Blend Door Actuator Issue Thread

[neeqness]

So - I can attest that it does take under an hour. No need to remove the knee airbag. Just unscrew and remove the bottom piece of the steering column cover, and, unless you have Hulk paws, you should access the 3 screws.

In my case, maybe because this is the second replacement of the actuator (the first was done by a dealer under warranty), I could unscrew the fasteners holding a T20 socket with my fingers. Very easy, takes 5 minutes.

I actually spent more time putting in the new actuator, because I couldn't quite figure out that it fits on an angle. Taking a picture of the broken one before I took it out would have helped...

I had to use a small socket wrench to tighten the upper screw, but mostly it was just my fingers.

I don't see how this could take 4 hours - unless indeed the screws are baked in somehow.

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Thanks for the tip. I think the 4 hours was if you did it a different way. Some were removing seats and approaching it from different access points.

Where did you purchase your part at?

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[maestromaestro]

I bought mine from Rock Auto, about $12 shipped. Amazon also sells them.

 

[idontliketurkey]

Sorry if it has already been posted before but what is the part number for the replacement blend door actuator for a 2016 st

 

[maestromaestro]

Just look at the link in my earlier post - the YT video has the part number. I'm just too lazy to check my emails from Rock Auto.

Sorry if it has already been posted before but what is the part number for the replacement blend door actuator for a 2016 st

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[The_Ryan]

Just had this happen to me today for the first time, at 68k miles right now. But I don't get clicking when the car starts. Only when turn the HVAC off or occasionally when switching modes

 

[M-Sport fan]

Just finally happened to me this past week (at 2 years, ~14K miles),

Waiting for the stealership to get the part into stock.

It is weird in that sometimes, if I turn the ignition off with the HVAC system still on (especially if left on just the defroster setting), the door will not clack on the next startup, but this is not always the case (inconsistent).

IF I shut down the HVAC system completely before cutting the ignition, it will ALWAYS clack on the next startup, without exception.

 

[LanT5]

I joined the club. Replaced by the dealer yesterday. 16 FiST, 22k miles.

 

[maestromaestro]

Ultimately, it's not a difficult fix. Annoying, but not difficult. Even if my car were under warranty, rather than spend time going back and forth to the dealer over a $12 part.

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[CSM]

Mine died. 2014 w/ 56k miles. New part on the way from Rock Auto, $12.

 

[alexrex20]

Mine died on my 2017 at 35k miles. Care to share the part number on RockAuto?

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[M-Sport fan]

Ultimately, it's not a difficult fix. Annoying, but not difficult. Even if my car were under warranty, rather than spend time going back and forth to the dealer over a $12 part.

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When it goes again, after this initial dealer fix, I will probably do it myself, as long as it's in warmer weather than now.

 

[neeqness]

Just finally happened to me this past week (at 2 years, ~14K miles),

Waiting for the stealership to get the part into stock.

It is weird in that sometimes, if I turn the ignition off with the HVAC system still on (especially if left on just the defroster setting), the door will not clack on the next startup, but this is not always the case (inconsistent).

IF I shut down the HVAC system completely before cutting the ignition, it will ALWAYS clack on the next startup, without exception.

I think it depends on which actuator door is bad. I notice that mine only clacks when I use face only a/c (or auto setting which usually uses face only too). Any other and no clacking after startup. But it always seems to clack about 5 minutes after ignition shutoff. Rarely, if ever, have only defrost on at shut off so I'll have to try that...

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[The_Ryan]

Ultimately, it's not a difficult fix. Annoying, but not difficult. Even if my car were under warranty, rather than spend time going back and forth to the dealer over a $12 part.

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This. Plus I haven't had the best luck with my dealership experience. Took me about 30 minutes to do with my ginormous hands.



