2014 Edge Limited No Heat

[Whedge]

I'm bringing this one up again, and I apologize. I know that information on this issue is all over the web, but none of the instructions seem to match my setup.

 

We just returned from Colorado with my wife's 2014 Edge Limited with Sync Touch and the Sony sound system controls with dual climate control. and noticed while we were there that the heat does not work. I will provide as many symptoms as I can...

 

There is no clicking noise when working the climate control. I don't think it's an actuator gear, but I could be wrong.

 

I've examined every vent, and all results are the same. That includes the passenger and driver side vents. The defrosters in both the dash and the doors. The floor vents, and the rear-seat vents. The same levels of air flow and temperature emit from all.

 

That makes me think it's not a temp door or actuator, unless there's a master diverter that controls air going to the system as a whole before being split by other actuators into the different doors/zones.

 

Is there a central diverter prior to air being split into different zones?

 

The air flow itself seems to be fine. It's never been hurricane force, but it seems to be operating at the same level as when the vehicle was new.

 

There is NO heat. Set heat to max and it remains at the outside ambient temp. Turn the air conditioning on, and things get cold -- to the point where it seems like LO is selected as a temp. Using the dual control in an attempt to detect a difference between passenger and driver sides yields no results. I set driver to LO and passenger to HI with the air on, and both temps were coming out at the same level of very cold. The rear-seat vents carried this same temp.

 

I can select all of the different vent positions with no problems. Defrost, face, floor, mix... that all cycles through just fine.

 

I would like to make use of the EATC diagnostic, but here's the problem. I have the Synch Touch system and the Sony controls. Very few buttons to play with, just the touch-sensitive indicators and the central knob for the sound system. I'll call all of these buttons from this point on to make things easier, but they're still just touch-sensitive locations.

 

From all of the instructions I've found -- I have no 'floor' button to press. I seem to have no 'mode' button, unless it's marked differently than I'm expecting. I've tried hitting power+defrost, followed by Auto within two seconds. No results. I've also tried the other combinations that make use of the A/C button and I've tried these combinations with the Sync screen in addition to the Sony controls.

 

So far, no luck getting into diagnostics.

 

I've gotten into the Sync diagnostics through the Eject+Right Arrow combination, but there seems to be no HVAC/EATC option in that menu. If there is, and I've missed it, please let me know.

 

I've gotten the vehicle into Engineering mode, but again there seems to be no EATC options available, unless I've missed them. Which is a shame -- I'd really like to see the vehicle run the climate control system through a full series of tests. Engineering mode showed no DTCs.

 

The engine does not seem to be overheating. Hot coolant is flowing to the radiator. The temp gauge stays stable at just under the half-way point. While I know that this reading can be misleading if there's no coolant flowing, the engine itself did fine on today's 10 hour drive. Physical inspection of the engine itself did not indicate overheating. It was warm/hot, but not enough to scald as long as I stayed away from the exhaust.

 

 

Yeah, that's a lot to read, but I know the questions that get asked with this problem, so I wanted the bases covered up front.

 

IS there a way to get into the EATC diagnostics with the setup pictured?

 

 

That's the 2013 version, but 2014 only seems to have some cosmetic differences. All of the controls are in the same place with the same markings.

 

I've narrowed the issue down to the following: clogged heater core, bad thermostat, bad 'primary diverter' (one central door or valve which would direct warm airflow to the Dual Climate Control doors), if such a thing even exists.

 

Further advice would be appreciated. I'll break that down into the TL;DR version:

 

1. Does the 2014 Edge Limited with Sync Touch and the Sony controls have an EATC diagnostic mode?

 

2. How do I access this mode?

 

3. What is the most likely scenario give the above information - all vents (L/R, defrost, floor, and rear seat), at all times work fine except for not having any heat. Same cold temp emitting from all vents regardless of dual climate settings.

 

4. Is there a fuse that I should be checking? If so, which one and where can I find it?

 

5. Just over 20,000 miles on the vehicle. We have not replaced the cabin air filter, but plan to for this. Since there's no reduction in air volume, I doubt that's the problem, but what the heck.

 

The vehicle is past the 3 year warranty period, but I can check with the dealer to see if we have anything left on it if this is something serious. I'd still like to be armed with information before I go in, however. I should be able to replace a thermostat on my own, unless that process has gotten idiotically complicated in the 30 years since I've last performed the operation. That's back when they were made out of cardboard and died frequently on Fiestas.

