Can anyone please tell me where the Blend Door Actuator is on a 2011 f150 ?

Check all of your vacuum lines. Under the dash, or under the hood. Heater assembly works from engine vacuum and a vacuum pump.

What George is referring to is not modern technology. There are no vacuum hoses that operate anything related to your HVAC system on your model truck. There are 4 electric actuators that control temperature (left and right), air recirculation, and mode. Try adjusting the controls one at a time to determine which actuator has failed. You may have to do a little investigative work to find which one is making the noise. Each has a small motor with a potentiometer that lets the control module determine where the particular door is positioned. When they fail, usually the module can't tell the position of the actuator and runs its motor looking for its signal. When it gets to the end of the gear it goes "pop - pop - pop".

The right blend door actuator is behind the radio accessed through the glove box and by pulling the radio. The left actuator - well - you have to pull the dash and the heater plenum. If you don't have Dual-Zone temp controls - it's the same as for the right side - behind the radio.

Thanks guys , the noise does sound like its coming from behind the radio. Im still under warranty but i wanted to have a idea to where it was, i really hate bringing my truck back to the dealer if its not something to hard to get to i was thinking about doing it myself. . .

Tracey got this one. The actuator is inexpensive. The problem comes in where the manufacturer places it. In my 2003 explorer they placed it in such a location where the entire dash has to be partially removed, then loosened up to unscrew three screws to replace the part. Ford definitely didn't have a better idea here. Fortunately on the explorer I can manually adjust the door by by reaching through the glove box in two minutes. Living way down south where it is almost always hot means the process only has to be performed twice a year. Oh, the dealership wanted about 600 bucks to replace a fifty dollar part due to the labor.

A 2011 may still be in warranty. I'd drive to the dealership.

What gets me is that GM and Mopar have the same type of actuators with the same failures!

you would think they would have redesigned them or something . when i started researching the noise i was getting it looks like its a pretty common problem . i saw a couple that were really easy to get to you could see them as soon as you let the glove box drop but i guess mines is gonna take a lil work to get to, it is so intermittent , with my luck ill bring it to the dealer and it wont make the noise. the ac is working perfectly, only problem is that knocking sound for the first few seconds its on after i start the truck

Any more, all of the manufacturers buy a great deal of their parts from outside vendors for the lowest bid. Then all the vendors have to do is change the connectors. As long as most of the parts last until the warranty is up - everything's good. Then, after the warranty expires, they get to sell us parts at 3 to 5 times the price. RANT OVER. Make sure that your dash doesn't rattle or creak when you get your truck back from the dealer - make sure that everything works too.

I have a relative who just retired after almost fifty years working in and managing new car dealerships. There is a business model. The service department should do well over three times the dollar amount of business compared to the new car sales department. The correct description of the business should be a repair facility that sells new cars. Not the other way around.

I agree OJ. But typically, the owners like that quick profit and low overhead of selling cars. Most of the dealerships I've worked in have it all wrong - they treat the Service Department as a necessary evil. They don't want the overhead of a shop and the responsibilities that come with it. They'd rather turn over cars - kind of like a Realtor.

Guess you're right now that I think about it. All of my comtemporaries who went into auto mechanics back in the 60's and 70's appeared to have worked for dealerships for a while then moved on to privately owned shops eithers as owners or workers. And your statement has caused me to realize there are no "old salts" working at dealerships I remember seeing. Seems they are all young, and from their appearance cannot possible be repairing cars for any length of time.

I sincerely love the industry but hate the greed. I quit flat- rating after 15 years because of the implied requirement to rip off customers and embellish warranty work orders just to make a fair living. When I refused, management would state that if I didn't do it, someone else would. Today, I'm in fleet maintenance. We have a fleet of 800+ aging Police interceptors that I get to rebuild and play with (I mean drive) every day. Basically, the County gives me an open ticket to make these vehicles safe and reliable. I am trusted and respected. I couldn't be happier. (Although I have to admit that all of the weapons kinda bother me).

