Windstar Blend Door Actuator 

My 65 year old wife replaced actuator in her 2002 windstar in 2 hours. I"m disabled. Great advice about turning on ignition to align new actuator. Thank you for saving us $400-500.

Awesome video. Just completed the job with the laptop and this video in the seat next to me. The only thing I would add is that when it came to turning on the ignition to get the tap to spin, I had to turn my AC on. Turning on the heat didn't turn it. Once the AC was on, it indeed moved. Second, when you push the new acuator into place, there's a slight "clunk" as the tap pushes in. You WILL KNOW when you have it right. Thanks again jonreyna!

Thank you so much Jon, I don't know how much it would have cost me to take my windstar to a repair person, but thanks to your video I was able to not only trouble shoot my problem, but also fix it. Worked exactly like you said and even the size sockets were right. Thank again. Dennis.

A big thank you.... We easily replaced our Blend door actuator, following your instructions. Good job on the video.

Just replaced my blend door actuator this morning. This video was very helpful. Very straight forward, hardest part is reaching way in to reinstall the mounting screws. Thanks for posting. Todd

Just did this on my 2003 Windstar. Good video and very helpful details. Took me about 30 minutes to swap the units out. I took the old actuator apart and found the small gear had some teeth striped out. The guys at Autozone say these fail all the time. My wife has heat again and is very happy about that.

thank so very much for sharing this repair .I just did mine and had no trouble. thank you again.

Thanks so much for posting this video. I'm a self employed Mom who would not spend the quotes that I was getting at a garage (well above $500)! I had a few extra bolts to take out but no big deal. Thanks for explaining on how to line up the pin with the old one so it fits. In the end, it cost me a few hours of research, $35 (after 20% discount at Advanced Auto) in parts/radio removal tool and about an hour to change. I have HEAT!!! Thanks again. Lisa

Great job, your video likely saved me hours. Only improvement I can offer is put Hotel California as the background music. Thanks again.

看完影片~對我真的幫助很大!問題已經修復~謝謝分享Thanks for video just finished the job. Hardest part was getting the radio out with the DIN tools.THEN I FIND PUSH THE TOOLS CLOSER WILL BE BETTER!

I finally got mine out.. Oh my lord,, I didn't have that tool to get radio out so I cut a metal hanger into 4 pieces,, worked good.. Thanks for the video, I couldn't have done it without it!!

Great video, I just saved my daughter lots of money, and now she has heat! Be sure and put outward presser on the radio removal tools to get the radio out. Also I had to move the temp control with the key on to get the door activator to move to the proper position

THANK YOU! I thought this was going to cost me $700.00 to fix, but I gave this a try and it worked, I have heat for this fall/winter woohoo! The way you can tell if the actuators go bad is when you move the temperature selector it makes a clicking noise and doesn't change temperature. This video will do the trick. I have a 2000 Ford Windstar

I watched the video, and did the job. Could have never done it without this. And I'm not a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination and yet not a problem. Thank you.

Thank you for posting this. Husband just replaced mine, thanks to the help here.

Thanks for sharing this video. It sure helped me fix the issue on the heater of my 2002 Ford Windstar and it's now working good.

Thanks for windstar videos. Wish you can do more.

Thanks! Your vid. made so easy to do by myself. Changed it in hour!

I fought the stupid radio to get it out too. Radio has to come out to get the top screw on the actuator. But - I did the project by taking out the bottom console (remove two screws each side) and reaching in from the bottom to get the other two screws. Either way, it's not THAT bad of a job, and better than using the rear heater all winter.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS VIDEO SAVED ME $100.

If I had known it was this easy I wouldn't of gone 2 winters without front heat in my Windstar! It will be replaced this weekend if I have to do it myself.

Thanks to your video i now have heat in the front of my Windstar

One of the better vids on this issue.

IM THE WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!YOU ARE DA MAN!!!!!!!!!I DID IT!!!!!I FIXED MY OWN CAR, WAS QUOTED $800.00. LESS THAN AN HOUR, SOME GROSS STUFF ON MY HAND AND I HAVE HEAT! I KEPT COMING INSIDE AND WATCHING YOUR VIDEO. THANK YOU SO MUCH.I MEAN IT THANK YOU.

Great video

Thanks for video just finished the job. Hardest part was getting the radio out with the DIN tools.

Thank you!!! Saved me a ton!

Awesome! Thanks for the help.

Sweet! thanx man got it done in 30 min :)

thanks for the video Jon .... that was easy ... thanks a million

Great video, thank you for the effort. Just one question, rhetorical, why Creed? I'd have rather heard you working.

Thanks a lot man, the video really helped.

