No heat - decided to fix it

[Zazzy]

After dealing with lack of heat, no heat, doing reverse flushes, lots of heat and then no heat again, all ending with...

 

ugh oh. Now, it's leaking...

 

Damn.

 

I decided to replace the heater core. I bought a replacement from Ford and got an older service manual online (DVD version).

 

If I ever did it again or was asked to provided advice, I now know all the little tricks that weren't addressed in the manual. Nothing earth shattering, just a few small items that would have made the project faster.

 

Although the new heater core is installed in the housing, I haven't mounted it yet. But, once I put on the new o-rings on the AC lines and test/confirm that system doesn't have any leaks, I'll start to put everything back together.

 

I attached some of the pictures I took. I took a lot of pictures and marked up many of the PDF printouts just in case I forgot some of the details and needed a reminder where the screws, parts, etc. are supposed to go.

 

The funniest part about this project was my wife's reaction when she saw my progress after the first day taking things apart. BTW, it's her car. LOL.

 

Luckily, we have a few cars so this one can sit in the garage until it's done.

 

BTW, my wife really enjoys this car. This is just a minor inconvenience.

Edited January 27, 2015 by Zazzy

[macbwt]

Wow that is quite a job. I am impressed as I would write this off as a dealer or garage type job. You should of done some video as there is nothing like this on video in the net. Keep the process photographed.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Nice documentation! Def plan some downtime Good time to check/switch out BDA if they were acting up. Watching for continued progress, and good luck!

Edited January 27, 2015 by WWWPerfA_ZN0W

[ls973800]

What is/are BDA? Haven't seen or heard of that before. Some type of actuator?

[Zazzy]

Must be the blend door actuator. I had already ordered and received one of them (lower actuator on the driver's side). Once all were exposed, I started to think that maybe I should replace all of them, just in case.

 

The funniest part about this entire project has been how many times I've said out loud, or have just thought the following:

 

"Really?"

 

For example, if anyone asked for help doing this project and I told them that in order to remove and replace the heater core, they'll have to mix acetone and ATF. So, go buy some now.

 

Most likely, the reply would be "Really?"

Edited January 27, 2015 by Zazzy

[Kitulu]

Out of all the auto repairs that I have done over the course of my life, and all the troubleshooting and repair/replace work I have done on the AH64D Apache...I hate replacing heater cores the most!

[Zazzy]

Back in the day, heater cores used to be easy. Just remove the glove compartment and there it was. Oh well.

To be honest, this project is a lot easier than it looks. It's just a lot of finish parts that need to be removed and then a lot more parts. Once detached, the parts come off in modules. It does take time.

 

And for full disclosure, I was initially apprehensive removing the finish pieces because I was worried that I damage them. I was given simple advice from a guy at the Ford parts counter: just pull straight out. All the illustrations show where the hidden "snaps" are located, and pulling straight out worked like a charm. There were only two parts in the manual that described a different pull direction for removal. It was like a thousand easy buttons.

 

In my opinion, anyone that's competent enough to replace brake pads, or sparks plugs, could do this job. Yes, there are some tricks but it's not too difficult with the instructions (and patience). How long? I suggest two weekends, especially if you still have a life and wante to watch a football game, go to church, see a movie, etc.

[Zazzy]

Steps done yesterday:

Remove the 4 blend door actuators. Test the linkage for binding and fix if needed. Install new blend door actuators.

Lube the new o-rings and place them on the refrigerant lines.

Place the rubber seal on the heater core tubes.

Move the passenger side floor duct to the right, lift the housing into place. The passenger side duct will pop into place on the housing. Place the 5 housing bolts on hand tight.

From the engine side, insert the refrigerant lines into the thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) and tighten the fitting nut to 71 in-lbs.

Hook up the AC Manifold gauge set and test that it holds vacuum. My system can only get 28 inches of vacuum but from what I was told by a friend, that's very typical. It held the vacuum for as long as I had the manifold on.

Tighten 5 housing nuts to 71 in-lbs.

Reinstall floor duct and plastic pushpin retainers. The two that are deep under the carpet (underneath the removed seat) can be accessed by sliding your hand underneath the carpet.

Hook up the housing drain line.

Vacuum up all the debris Ford left during assembly.

