HVAC Air direction wouldn't change...fix inside
 

kind of long for a first post, but i figured it may help some people out....also, i tried a search but didn't come up with any relevant info...

lately on my explorer the selector switch (vent, floor, defrost, etc.) hasn't been changing the direction of airflow...it started as changing very slowly and progressively got to where it would only partially change the airflow, then quit functioning completely...it was stuck on vent, and wouldn't go to defrost...the floor vents worked fine when they were supposed to...

so the fix: pulled the vacuum connector off of the back of the selector switch, started the truck and checked the one vacuum hose for manifold vacuum, which it had. i then opened the glovebox all the way so that it was hanging down out of the way and i could see the vacuum motors and vent levers on the HVAC housing...slowly pulled a vacuum on each line at the connector, and watched for movement at the vacuum motors...when i got to the red line, for the vent door, i went to put vacuum to it, and then noticed that the little plastic tab, where the metal arm from the vacuum motor attaches to the lever, had snapped off, so the vacuum motor was functioning, it just wasn't attached to anything....

so i drew on my engineering background to come up with workable, lasting solution....rooted around and found some pop rivets that my friend forgotten he had....carefully drilled the plastic vent lever where the plastic post had broken off w/ a 1/8" bit...put a 1/8" pop rivet in to connect the metal arm to the plastic lever, and voila! better than new...

i just hope this experience can help someone else out....i also found out in the process (using the climate control panel from a friend's explorer) that the blower speed switch is partially bad...i have speeds 1, 2, and 4....the 2 and 3 setting both blow at the 2 level...