• Sign Up! To view all forums and unlock additional cool features

    Welcome to the #1 Fiesta ST Forum and Fiesta ST community dedicated to Fiesta ST owners and enthusiasts. Register for an account, it's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the Fiesta ST Forum today!


Blend Door Actuator Issue Thread

Who has had blend door actuator problems?

  • '14 Fiesta ST

    Votes: 143 28.9%
  • '15 Fiesta ST

    Votes: 144 29.1%
  • '16 Fiesta ST

    Votes: 143 28.9%
  • '17 Fiesta ST

    Votes: 65 13.1%

  • Total voters
    495

neeqness

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,398
Likes
166
Location
LA
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.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
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?

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
 


maestromaestro

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,008
Likes
381
Location
Houston
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
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 


Messages
485
Likes
419
Location
Boston
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

9000 Post Club
Messages
13,996
Likes
6,697
Location
Princeton, N.J.
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.
 


maestromaestro

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,008
Likes
381
Location
Houston
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.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
 


alexrex20

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,472
Likes
611
Location
Spring
Mine died on my 2017 at 35k miles. Care to share the part number on RockAuto?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
13,996
Likes
6,697
Location
Princeton, N.J.
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.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
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

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,398
Likes
166
Location
LA
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...

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
 


Messages
485
Likes
419
Location
Boston
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.

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
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

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,398
Likes
166
Location
LA
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...

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
 


Messages
485
Likes
419
Location
Boston
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...

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
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

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,472
Likes
611
Location
Spring
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.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 


Messages
485
Likes
419
Location
Boston
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.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
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

3000 Post Club
Messages
3,209
Likes
1,889
Location
Los Angeles, CA, USA
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.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


alexrex20

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,472
Likes
611
Location
Spring
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

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 


neeqness

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,398
Likes
166
Location
LA
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.


Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk
 




Top