End all be all actuator replacement thread (clicking sound, part numbers, video install)

[jeff]

Hey folks.

4 years ago my driver's side actuator went out. Last week my passengers side actuator went out. I was reading through the massive actuator thread and spent about 2 hours getting all the info. There is some confusing and contradictory stuff there. So I decided to make my own thread and condensed the correct info here into one post to help avoid confusion. This way people in the future won't have to spend 2 hours reading through the other lengthy and confusing thread. Here goes:

As we know, the plastic gears on the actuator break and cause the sound much akin to very small person living in your dashboard trying to get out by knocking his way through. There are two actuators - driver and passenger side. The driver's side has been covered and there are many good videos on YouTube that will guide you. It's an hour or so job, it can be done without removing the seat/airbag, with the right tools it's not bad at all. Make sure you have a thumb ratchet. The passenger side is much easier, it's a five minute job. I've made a video below to show how to do the passenger side because I didn't find one on YouTube.

DRIVER SIDE
"Defrost mode door actuator"
Has 5 prongs
Motorcraft YH-1896 is the part you want, it is the updated one, made in China
Dorman 604-400 is the Dorman version
Motorcraft YH-1935 is the old part number, made in France...the YH-1896 above is the replacement part for it, updated (in theory)
Ford AV1Z-19E616K is Ford's number for the YH-1896, they are the same thing
Ford AV1Z-19E616A is Ford's number for the YH-1935, this is the old part number before update
Click this link for more info
BE8Z19E616B is another part number for this one I found floating around, which only lends to further confusion...

PASSENGER SIDE
"Heater recirculation door actuator"
Has 2 prongs
Motorcraft YH-1895 is the part you want
Dorman 604-251 is the Dorman version
Ford BE8Z-19E616A is Ford's number for the YH-1895, they are the same thing
Click this link for more info

* The Dorman versions are reported to be more sturdy, but if you look at Amazon reviews they break often as well
* Dorman gives you one year warranty, Motorcraft gives you two year warranty, from my reading
* Cost for various versions is similar if you shop around; Motorcraft tends to be a bit more but not much
* Knockoff unbranded parts can be had very cheap ($12) but I'd steer clear of those
* Part descriptions show that all of these may cause cancer or reproductive harm

My driver's side broke a few years ago at 6k miles, the passenger side broke last week at 35k miles.

PICS

DRIVER SIDE

PASSENGER SIDE

LOCATION OF PASSENGER ACTUATOR

GET ONE OF THESE AND YOU WILL CUSS LESS

SEE, IT IS VERY EASY

VIDEO OF PASSENGER SIDE (search YouTube for drivers side, there are many great videos there)

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAu9J2zFuz0&feature=youtu.be

 

[SrsBsns]

Good thread. We need to start stickying some of these.

 

[FJ16]

I think if it's going to be the "end all be all thread", you should probably link a Driver's Side video...

 

[danbfree]

Great info! At one point the Motorcraft part showed only a 90 day warranty but if it's been updated to 2 years AND has a new revision then that is great news!

But there are actually 3 actuators, driver (possibly the YH-1935 you said was outdated) and center YH-1896 (which is the same thing as BE8Z19E616B you said there was confusion about and is the infamous blend door actuator), and passenger YH-1895, from what I've gathered. If the YH-1935 French made one was indeed replaced by the Chinese made YH-1896, then there is one in the driver side and another in the center but pretty sure there are 3 total, unless I'm completely off.

Also, I'm thinking it's the Standard Motor Products that is the better design one, not Dorman. It's the only one that offers a 3 year warranty and what I would likely buy over the others. It says on
on RockAuto that it fits 2 different places, so that's why maybe the YH-1896 is indeed for driver and center as they both cross reference to that BE8Z19E616B you were confused about when actually that is the common center one.

 

[jeff]

I think if it's going to be the "end all be all thread", you should probably link a Driver's Side video...

I did consider it but since I didn't make them I didn't want to post one, and since I already spent hours researching for this thread I didn't want to take another hour to watch all those videos and pick the best one, so I'll leave that up to each person.

Great info!

But there are actually 3 actuators, driver and center use the YH-1896 and passenger YH-1895, from what I've gathered.

Thanks. There being 3 actuators is news to me, I read most every word of the other loonnnngggg thread and somehow missed that, or it's not there. Thanks for the info. Don't see any installs on the "center" one....maybe that's the one they say requires dash removal.

 

[maestromaestro]

I did consider it but since I didn't make them I didn't want to post one, and since I already spent hours researching for this thread I didn't want to take another hour to watch all those videos and pick the best one.

Just to steer folks: the principal difference between the various methods of accessing the DS actuator is which bits you remove to get to it. By far the best one is to take off the plastic cover around the steering column. Then it is a 30 minute job.

