we have a 2010 Expedition. Today it started making a clicking noise upon starting it up. It did not do it while I drove the 45 minute trip home. Can someone shine some light on this for me. I am in Texas and it was a cool 91 degrees out. I have video but it won't let me post it.
Clicking sound from behind the dash
- Thread starter Dkmedley
- Start date
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gixer2000
Retrofit or Bust
Thats a junk blend door actuator. Pretty common for the gearing to strip and make the clicking noise
Triplet Dad
Well-Known Member
I have the same issue and replacing the blend door actuator solved it temporarily. I opened up my old actuator and none of the gears are stripped. I am thinking about unplugging the actuator to see if the noise stops (luckily the blend door is stuck in the face position and not the defrost or the floor)
Denethor
Full Access Members
There are two actuators, one is for the blend of cold to hot air, the other is the diverter from floor to vents to defrost.
If you adjust each dial (or push button setting if you have climate control) slowly, you can make the clicking start and stop. For me, my blend door will not go full cold, if it's cranked to full cold I get the clicking for about 30 seconds and then it gives up trying to move the blend door. However if I move the dial just one click up from full cold, no clicks and everything works fine. I can move from hot to cold and back with no issues as long as I never go full cold.
Once you figure out if it is the blend door or the diverter, we can help you replace the defective part.
The gears don't strip out inside the actuator, the big exposed drive spline either loses a tooth or the housing cracks allowing the gears to slip past one another. Never seen one where the gears inside stripped out.
This can also happen with the rear blend door in the same fashion, but the clicking will be from the rear obviously.
If you adjust each dial (or push button setting if you have climate control) slowly, you can make the clicking start and stop. For me, my blend door will not go full cold, if it's cranked to full cold I get the clicking for about 30 seconds and then it gives up trying to move the blend door. However if I move the dial just one click up from full cold, no clicks and everything works fine. I can move from hot to cold and back with no issues as long as I never go full cold.
Once you figure out if it is the blend door or the diverter, we can help you replace the defective part.
The gears don't strip out inside the actuator, the big exposed drive spline either loses a tooth or the housing cracks allowing the gears to slip past one another. Never seen one where the gears inside stripped out.
This can also happen with the rear blend door in the same fashion, but the clicking will be from the rear obviously.
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Triplet Dad
Well-Known Member
My issue is definitely with the diverter door. If I choose anything other than A/C then the clicking is intermittent during use but there always is a clicking when I start the vehicle for a couple seconds. The temperature knob changes the temperature just fine and I did the pull fuse to re-calibrate trick but it didn't help. Any ideas?
Denethor
Full Access Members
It could be the actuator or you could just have a foreign object (like a piece of the foam ductwork) stopping the door from moving.
This video is for an older vehicle but should be very close to yours.
This video is for an older vehicle but should be very close to yours.
Seawolfbronco
Member
There are many videos on YouTube on changing the upper blend door motor on the datc system (dual automatic temp control). If that's what you have, there is a temperature blend door motor on top of the A/C box behind the dash (easy) that controls the passenger temp and one under the box and behind the center console (hard) that controls driver temp. The diverter door that controls whether air is sent to the panel, floor or defrost is on the drivers side near the throttle and easy once you remove the throttle pedal. I've replaced those 3 on my 2008 but have not had to replace the vent door motor on the passenger side of the box. The part numbers on my 08 were different for the blend door and the diverter door. Good luck!
BTW, sometimes the gears do not strip but the sensor on the motor that reports position to the controller goes bad and the clicking is the motor searching for the right position.
BTW, sometimes the gears do not strip but the sensor on the motor that reports position to the controller goes bad and the clicking is the motor searching for the right position.
Triplet Dad
Well-Known Member
Mine is more of a clicking for about 2 seconds but I always leave it on max AC. If I change it i have the noise so I just change the temp if I need heat
I would too, but my truck annoyingly starts running A/C and fans off battery if you turn the key a notch to run radio with the engine off... and turning the A/C on and off at the selector switch seems to sometimes bring back the clacking.
Switching rear to cold then hot then off a couple times usually resolves it.
As to running full A/C, the highest setting on the blower in my truck is dramatically more powerful than just one notch less --- but also sounds like a jumbo jet preparing for takeoff
Triplet Dad
Well-Known Member
Sounds like we have the exact same issue. I guess I should remover the actuator and see if I can move the door by hand like in the video above. At least it's stuck in the upper vent position which is normally what I use in Houston for A/C and I can live with it. The noise is just annoying!
I think mine's the rear, though. My front controls are plenty obedient and do what I ask.
The one thing that's confusing me is that I don't actually ever turn the rear vents on at all....so why is it even engaging it??
Triplet Dad
Well-Known Member
I removed the actuator and when powering up the actuator spins. Also, I can move the cam fairly easily by hand to control where the air comes out so I don't think that it's jammed. I am going to try the trick to pull the fuse and re-calibrate to see if that helps. Any other suggestions?
gixer2000
Retrofit or Bust
I'd be willing to bet that the gears inside a stripped so when there's no load on it it's been fine but once you add a little pressure to that output gear the internal gears start to slip. I would test the actuator again but I would use your finger to apply a little pressure to that output gear
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gixer2000
Retrofit or Bust
Also are you sure that you removed the correct actuator? Because there's more than one
Triplet Dad
Well-Known Member
Yes, I removed the correct actuator. I will try opening it up and looking for stripped gears. I replaced one in the past and the clicking went away for about a year and I have opened that one up and the gears all look good.
Triplet Dad
Well-Known Member
I opened up the actuator and all of the gears look good. After watching a video on YouTube I removed the gears and it looks like the tracks that are used to report back the position are worn out. My old actuator didn't have the tracks but the Dorman one I replaced it with a few years ago does. If the tracks wore out after a year then it's a terrible design.
ExpeditionAndy
Full Access Members
Worn out or just dirty?
Triplet Dad
Well-Known Member
Straight up gone - the electrical track wore away. There is a video about this bad design on YouTube. I contacted Dorman and Rock Auto (place of purchase) and I am sending it back for a replacement (lifetime warranty).
ExpeditionAndy
Full Access Members
I'm glad to hear they are honoring the warranty but what a PIA to have to change it again.
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