 

 

I plan on picking up a Scangauge II for an unrelated Tacoma project, but I could also use it to pull DTCs which might not be tripping the CEL or showing in Engineering Mode. If someone has a better idea for a scanner, I'd love to hear about it. SGII seems to be a bit dated. Does anyone have any experience with the Bluetooth units that communicate through smartphones?

 

That's all I have, and lord it should be enough. Questions will be answered if I've left anything out. Any help would be appreciated. I'd call my dealer at this point, but they'd insist on waiting a week for an appointment, another week for diagnosis, three more to get parts in, and then who-knows-when for the repair, which is almost certainly just out of warranty.

 

Thank you. That's a lot to read, but again I wanted to cover as much information as possible.

Edited September 2, 2017 by Whedge

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Lower version of the system than yours, but may be a similar solution will work here also.

[Whedge]

Monkey Punching for the win. I had tried that combination, but my timing was off. I'd even seen that video and discounted it for the presence of physical buttons. You convinced me to give it a closer watch and, what the hell, try it again. Here's how it goes with this system for those with similar issues...

 

Don't push Power and Defrost at the same time. The touch sensitive controls won't recognize the multiple input.

 

Touch Power first, and then touch Defrost while holding power. Keep holding both until you hear the actuators moving. It's a couple of seconds as mentioned in the video.

 

Release both and then touch Auto. Nothing in the display changes (at least that I noticed). No codes, no fan icon, at least not where I was expecting them to appear at the top of the screen. It's possible some other element on the screen went through changes when I wasn't looking.

 

Instead, I was watching the ambient lighting cycle. It'll run through its range of colors and then settle. The climate controls will spend some time thinking (recalibrating most likely), and then the system will return to normal function. It's possible that the colors themselves convey information, but I have no reference for decoding them if that's the case.

 

Now my wife's Edge has heat and I get to ruin her plans of spending the day at the mechanic. Thank you very much, Platinum Member Perf!

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Glad it worked out. I saw this work for a member on macbwt's fb page, so thought i would pass it on. Thank you for the additional info for your setup!

[Amybhynes]

My heater quit working the day I had the a/c recharged. Although, the 2 are not related. I tried the steps in the video posted here and it worked! Fixed in seconds and it was so simple.

[EMBATTEAST42]

I have a 2013 Ford Edge SEL and the same thing the heat and defrost work fine on the passenger side but not the driver's side. I wish I could diagnose to see if it's a simple fix but don't know how. HELP I am freezing on my way to work

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Mods, please sticky this thread!!!

[akirby]

Mods, please sticky this thread!!!

 

Aye aye captain!

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

anchors aweigh, matey!

[elmonoloco]

I have a 2013 Ford Edge Limited AWD. The heater worked on the passenger side but the driver side only blew cold air. In addition to being uncomfortable, it was a little dangerous because I could not defog the driver side of the windshield. Whedge's solution worked for me:

 

1. Touch Power on the physical button behind the shifter.

2. Touch Defrost while holding power. Keep holding both until you hear the actuators moving.

3. Release both buttons.

3. Touch Power.

[jmacken37]

Ok, I'm having a problem on my 2014 limited V6...unfortunately, this fix didn't work.

 

Our problem is that the air only comes out of the defrost vents. If we push the screen button for the dash vents or floor to blow air, they won't work and air will continue to only come out of the front defrost. Does this sound like a vent door actuator problem? 

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

WHERE the air comes from is a MODE door problem.  What TEMP the air is, that is a blend door problem.

 

That said, if neither of the calibration steps are not working, it could still be a control problem with the HVAC module and/or the APIM.  If not, then you have to tear into the dash to replace the mode door(s) involved.

 

Which setup do you have?  The 4" screen or the 8" screen?

 

Have you tried disconnecting the negative battery cable for a few minutes?  You could also pull the fuses for the controls for a few minutes.  Might be enough to restore correct operation for a while.

[vtchopperdude]

I am able to get my HVAC to reset, but it's still not blowing HOT air when on max temp. It's only luke warm. I do notice that as I turn the heat up, less and less blows out of the passenger side, and the drivers side only remains luke warm. Is this a blend door issue, on both sides?? This is my wife's daily driver, and she just uses the butt warmers when it's cold, and doesn't really use the heat. But when we took a trip a few weeks back I noticed that the air wasn't really warm, even on max setting. So, having done the HVAC reset multiple times, what am I looking at? Blend door replacement? When the system is resetting itself, I hear the actuators moving, and nothing sounds like it's binding. I also checked the cabin filter and it was fairly clean.