Reinstall the scrivets for the carpet on both sides.

Double check all exposed electrical lines. Wrap any that could cause noise (tapping, squeaking, etc). Reinforce any that need it.

Inspect harnesses and wiring on the removed dash board. Correct any visible signs of weak connections or items that could rattle or cause noise.

Get ready to install the dash. On the drivers side, there is a support that locates the dash. On the passenger side, there is another one. And, the center of the dash is located and supported by studs on each side. Lift the dash into place, slightly tilted forward and set on center studs. Then push back each side onto each side support.

Before you start attaching bolts, check that all the harnesses are not caught between the dash and anything behind it.

Attach 4 dash bolts on drivers side, 2 on passenger side and one at the cowl.

Install drivers seat. Don't attach bolts or electrical yet.

Attach steering housing.

Attach 2 dash bolts right of steering housing (dash to steering support).

Triple check for anything stuck between dash and heater core housing.

Torque all bolts/nuts to spec

Dash:

• Driver side torx (in door): 22 ft-lb
• Driver side dash (in door): 15 ft-lbs
• Passenger side dash: 15 ft-lbs
• Cowl area: 15 ft-labs
• 2 bolts at center column left side: 16 ft-lbs
• 1 bolt at center column right side: 16 ft-lbs
• 2 bolts at dash to steering column support: 16 ft-lbs
• Driver side (bottom of dash): 62 in-lbs
• Passenger side (bottom of dash): 62 in-lbs

• 4 bolts for Steering column: 21 ft-lbs
• New pinch bolt at steering column shaft (connects to steering box splined shaft): 17 ft-lbs

Install plastic pushpin holding carpet at center of dash, passenger side

Install screw that attached duct to center of dash (it’s on the passenger side)

Install nuts on duct to dash bracket (center of dash, drivers side)

Attach hood opening and bolt.

Press on carpet retainer on drivers side (center of dash)

Connect all harnesses.

Hold onto stereo, connect 3 harnesses and two other antenna connections. Slide in stereo (Ford calls it an ACM), check cables behind ACM and push all the way in. Screw on stereo.

Install A pillar tethers. Line up slots at top of dash and guide into place. Line up guide at top near top snap. Then, move rubber moulding over piece and snap top in place. It'll make sense when you see it.

Place shifter housing close to where it goes and double check the shift cable location. During the install, the cable will probably end up too low (inside the dashboard) and you'll need to raise it. It's easier if you place the shifter housing to check and then remove it, so you can deal with the cable. The cable has a rubber housing that'll squeeze between the HVAC duct. Just raise it above the ducts. This will make sense if it's too low and you try to attach the cable to the shifter. Once the cable is in the correct location, snake the cable thru the shifter housing as you lower into place, and locate the housing in it's final location. Press the cable support/attachment onto the housing and then press the cable end onto the shifter. Attach the 4 bolts.

Place center column “support” between the seats about two inches back from final installed location. Line up guides and press each side in front towards center of the car. Then slide it forward. If the plastic retainers on each side don’t grab, the front panels for the support will push out. If you push the front panels too much inward, the center column won't slide forward all the way. Surprisingly, installation of the bolts that are next to the seats will seem much easier than the removal.

I would have finished yesterday, but we went to a charity dinner/dance for our Church last night. Fun evening! Great food, dancing and we won three door prizes!

I'll update the rest of the install later (don't know when) with some photos. It should be drivable before the Super Bowl kickoff. The only item I'm debating on is installing custom heater hose lines. I'd like to install an inline filter/screen near the overflow tank. After all this work, I don't want the heater core to get clogged again. One hose would go from the heater core back to the engine. The other hose would be routed from the engine, to the bracket at the firewall, and would daylight on the left side of the engine bay to a filter near the overflow tank. Then, it would return back to the heater core. But, finding a suitable spot to support filter/hose, and have easy access to remove the screen, is the current problem. I haven't thought it thru yet.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Zazzy

[macbwt]

Great detail. I bet you saved thousands.

[Zazzy]

Great detail. I bet you saved thousands.

LOL. Not yet - it's not done!

But, once it's running with heat and no electrical problems, then I will have saved thousands.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

I think for most people the real hangup is the A/C involvement. If that were not in the equation, it would be much more DIY.