Coincidential. I retired ten years ago from the PD. When I retired out department still had two 1968 Mercury Monteray marked police interceptors used for traffic enforcement. I used one when new. We have a very long section of highway straight as a shot as soon as one exits a five mile bridge over water. You should have seen the look on Corvette drivers faces when that big ole box pulled up from behind at over 100 with the bubble gum machine light atop flashing.

I have a relative (over 70) who retired as a certified Ford Mechanic working at a dealership for about 45 years. He use to tell me about how he was take jobs other mechanics did not like to take because the "book" said (X) amount of labor hours and they couldn't d it. He liked those jobs because he was use to doing them. Many time he stated he technically got paid for more than eight hours in a day while only working 8.

do you experts know if it's a common problem to have blend door problems on a brand new 2013 F150? mine has 120 miles on it and just noticed that it is screwing up and not wanting to blow from the correct area, AND just tried the A/C for the first time and it took 15 minutes for it to start blowing cold air; i finally pulled over and stopped and while sitting at an idle it finally started to produce cold air. Q- is this normal on a new truck trying the A/C for the first time?

Nope! It should all work as expected! The dealer was supposed to check all that stuff out on a PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) BTW - yes, there is a common failure to blend and register door actuators. They'll have to pull the dash. Sorry.

This post really helped me out! I purchased a 2011 Ford F150 about a two weeks ago and last night I decided to use my heater for the first time. Today when I went to switch from to AC, I noticed the passenger side was still blowing hot. I remember hearing some of the tapping noise some of you mentioned and it sounds like the blend door actuator. Due to the mileage it's no longer under manufacturer warranty (35,000 if I remember correct) and I'm taking it to a Ford dealership tomorrow. I don't have the time to work on it myself but wondering if anyone has had any luck shopping around for a better price? Or should I expect to dish out around $600? Thanks

can any one show me where that actuator is i have a 2011 ford f150 5.0 liter motor it is a xlt it has the center shifter and has the normal heater a/c set up nothing special does have th push botton for the differnt area you want it to blow but that is it. i lost the hot and cold actuator

I had to replace the Blend Door Actuator today on my 2011 F150 and it took 15 minutes. Go through the middle panel, pull the radio and its right behind it on the top right. Very tight fit for back screw (only two) so you will need a low profile 7 socket. You will need to pull the side panels on both sides of the middle panel a little bit because the middle is behind them. $25 part at the parts store or pay for 6 hours of labor at Ford and a premium for the part.

i have a 2010 f150 with extra care warranty. Any one know if its covered under this warranty. They told me this part is not covered under the Extra care.

just bought a 2013 F150 supercrew w/5.0, no dual climate control, the blend door / and/or actuators are not working properly as i can't get the air to blow on the floor only; keeps blowing out of the defroster even when on floor only w/no a/c, etc....

I am having the same issue but cold in the driver side. Hot on the passenger side. Question. If I unplug the head unit. Would it go into security mode and need to be unlocked by the dealer? Also. Any suggestions for where to get the part the cheapest?

NEED HELP! I've got a 13 f150 ecoboost Ive replaced the actuator riggt behind my touch screen but still have the tapping noise. Where and how do I get to the other actuators???

I have a 13 f150 limited dual climate control and my heat don't work on the driver side. What is wrong?

none i have a 1998 f150 4,6 , going down the hi-wat turn heat control switch on and , PUFF the magic Dragon clouding off the passenger side

My fan speed is stuck on high it want change speed but it shows on display it's going from high to low. Be told resistor is bad (changed it no difference). Then told plug was bad going into the resistor. Any thoughts

Yeah my car was blowing just hot air then next day started blowing cold air again took it in 4 days later got it back and I didn't check everything! 2 weeks later Warranty is up and the air won't blow at all up front and so I find that under the glove box I need to replace the blower connection so ordered it auto zone changed it out and now one week later went to use my heater this morning and it's only blowing cold air now! Go figure! The air and heating in these vehicles is the worst problem ever! Traded in my 2005 explorer for the 2011 expedition and was hoping I wouldn't have these issues anymore! Wishful thinking to say the least!

I have a 98 F150/ clip in here shows how to go thru glove box area-