If the middle one ever fails, I ain’t taking the dash off. Screw that. The car makes lots of noises, what’s one more?

 

[danbfree]

So I used Tasca to confirm main Ford part numbers and matched the long and short part #'s through some web searches. Thanks to Jeff for confirming the correct long part number to each side as he had that all along and apologies to everyone as I did have the driver and passenger sides reversed for 2 months on here now! Correct is below and confirmed now!

They are all 3 of the total different parts all called "adjust motor" at this Tasca link.
https://www.tascaparts.com/auto-par...vac-cat/evaporator-and-heater-components-scat

Here they are matched up to their correct matching short YH part numbers for your reference
AV1Z-19E616-K = YH1935 - Center dash motor assembly that rarely goes out. See HERE for part# match.
BE8Z-19E616-A = YH1895 - Passenger side - "Heater blend door actuator", see HERE for part# and name match.
BE8Z-19E616-B = YH1896 - Driver side "Defrost Mode Door Actuator", see HERE to see part# and name match.

Any other part numbers are old, probably just an older revision and can safely be ignored...

So, that said if you were looking at an alternative to Motorcraft brand you have these:
AV1Z-19E616-K / YH1935 - Center = None on RockAuto, not sure we really care as it fails so infrequently, going to skip for now.
BE8Z-19E616-A / YH1895 - Passenger side = Dorman 604-251 and Standard F04062
BE8Z-19E616-B / YH1896 - Driver side = Dorman 604-400 and Standard J04032

Dorman has 1-yr warranty, MotorCraft 2-yr and Standard is 3-yr and all 3 are about $20-25 if you search around, so up to you which way you go...
In comparing the designs of the passenger side that is the Heater blend door that fails most often, Dorman clearly has a different design than MotorCraft and Standard... but it has been explained in an old thread that the MotorCraft design is inferior to Dorman as it uses a strange plate with contact resistor rod design that drags and eventually breaks that plate or something like that... so despite the warranty differences, the Dorman is considered the better long-term design, but they have failed too, so who knows!

 

[Pablo Pistoffo]

Welp, mine just started making a clicking noise form the dash, although I haven't yet determined which side it's coming from. I called the dealer and they said they can fit it in mid-April. I'm really considering doing it myself, because it's hovering around zero here and I don't want to be stuck with no defroster.

 

[Hypergram]

Welp, mine just started making a clicking noise form the dash, although I haven't yet determined which side it's coming from. I called the dealer and they said they can fit it in mid-April. I'm really considering doing it myself, because it's hovering around zero here and I don't want to be stuck with no defroster.

Mid-April sounds like a ridiculous wait for something as simple as this. I brought my car to the Ford dealer down the street from me without making an appointment and I had the car back to me in an hour. You might wanna consider just showing up with the issue, or looking for a different dealer.

 

[Pablo Pistoffo]

Mid-April sounds like a ridiculous wait for something as simple as this. I brought my car to the Ford dealer down the street from me without making an appointment and I had the car back to me in an hour. You might wanna consider just showing up with the issue, or looking for a different dealer.

Sadly, we don't have that many dealers in Alaska- both of the locations within 100 miles are from the same company, and I got the best time available

 

[Hypergram]

Sadly, we don't have that many dealers in Alaska- both of the locations within 100 miles are from the same company, and I got the best time available

Ahhh that makes more sense. Well I'm sorry to hear that you gotta wait. Hopefully the defroster still works.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Customer pay work....yeah that goes to the front of the line. Warranty work...that can go to the back of the line... like weeks from now! That's the way some dealers work

 

[KnockOff]

Customer pay work....yeah that goes to the front of the line. Warranty work...that can go to the back of the line... like weeks from now! That's the way some dealers work

More than you realize bro.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[TyphoonFiST]

More than you realize bro.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

Oh trust me I "know" coming from Chrysler LLC world. How much ass kissing can you do with your service advisor for gravy train work?

 

[KnockOff]

I worked at a ford dealership a while back. Just recently the diesel injection pump took a shit on my work truck. At the chevy dealership it was fixed at for all of our trucks. At least a month for warranty and about a week if out of warranty. 9400 in total. It's back at the dealer for other problems and I have no idea when I'll get it back.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[SrsBsns]

OK guys, we REALLY should have just checked Tasca and saved a LOT of time!

I checked and all 6 years take the same ones, parts 14-16 here, officially known as "adjust motors" by Ford:
https://www.tascaparts.com/auto-par...gas-engine/hvac-cat/blower-motor-and-fan-scat

So, then taking those long part numbers and then matching them up to the short YH numbers, leaving the dashes out of all for simplicity:
AV1Z19E616K= YH1935 - Center dash motor assembly that rarely goes out. Further proof of part match HERE
BE8Z19E616A = YH1895 - Driver side - THE actual "Heater blend door actuator", see HERE
BE8Z19E616B = YH1896 - Passenger side "Defrost Mode Door Actuator", see HERE

So, if you were looking at an alternative to Motorcraft brand you have these:
AV1Z19E616K / YH1935 = None on RockAuto, not sure we really care, going to skip for now.
BE8Z19E616A / YH1895 = Dorman 604-251 and Standard F04062
BE8Z19E616B / YH1896= Dorman 604-400 and Standard J04032

Dorman has 1-yr warranty, MotorCraft 2-yr and Standard is 3-yr

Finally, we have some clarity!