[Zazzy]

I think for most people the real hangup is the A/C involvement. If that were not in the equation, it would be much more DIY.

Actually, that was a hangup for me. I've never worked on AC stuff until this project but it forced me to learn more than I ever wanted to know.

 

I am going to address it so that it turns the project into a DIY. More to follow.

 

I'm currently messing with the center console and shift housing. It's not difficult. Just confusing if you haven't looked at it for a while. And, it's the one assembly that I didn't take a lot of photos. It's just a bunch of assemblies and I want to make sure I don't install something that hides bolts that I need to install. Of course, I could look at the manual but I need to have some kind of a challenge...

Edited February 1, 2015 by Zazzy

[Zazzy]

Before I add a writeup of today's tasks, here are some photos to give you an idea what I got done so far.

 

I thought today would be easier than yesterday. Not. It's not that it was difficult. Just slow. Lots of little details. Out of everything I did, today and yesterday, installing the bottom trim piece on the steering wheel was the biggest pain.

 

The only thing I have to do is hang the driver door, re-power the air bags and "prove out the SRS" (as Ford puts it), clean the cowl trim and reinstall it.

[macbwt]

Impressive job, well done. How hard is it to get at and change out the fan/blower motor? Mine is making some small noise when it is running and it has many many hours of running.

[Zazzy]

How hard is it to get at and change out the fan/blower motor? Mine is making some small noise when it is running and it has many many hours of running.

Actually, removing and replacing the blower motor should be very easy. Underneath the glove compartment, there is a plastic trim piece/cover. It's held on at the front by two rubber pins. Just grab the cover and pull down gently but firmly. Then slide it forward and it'll come off easy. It's off on our MKX at the moment and I can take a photo if you want.

 

The blower motor has one electrical connection and is attached with three screws, all accessible from the bottom. That's it! I can also attach a PDF from the service manual if you want but this project is easier than removing a wheel.

 

Thanks for the compliment regarding this project but it's not a job well done yet.

 

I'm still dealing with lingering issues. After I started it up for the first time, all the blend door actuators adjusted and then stopped working. Initially, I thought it was one of the connectors that I had trouble disconnecting because this one connector is for all for actuators. I've rebooted it and after testing a few items, I'm sure that the HVAC control module is bad.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Zazzy

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Did you test the module? This post might help:

http://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/15071-climate-control-problem/?do=findComment&comment=115324

[Zazzy]

Did you test the module? This post might help:

http://www.fordedgeforum.com/topic/15071-climate-control-problem/?do=findComment&comment=115324

Yes. The first time I cleared codes and rebooted the module, 5 of the codes cleared. But, each time the operation got more and more bizarre. The most odd part was that it worked fine for a few moments but only if I had the recirc air blend door disconnected. But, that didn't last long.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

I have had that happen with electrical components many a time. They seem to act fine as long as they remain connected (as in before you started taking the dash apart), but once that umbilical is broken, they can't take the re-connection and give up the ghost.

[Zazzy]

Back to the heater core & the AC line...

To make this a DIY job for the weekend mechanic, the first step is to take it to a AC shop. Have them recover/evacuate the refrigerant. If you explain what you're doing and ask them if you can buy the o-rings, you might get lucky and leave with the replacement o-rings in a plastic bag, with a touch of PAG oil. You can also try a Ford dealer like I did but two different dealers didn't want to sell me the o-rings unless I had the old ones in hand to confirm the ones I bought were a match.

 

Then, ask around and found out if anyone you know owns an R134A manifold gauge set and either a vacuum pump or a vacuum tool that hooks up to your air compressor. I have three different compressors, so I bought manifold gauge set for $50 and the vacuum tool for $20 at Harbor Freight.

I've attached some more photos of details after I lifted the dash back in place.

[Zazzy]

(FWIW, 1/2 of the tricks I added were lost due to a website SQL server error when I clicked on post reply. I just added them back and hopefully I got them all.)