Also for those wishing the gears were stronger: I think the stripped gear teeth and binding/gear slipping is a symptom and not the problem. I think the potentiometer inside the actuator has failed so the motor doesn't know where the door is and keeps driving until the gears slip or break a tooth. If the gear teeth were stronger, the actual door could break. Given their experience with potentiometers in the past, Engineers at Ford probably decided it's a hell of a lot easier to replace this actuator than the whole door in the event the potentiometer fails, and I very much appreciate that right now. Would rather replace this thing 100 time than the actual door once.

I'll get a multimeter on the the potentiometer to confirm this when I get a chance

 

[neeqness]

This. Plus I haven't had the best luck with my dealership experience. Took me about 30 minutes to do with my ginormous hands.



Also for those wishing the gears were stronger: I think the stripped gear teeth and binding/gear slipping is a symptom and not the problem. I think the potentiometer inside the actuator has failed so the motor doesn't know where the door is and keeps driving until the gears slip or break a tooth. If the gear teeth were stronger, the actual door could break. Given their experience with potentiometers in the past, Engineers at Ford probably decided it's a hell of a lot easier to replace this actuator than the whole door in the event the potentiometer fails, and I very much appreciate that right now. Would rather replace this thing 100 time than the actual door once.

I'll get a multimeter on the the potentiometer to confirm this when I get a chance

I haven't looked at the gears so I'm not 100% but I think the issue with the gears is really about the teeth being thicker. Making the gears (teeth) more durable shouldn't affect the door unless the motor was stronger as well. A more durable gear would just last longer.

However if you meant replacing say plastic gears for metal and if the connecting gears on the door are plastic then I would agree with you...but I think most people are just asking for heftier teeth on the gears and not necessarily a stronger material. This is still probably up for debate though...

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[The_Ryan]

I haven't looked at the gears so I'm not 100% but I think the issue with the gears is really about the teeth being thicker. Making the gears (teeth) more durable shouldn't affect the door unless the motor was stronger as well. A more durable gear would just last longer.

However if you meant replacing say plastic gears for metal and if the connecting gears on the door are plastic then I would agree with you...but I think most people are just asking for heftier teeth on the gears and not necessarily a stronger material. This is still probably up for debate though...

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Even with heftier teeth my point stands. If the potentiometer fails then the motor will keep driving until something gives. whether it be the actuator (gears or motor) or the door itself. of the two I'd rather the actuator and I think most people would agree

 

[alexrex20]

The motor would overheat before it could break a tooth or door. And anyway the circuit would probably time out before any of that happened. That's why the clicking persists for the same amount of time. It's not much different than a window motor. When the current spikes because the window is shut, the computer realizes it and will stop sending power to the motor. That's also how it senses an obstruction and will reopen the window.

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[The_Ryan]

The motor would overheat before it could break a tooth or door. And anyway the circuit would probably time out before any of that happened. That's why the clicking persists for the same amount of time. It's not much different than a window motor. When the current spikes because the window is shut, the computer realizes it and will stop sending power to the motor. That's also how it senses an obstruction and will reopen the window.

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I see. I wonder what's stopping them from using that same method as the window motor (overcurrent sensing) to determine the open and closed positions and the time it takes to go between open and closed to learn the door position. That's how we've done it with some motorized dampers for automatic building HVAC controls. Maybe the actuator package/motor is too small to do that. Either way, I'm just trying to play devil's advocate on Ford's behalf

 

[koozy]

Throwing a possibility that may be way out there, but perhaps the interior temp sensor is dirty with dust or faulty that’s causing and overdriving the motor until something gives. I think there’s one by the glove box near the center stack. My 14 still has the OG blend motors.

Those who’ve had the issue seem to have it reoccur.

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[alexrex20]

that's very possible. I wonder what the correlation is between the cabin air filter and the blend door actuator. I bet you my cabin air filter is clogged as fuck because I always have my dogs in the car LOL

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[neeqness]

It could also be possible because the cabin filter doesn't seem to fit as well as it probably should. I wouldn't be surprised at all if particles are managing to get past it when new.


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