s14 interior air ducting switching problem!! GGRR...

[midnight_rex]

I'm having a problem with my interior fan control. The fan blows in all 4 settings but when I try to switch from dash vents to the windshield defroster setting it does not switch. Or if i want to set it to blow to the floorboard only it will not switch. Actually it does this in all settings. Right now my fan only blows out of the dashboard vents. When it rains i would really like to use my defroster but I am having this problem grr.

It used to work before with no problems. Is there maybe a fuse or relay that could have failed somewhere? I don't know where to start looking to find what the problem is. Someone once told me there was some sort of relay that usually goes out when this happens. I completely forgot what its called.

If or has anyone had this problem before and fixed it? It was working perfectly fine before. Any info would be appreciated.

[japslapsilvia]

sounds like your "mode door motor" is on its way out, im not sure where they are located on s-14 but on s-13 its located on the drivers side of the trans tunnel under the dash. try and locate the motor, and see if its stuck.

[projectRDM]

Agreed, mode door motor. Look directly above where your foot would sit on the gas pedal, you'll see it. Brown plug, about 7-8pins. There's another below it with a black 4pin plug, that's the air mix door motor, leave it alone.

[ZipTied]

I had the same problem only to realize that when pulling a fuse out to get my wipers to work when it was raining one day it was actually the Fuse for my climate control. Check your fuses by where the clutch is under the dashboard and make sure they are all there and not blown. Is your heat out too? Mine wouldn't let me control the heat when the Fuse was out. It only blew out air.

[projectRDM]

I had the same problem only to realize that when pulling a fuse out to get my wipers to work when it was raining one day it was actually the Fuse for my climate control. Check your fuses by where the clutch is under the dashboard and make sure they are all there and not blown. Is your heat out too? Mine wouldn't let me control the heat when the Fuse was out. It only blew out air.

Completely unrelated. The door motors are powered by the climate control head, if the head is working then it's not a fuse.

[midnight_rex]

i don't have my heater hooked up yet. but wow you guys are a big help seriously lol. other local forums in my area couldn't even give me any advice. thanks guys! ill check out that stuff tomorrow.

i did have a problem with my wipers before and the fuse blew out like 3 times then i replaced it the fourth time and it stopped. ill check my fuses for sure.

[midnight_rex]

yea the climate control head is working. it lights up and everything. i actually have 2 of them and i switched them to see if it was the climate controls. so i follow the brown plug to the motor? whats a way to fix it?

[ZipTied]

Completely unrelated. The door motors are powered by the climate control head, if the head is working then it's not a fuse.

Yeah it's unrelated from the door motors but it's what cause mine to do the same thing he is talking about. Just putting in some info.

Just when doing fuses NEVER use alluminum foil or bigger fuse than rated. If it's blowing there is obviously an overload or short that needs fixed. Bigger fuses and foil cause fires. :eek3:

[midnight_rex]

yea i use the fuse that is recommended by the manufacturer. the problem stopped like 3 months ago. but this new problem started occurring a month ago. i never mess with the climate controls because i don't have AC or a heater yet. but i know for sure they used to work before because i used them on a rainy day. if the mode door motor is the problem how do i fix it?

[ZipTied]

No clue on that one man. Get a hold of these other guys they seem a little more knowledgable on it than I do. I'm just sharing my experiances.

[s14_mike]

check fuse by driverside kick panel first! then go from there

[intel]

I had the same problem only to realize that when pulling a fuse out to get my wipers to work when it was raining one day it was actually the Fuse for my climate control. Check your fuses by where the clutch is under the dashboard and make sure they are all there and not blown. Is your heat out too? Mine wouldn't let me control the heat when the Fuse was out. It only blew out air.

i HAVE the same issue. .both symptoms..gona go check now

[midnight_rex]

which fuse tho? lol. i dont think there is a fuse specifically for the mode door motor.

[intel]

damnit..i jumped the gun!

[japslapsilvia]

now that you have located the motor. unbolt if from the "air-box". take the metal rod (still attached to the air-box) and make sure it moves freely. if it does plug in the motor and run though the setting to see if the arm moves if it doenst replace the motor.

as for the wipers you probably have a short in they system somwhere, i had a similar issue and a wire grounding out causing the fuse to blow. just trace the wires, and pay particulat attention to where the wire pass through any metal (firewall, dashbar etc)

[projectRDM]

Exactly what he said. Either the motor is bad or the linkage is binding somehow, but usually it's just the motor. I've replaced a lot of them in the past and sold even more to people online.

[midnight_rex]

thanks for the info guys.

[ZipTied]

which fuse tho? lol. i dont think there is a fuse specifically for the mode door motor.

Do what they said with the motor. Its not for the door motor it's for the A/C controls. I can't remember which one it is. I'll run out for a smoke here in a minute and check.

[ZipTied]

now that you have located the motor. unbolt if from the "air-box". take the metal rod (still attached to the air-box) and make sure it moves freely. if it does plug in the motor and run though the setting to see if the arm moves if it doenst replace the motor.

as for the wipers you probably have a short in they system somwhere, i had a similar issue and a wire grounding out causing the fuse to blow. just trace the wires, and pay particulat attention to where the wire pass through any metal (firewall, dashbar etc)

If that was for me thanks but I got everything figured out on that a while ago. :) Thanks for the info anyways.

[Darkvillin]

sorry guys for resurrecting this ancient text but i have a relevent question and have found no answers.

i have the same problem as the people above with my climate not switching from the vents to the defrosters or floor. im going to check out my mode door motor. i also have a clicking noise coming from behind my hvac and im wondering if anyone could tell me what it may be...the same thing is happening in my bro's z31 and all our fuses are good. it seems to happen more often when its cold out. is it possible that the linkage is binding and thats the noise it makes? it doesnt click every time im driving my car, just whenever it feels like it and like i said it seems to be more prevalent when its cold out...sorry if me posting here pisses anyone off. this is my 3rd s-chassis but my first s14 and the first car that ive had this problem with.

thanks

[Sterlz]

great info. i had this same issue, i used to just leave my windows cracked a little bit whenever it rained. gonna go check that motor.