if it could be a bad blend door actuator but then again if that were the case, why would resetting it make it work (at least temporarily) again? Maybe a bad EATC unit?

Thank you!

Yep. Its on its way out. There is a set of gears inside the actuator that likes to break, usually a tooth or 2 shears off the smaller gear. When you run the self-test, it cycles the door a full sweep in both directions, and it can sometimes "catch" a good tooth on the gear and start moving again. As long as the actuator doesn't stop in the position where the broken tooth is, it'll continue to work, until another tooth shears off and it can no longer reengage with a good part of the gear.

Thanks for the reply BigMerc96!

I had the air box assembly replaced last year at the stealership, as it would only blow out of the center vents. Would this actuator be considered part of that assembly by any chance? Thinking if I go back there they may give me a break if it is.

Thanks again.

Matt...No..it is a totally separate part. the blend door is behind the dash. not as bad as it seems to replace it's just a matter of getting to it. usually with codes 024 and 025 the blend door is shot. press defrost to clear the codes.. and this will temporarily resets the blend door so it functions again but not for long... also I have noticed if you can hear any clicking or clacking sounds when you turn the temperature up or down the blend door is shot or on the way out. the blend door will need to be replaced. its a pain but relatively easy to do... just alot of screws and bolts, drop the steering wheel, remove the air bag, pull the dash back slightly to get in there etc. sounds like a big deal but real easy if youre good with a wrench.. if you werent so far I'd do it for you. good luck.

no need to pull the dash at all. I did mine through the glove box.
hardest part was unscrewing the front left screw because I did have a flex head wrench. my rear most screw was not need to be taken out as the actuator that was in there had the rear clipped to a C.
I took pictures and made some notes I guess.
https://www.crownvic.net/ubbthreads/ubbth...351#Post2924351

I could not get to that front left bolt for nothing...then again my tool selection isn't the greatest. I also went through the glove box/ airbag area and removed the right side duct work. loosened the dash up a bit and pulled it forward and held it there with a wood block to access that bolt, I went in through the top vent hole with a long 1/4 extension with the 5/16 socket, once I got the two front screws out I broke the back piece of the old blend door and made the C notch in the new one. installed new blend door and put it all back together. My car was a little tricky and I needed the wood block because of the center console in my LSE was preventing the dash from moving and I didnt feel like removing that too... I imagine without the center console it would be much easier to move or even remove the dash.

^^That is how I do them. Except I don't drop the column at all, just the one bolt that has the cross-brace between the bottom of the column and the firewall. That leaves enough slack that I can pull the passenger side out ~4" and stuff a chunk of 2x4 between the dash and passenger side a-pillar. I don't bother with those rear 2 bolts(front 2? the ones closest to the firewall), undo the 2 you can get at and then lift up the actuator till the tabs break off those other 2. Then notch the replacement and loosen the 2 hard to get screws a turn since you CAN reach them once the BDA is out of the way, and then slide the new one in under the screw heads. Actually, this is how the Ford dealer did my '97 many many years ago before I bought it, as that is exactly how I found it when I had to change it again, the remnants of the tabs of the original were even still there on top of the box.

I was cutting my hand up on some sharp piece near the bolt but was able to get it out. I noted there is a wrench at lowes that would have reached the bolt without a problem. 5/16th is it? its a ratchet wrench on an angle.
In all reality if u know the the actuator is bad u can just cut the thing out. that front left screw isnt needed. a C to the back and a screw in the front right is more than enough to hold it in place

Hi Joebug. I haven't noticed any clicking sounds when the temperature is changed. It also has not acted up since I did the initial reset. Can these go for a while without acting up?
I appreciate your help!

The usual thing to happen is a Tooth on the Gear snaps off creating a dead spot. but other failures can happen that are intermittent like electrical contacts or the circuit itself

Hi Bspurloc. That is what I was also curious about. At this point, I am really not 100% sure what it is since it has only happened once to date.