Air conditioning blowing hot air

Tiny
BUD.812
  • MEMBER
  • 2001 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL
  • 140,000 MILES
Air conditioning charge level shows good, compressor kicking on as should, however it is blowing hot air. Any idea's for a back yard mechanic? Makes no difference on temperature control setting.

Thanks.
Friday, July 20th, 2012 AT 4:59 PM

9 Replies

Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
Check the actuators in your heater, they control air temperature as well as direction. The temperature one may be stuck or not working. It can be vacuum or electric. I will send a generic picture along.
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Friday, July 20th, 2012 AT 7:02 PM
Tiny
JACKCAIN
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I had this happen to me. 2002 Lincoln Continental. Try to raise the temperature to max (90) as if turner on the heater. This actuates the something, something. Lower the temperature back to cool the car; the a/C should work if system is charged. This has happened a couple times to me it corrected the problem. Good Luck. Jack
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Monday, August 6th, 2012 AT 9:25 PM
Tiny
RIVERMIKERAT
  • MECHANIC
  • 6,110 POSTS
When you move the vent selector does it change where the air comes from? When you move either of the selectors, can you hear parts moving inside the airbox?
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Friday, September 7th, 2012 AT 2:38 AM
Tiny
SQWEEKERS
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
You rock! This worked for me! Thank you. Saved me a diagnostic charge at the least. Sent it up to 90 top setting for about one minute, dropped it down and boom kicked in! Thanks again!
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Monday, July 13th, 2015 AT 8:04 AM
Tiny
DA_WIMP2
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
How many actuators are there? I have a 2002 Continental with the same issues.
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Monday, May 14th, 2018 AT 10:26 PM
Tiny
DA_WIMP2
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
@RIVERMIKERAT. The direction does not change and I have not heard anything moving over the sound of the A/C blowing, but I really was not listening either.
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Monday, May 14th, 2018 AT 10:30 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,289 POSTS
This system is half electric and half vacuum operated. So I would check the vacuum line under the hood to make sure it is getting vacuum. Here are the blend door actuator locations as well.

Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what you find.

Cheers, Ken
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Thursday, May 17th, 2018 AT 11:27 AM
Tiny
SPARTACUS99
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
This information worked perfectly on my 99 Continental. I brought it up to 90 for a moment or 2, and then slowly brought it down and the a/c worked perfectly. NOW. Why is it doing this? Is it a bad climate control or a bad actuator? I want to know what to replace. It seems like we have a lazy blend door, which would make me think actuator, but not certain.
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Wednesday, September 9th, 2020 AT 9:45 AM
Tiny
KASEKENNY
  • MECHANIC
  • 18,907 POSTS
This commonly the control unit as they issue. It is normally not the actuator because it is able to do what it is told once you raise it all the way and then bring it down. The control unit is normally not commanding the door to the correct position. I attached the process for this. If it were me, I would replace this and then recheck.

However, the actuators are cheaper so I would understand if you wanted to go with those first even though this is most likely a control unit issue.
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Saturday, September 12th, 2020 AT 1:07 PM

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