 

Here are some tricks:

• De-power the air bags before you start the removal. Make this your first step.
• Keep the battery disconnected, except for the instances where you need to hooked up to move something. Just remember to disconnect it.
• In order to remove (and re-install) the mini glove compartment (the one in front of the shifter), you will need to put the shifter into neutral. After I removed it, I moved the shifter back to park.
• Do the work with the tires/wheels straight forward and the steering wheel in the 12 o'clock position.
• The instructions don't say anything about removing the driver's door. Save yourself time and remove it after you de-power the airbags. If you don't have help, just leave it in place.
• Printout paper copies of Ford's instructions for the dash removal, steering column removal, etc.. While uninstalling/removing items, check off each step with a pen. Also, jot down notes if there's anything you think is important to remember. This is helpful when you get to the step to remove the dashboard. If you've done everything on the list, you'll be less concerned that you've missed something. It'll make the first tug on the dashboard easier: you'll tug and it'll rotate toward you.
• As you re-install each item, mark the paperwork with a highlighter. As you torque each bolt, or set of bolts, mark those also with a highlighter. Same thing for each electrical connector, or any associated part.
• Vacuum and clean as much as you can before you put everything back together.
• The cowl weatherstripping at each end can be removed two ways. You can gently stretch the weatherstripping and lift the rubber over the plastic connector. Or, you can push the plastic out of the sheet metal by slipping your finger under the sheet metal and pressing the plastic retainers.
• The entire cowl trim is removed in one piece. It's two pieces but it'll be connected by the rubber molding. Just leave it that way. The black plastic ends, which meet the sheet metal, are easily removed by pushing the plastic toward the center of the cowl. When you push on them, the tabs holding them in place will be exposed.
• If you haven't replaced your spark plugs (which I haven't yet), go ahead and plan on putting in new plugs. Here's why: in order to replace the plugs, you have to remove the upper intake manifold. I just looked at the instructions and it's easy. Had I known this early on, I would have removed the upper intake manifold. It would have made it super easy to access the heater hoses and refrigerant lines. Just in case you were wondering, you can remove and replace the heater hoses, and refrigerant lines without removing the upper intake manifold.

And a few more photos...

Edited February 26, 2015 by Zazzy

[Zazzy]

I took my own advice today and removed the upper intake manifold, which made it a breeze to put on the new heater hose lines. Then, I changed the spark plugs. The old plugs didn't look too bad but the gap on every one of the was 0.082+. LOL.

 

It runs much smoother and quieter.

 

Back to the topic...

 

I've ordered a new HVAC control module. I'll follow up next weekend. In the meantime, it's still drivable.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Best of luck with the new module

[Zazzy]

Best of luck with the new module

I installed the module today. All is working fine. All the blend doors are working, the fan, and the rest of the controls. The big Valentines Day plus is that my wife loves the heat.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Zazzy

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Done and done, he said! Awesome

[FORD EDGE NJ]

Hi guys,

 

I am hoping someone could help me w/ an heater problem w/ a 2008 ford edge limited. Last winter I brought the recall paper in w/ me to ford and told them I wanted the heater core changed because my heat wasn't hot. Blowing air, but it was cold. They said they only replace if the flush doesn't work, so they did a flush and it worked the rest of last winter.

 

Then it went again in December. I brought it to ford and they said it was no longer covered under the recall etc. So, I brought it to a local shop.

 

After doing some more research, I believed the issue was related to the blend accuators. I asked the local shop to take a look at the accuators. They told me they were fine and it was the heat core just like ford.

 

So the local shop changed the heat core. it worked for about 2 weeks then it went right back to the problem I had before, cold air blowing.

 

I brought it back and they said it needed to be flushed again. Again I mentioned the accuators but they said they are fine. They flushed the Edge and gave it back to me. It worked for the ride home that night, but next morning, it was cold.

 

I brought the car back again and they said there was still a lot of "junk" in the system so they flushed another 2-3 times. Still cold after one night of driving it home.

 

I brought it back again and this time they changed the thermostat and flushed.

 

Brought it home, and it was cold the next morning.

 

I brought it back again and this time they changed the left door blend accuator. They said it was working last night. I picked it up this morning and it's still ice cold. (keep in mind, I drive it for 1 hour and 20 minutes to work, so it's not that I'm not giving it enough time to heat up).

 

Now I'm starting to suspect it's either the other blend doors, or the module or the new heater core was damaged from improper flushing of the system during the install....

 

any thoughts???? I'm about to drive it off a cliff.

 

Thanks