98 Windstar A/C front control replacement

[eds95]

98 windstar just quit a/c only works thru defroster! checked #21 fuse (10A) but it is okay. after reading it sounds as if the switch in dash could be the culprit. how do you replace it?

[phantom_smack]

You need to make sure the black vacuum hose coming from the engine compartment has vacuum.the hose is probably broken or disconnected.Any work done lately?

[eds95]

no work done in past 30 days, had front spring replaced then but a/c has been working just fine until Friday afternoon all of a sudden. where does the black hose start from under hood? Thanks much.

[windtrak]

Eds95,

I just finished dealing with the same problem. Short of electrical problems in the control switches, the rest of the problems are vacuum related. The ‘motors’ under the dash are vacuum driven actuators, no 12 V here. In the absence of vacuum, the default settings are defrost for front, heat and floor for the rear.
First you have to determine if you have vacuum at the back of the control switch. Take the cover off the front to expose the 4 screws holding the panel with fan and temp controls. Take out the panel. On the back of the switch that controls the various airflow positions is a bunch of color tubes. The black one supplies the vacuum from the intake manifold. If you have a rear fan there is a Tee that divides the vacuum between the front and back. You can remove the block of color tubes from the switch for easier troubleshooting. After you start the engine, check for vacuum at the black tube. If there is none, you have to find out where is the block. Mine was between the Tee and the back of the control switch. After removing the junk with very thin wire and some brake cleaner, I used hard tube that comes with WD40 to reconnect the break in the black tube. Secure it with electrical tape.
If you have vacuum, then you have to chase it down to the actuators and between the different color tubes. 3 ft or so of a small tube that you can use for testing can help simulate vacuum at different points.
If you have a rear heater, you can check for vacuum by removing the small connector on the back of the rear control switch. There should be one black and one white tube. Once you have vacuum at the black tube and if the rear is still blowing hot, then you either have a leak in the white tube which changes color to green or there is a good chance that the switch is bad. This part is badly designed on the cheap by Ford. I had a bad switch. You can get new switch, or ‘fix it’ by disconnecting the actuator arm from the flap. You have to reconnect it for winter to get the heat back.
Hope this will help you a bit.

windtrak

[eds95]

Thank you for the reply! In my 70's and can't do some things I used to do so probably will go to some a/c repair place. Can't afford dealerships! The Windstar has 102K miles and has been a great vehicle. On cruise at 75 with a/c going still gets 25.6mpg. The vacumn leak is no doubt the culprit. Taking out the dash seems to be a rather extensive repair necessity but so be it.

Thank you again for your answering.

Eds95

[windtrak]

eds95

I understand what you are saying. This maybe a job for your local mechanic. No A/C specialist needed. I hope I did not indicate that the dashboard needs to be removed. Only the center part where the radio and heat controls are. This is easy, pull-put the ashtray, unscrew two bolts you see at the bottom and pop out the rest from the main dash. For ease of access, I unplugged the wiring harnesses for the rear wiper etc. Then you'll see the 4 small bolts holding the heat controls. Unscrew those and you'll have access to the vacuum tubes. All this may sound worse then it actually is. The hard part is to figure out if there is a vacuum leak or in my case, plugged vacuum line.

Good luck!

windtrak

[eds95]

Thanks again for your second reply. I will have someone use the info. Hope it is only a leak!

Have a great day!
Eds95