97 Explorer XLT heater problem

Take a look at this blend door fix:
http://www.blenddoorfix.netfirms.com

Vic Klein wrote:
> My guess is that your heater blend door has failed. You can do some
> diagnosis by selecting heat and confirming that the heater hoses
under
> the hood are warm. Then drop the glove box door and look at the top
of
> the heater plenum. As you move the heat control a small motor should
> move in sync with the setting. If it does, these 2 tests would tend
to
> confirm that the shaft that connects that motor to the blend door is
> broken. On the other hand, if either test fails, you have a
relatively
> easy fix. That shaft, attached to the blend door, is a small plastic
> part, and has since been redesigned and is made of nylon or other
more
> durable plastic. Alas, it is integral to the entire heater plenum,
and
> not available separately, so you have to spend about $125, or so, to
get
> the assembly. Alas and alack, that heater plenum removal and
replacement
> requires removal of the entire dashboard, a 10 hour job.
>
> If this turns out to be the case, contact Ford and add your name to
the
> list for people wanting this to be a recall item, which it currently
is
> not. It seems that numbers of failures of a certain component are
> meaningful to them. Then, save your receipts and hope for a refund
some
> day. Good Luck!
>
> =Vic=
> Bear Gap, PA
>
> pckid wrote:
> >
> > My 97 XLT explorer blows only cold air when trying to run the
heater. Using
> > the Haynes repair guide they suggest checking the hoses going to
the core
> > and even possibly replacing the core. They also made mention of
the gate
> > that let's the hot air blow being stuck but they don't explain how
to check
> > it that is the problem. Can anyone give me any ideas before I blow
money on
> > having the dealer fix it?
> >
> > josh