YOU DA MAN ------THANKS SO MUCH !!!!!

@jonreyna Awesome video. Just completed the job in less tan 50$ and about 2 hours it same some money. now that i'm not working. MUCHAS GRACIAS mig

very good!!

Mine was clicking and finally I couldn't get any heat. I removed the actuator and put a long piece of 1/4" square wood into the whole that the actuator came out of and found I could still operate the blender door by twisting the wood, but it but it's heavy so it takes a bit of force. The actuator worked fine with no load on it, but if I grabbed the output shaft with my fingers it would slip pretty easily. That's the clicking noise, the actuator lifts the door a bit and then it slips back.

Thanks for the video.

Thanks for the video! I performed this repair a while back! However I accessed the part from under the radio/a/c assembly. Through the glove box thing. (it required much less disassembly. Though you have to be flexible in terms of being upside down and you might get your hands sliced a bit. By the way is that a Limited or SEL?

Still trying to figure out how you got that radio cover off after the radio was removed, screws clips ? and where...........

Do you know why the rear heat wont work? I replaced the actuator from the front already..

my dash had some ticking noise and the heater blower would some time take a minute to blow ticking kept going straight up from radio... area now all the sudden blower is still working but now the heater doesn't blow hot air is that the actuator out.?

when I have the AC on and accelerate on the gas the a/c blowing out the vents will change and start blowing out the defrost vent. then I lay off the gas and the a/c switches back to the vents. seems like a vacuum problem any ideas.

Will this work on a 2001 Ford winstar limed van ?

I had a problem when I had the AC on and went a little hard on the gas the heat will come on from the defroster, is that your problem?

I have found that if you need to focus on the song (and or images drifting across the screen in front of you like magic) that you can slow the speed down by clicking on the RU-vid round circle with the 8 short lines Location: to the left of the solid rectangle, when you drag the mouse pointer icon over the pop up menu that magically appears - These buttons are on the bottom right of the the image that I'm looking at - kinda makes in more fun to play with the sppeeds, Ah? it's Gods turn! Forget about the spelling just think it myy friends. Peace be With you. That is if your version has music listen to the words- they'll get ya tinking

Yep its a vacuum line, its located on the firewall passenger side under the cabin filter.

Very helpful video. While I loved the music it would have been more helpful for me with spoken instructions while watching the video because I can't see exactly what you're doing inside the dash. Thanks for the measurements. Because I don't always know exactly what I'm getting into I usually run into the problem of not having the right tool in the middle of a job and take more time to go purchase what I need. Thanks again for the video, I would much rather do these things myself than pay someone.

i'd love to see how to change a belt tensioner. I have no idea how to replace the serptine belt also.

Mine 2001 and the blend dolor is clicking does it mean is broke?

Everything being shown here is great …. But I just replaced mine today and found an easier way….U must remove the radio to even see the whole alignment where u or going to insert the new one…And They must be the same position as it will not go in …. If they are not the same which I don’t think they will be..lol just take new one and plug it in to the wire plug inside the radio opening there,,,,, Trust me it simple and u can get two hands in there one to hold the piece and one to hold plug and insert …Turn the key on and let it adjust itself it will automatically you won’t see it move just give it 30 seconds and will set itself like the one that come out… Now if you only have two bolts on the left side you can reached them by going up the side and behind that molding instead of removing it..Plenty of room there already and I am a big man with big arms…….. But mine had three one on the bottom of the right side. So All I did was pull out the two plastic retainers on the right side panel and gently pulled back and out and gave me enough room to shove my arm up in there and behind to ratchet the other bolt off without removing it completely … Took me 45 minutes start to finished… I hope this helps someone out...Michael…

I got the new actuator attached by the wires but the stem did not turn and so the unit does not fit in.... any suggestions?

Thanks for the video. I wish you would have talked through it instead of the music and word notes, but it was a great video regardless. My 2000 Windstar is ticking when the AC is on, but doesn't tick when it is on heat.

How about a 2006 ford freestar?

Ok I saw this and thought cool, easy enough fix for my windstar. So I went out to my car and GOT STUCK ON THE FIRST STEP. The RADIO WON'T COME OUT! It's like the hole on the trim/cover thing is too small or something.

Not sure about that one You may want to try this forum automotiveforums search for windstar

@yzerman1997 I did this, thanks!

2001 SEL

ac works but the problem is that the air only blows through the defroster vent and not through the dash vents

Whats the name of this song?

when you say plug in the new one and turn on the ignition... you mean plug the cable in to the actuator and turn the engine on? and that would adjust the tap same with the old one? did i get it right? =) damn ford charging me for 500$ for this..=D

well I guess I'm boned,my 2001 has an after market stereo in it