[vtchopperdude]

Ok, so the reset didn't seem to do anything. However, I unplugged both actuators with the car off, then started the car, then shut it off, plugged them back in after 2 minutes of the car being off, and started it back up, and now it seems to work. Hopefully this is a long term fix...

[vtchopperdude]

Welp, back to only cold air today. So, resetting the blend doors didn't last. What would be the next step? Obviously they work physically, but they aren't moving like they should when the temperature is turned up to warm.

[omar302]

5 hours ago, vtchopperdude said:

Welp, back to only cold air today. So, resetting the blend doors didn't last. What would be the next step? Obviously they work physically, but they aren't moving like they should when the temperature is turned up to warm.

 

If they work for a while after resetting them, it probably indicates you need a new actuator for blend door.

[vtchopperdude]

It's odd.....so it's like they aren't calibrated correctly to the desired temperature.

 

For example, after doing the factory reset, I turned the system off, and then turned it back on. For the first few seconds it blew extremely hot air, like I expected, then it turned cold. So, in my mind, the actuators are initially at the correct setting, then adjust themselves incorrectly. The actuator just listens to commands from the HVAC system right? It's not like they are binding...they are just moving to the incorrect position.

 

I've done the factory reset several times, but is there a calibration mode?

 

Thoughts?

[akirby]

39 minutes ago, vtchopperdude said:

It's odd.....so it's like they aren't calibrated correctly to the desired temperature.

 

For example, after doing the factory reset, I turned the system off, and then turned it back on. For the first few seconds it blew extremely hot air, like I expected, then it turned cold. So, in my mind, the actuators are initially at the correct setting, then adjust themselves incorrectly. The actuator just listens to commands from the HVAC system right? It's not like they are binding...they are just moving to the incorrect position.

 

I've done the factory reset several times, but is there a calibration mode?

 

Thoughts?

 

The actuator goes to the correct location but is unable to keep the blend door in the correct position so it slowly closes (or opens all the way).

 

Picture a hydraulic floor jack with a slow leak.  You can jack the car up to the desired height but after a few minutes it will drop back down.

[vtchopperdude]

Well, stopped by the auto parts store and picked up some new blend door actuators. Installed both of them. No change!!!  So, I pulled them back out, and had my wife sit in the car while I manually operated the linkage. To my surprise, no change in temperature!!!  The only thing that seemed to change was the amount of airflow, but the temperature didn't change any regardless of where the linkage was.

 

So, unless my Edge is the only one built that way, then something else is wrong. Those blend doors didn't do anything for the temperature. So, my problem must be further upstream.

 

Thoughts?

[omar302]

Is you coolant level OK? Engine temperature in the normal range (mid point in the gauge)? I think other than that you might be looking at a blocked heater core. Though I don't remember reading about similar cases for the 2011-2014 models. I am sure @WWWPerfA_ZN0W will chime in with a better (more educated) answer.

[vtchopperdude]

8 hours ago, omar302 said:

Is you coolant level OK? Engine temperature in the normal range (mid point in the gauge)? I think other than that you might be looking at a blocked heater core.

 

Coolant level right on the mark where it should be. Engine temp right in the middle once up to temp and stays there. No overheating issues.

[vtchopperdude]

My wife came home for lunch, and I had her keep the car running. I checked the hoses going into the heater core. The bottom hose is extremely hot to the touch, and the upper hose is only luke warm. I'm not sure what the orientation of inlet vs outlet is, but does this tell me anything?

 

Of note, still no heat, and when I turn the temperature all the way up to HI, the airflow seems to become restricted and doesn't change temperature.

[omar302]

Just my guess, it means the heater core is clogged. Found some suggestions to try and a reverse flush and that the ultimate solution is a heater core replacement, which is not an easy job. Though I hope it is something simpler.

[vtchopperdude]

UPDATE: Took car by dealership this morning. Told them that I already changed the blend door actuators and reset the system multiple times. They called around noon and said the blend door actuators are bad. I told them I highly doubt that but according to them, their diagnostic tool said that both actuators had faults and that the system couldn’t be reset until they were changed.

 

I show up after work and they said it’s all fixed. I paid almost $500 dollars and NO CHANGE!!!! I went back in and they said that 2 different technicians checked it. I told them to come out and see for themselves. They said they’d figure it out tomorrow.

[vtchopperdude]

They called back yesterday and said the HVAC module itself is bad. They are going to order it, and replace on Monday. I'll let yal know if that cures it...