I just want to ask to clarify because the first post has the driver's side and passenger side part #'s mirrored and I want to make sure I'm ordering the right one.

I replaced my passenger side motor not that long ago and I'm assuming I used the wrong part because my vents are not changing and I'm getting a creaking/squealing type of sound when I turn the HVAC on or off. It's not the click-click-click noise of a bad motor, but just a grinding/creaking kind of noise. After reading these posts, I'm thinking I just bought two of the same part and that's why I have this problem.

Can anyone confirm that
BE8Z19E616B = YH1896 - Passenger side "Defrost Mode Door Actuator", see HERE
is what I need for the passenger side?

 

[jeff]

I just want to ask to clarify because the first post has the driver's side and passenger side part #'s mirrored and I want to make sure I'm ordering the right one.

I replaced my passenger side motor not that long ago and I'm assuming I used the wrong part because my vents are not changing and I'm getting a creaking/squealing type of sound when I turn the HVAC on or off. It's not the click-click-click noise of a bad motor, but just a grinding/creaking kind of noise. After reading these posts, I'm thinking I just bought two of the same part and that's why I have this problem.

Can anyone confirm that
BE8Z19E616B = YH1896 - Passenger side "Defrost Mode Door Actuator", see HERE
is what I need for the passenger side?

I realize that the post you quoted above contradicts what I said in my original post, and I guess people can believe what they want to, but all I know is that I ordered part # Ford BE8Z-19E616A as described in post 1, installed it in the passenger side behind the glove box, and it works perfectly.

Which part # did you install in your passenger side that is not working properly, the 19E616A or the 19E616B?

EDIT
Also they are not mirrored as you say, look more closely at the part numbers, they are different.

 

[danbfree]

I just want to ask to clarify because the first post has the driver's side and passenger side part #'s mirrored and I want to make sure I'm ordering the right one.

I replaced my passenger side motor not that long ago and I'm assuming I used the wrong part because my vents are not changing and I'm getting a creaking/squealing type of sound when I turn the HVAC on or off. It's not the click-click-click noise of a bad motor, but just a grinding/creaking kind of noise. After reading these posts, I'm thinking I just bought two of the same part and that's why I have this problem.

Can anyone confirm that
BE8Z19E616B = YH1896 - Passenger side "Defrost Mode Door Actuator", see HERE
is what I need for the passenger side?

OK, so it looks like Jeff is right about the long part #'s on which side they match, I think I had pass and driver side backwards but my chart still proves the correct match to the short numbers so I've edited my post above to reflect that.

 

[SrsBsns]

I realize that the post you quoted above contradicts what I said in my original post, and I guess people can believe what they want to, but all I know is that I ordered part # Ford BE8Z-19E616A as described in post 1, installed it in the passenger side behind the glove box, and it works perfectly.

Which part # did you install in your passenger side that is not working properly, the 19E616A or the 19E616B?

EDIT
Also they are not mirrored as you say, look more closely at the part numbers, they are different.

I actually went with the Dorman 604-400. You have that listed as the Driver's side which makes sense then why it's not working on the passenger side for me. I'm going to order the Dorman 604-251 and see if that solves my problem.

Not trying to argue, especially since these kinds of threads are so helpful, but yes, they are mirrored in the two posts.

Your post:
DRIVER SIDE
"Defrost mode door actuator"
Has 5 prongs
Motorcraft YH-1896 is the part you want,

Dan's post:
BE8Z19E616A = YH1895 - Driver side - THE actual "Heater blend door actuator", see HERE

 

[jeff]

I actually went with the Dorman 604-400. You have that listed as the Driver's side which makes sense then why it's not working on the passenger side for me. I'm going to order the Dorman 604-251 and see if that solves my problem.

Not trying to argue, especially since these kinds of threads are so helpful, but yes, they are mirrored in the two posts.

Your post:
DRIVER SIDE
"Defrost mode door actuator"
Has 5 prongs
Motorcraft YH-1896 is the part you want,

Dan's post:
BE8Z19E616A = YH1895 - Driver side - THE actual "Heater blend door actuator", see HERE

Sorry, I misunderstood you.

Like I said, the ones I listed work in my car so in my opinion what the other fellow wrote does not make sense...I’m only posting my experience which did not come from a website, it came from actually putting the specific parts with these specific numbers in my car.