Ford Fiesta mk7 Climate Control Heater Actuators and Controls

[Docker]

Due to not being able to find any help on this post I thought I would join you all and hopefully help anyone who is having climate control heater problems

My mk7 Fiesta with automatic climate control came up with a fault of only blowing cold air through all the temperature settings and what ever I read on Google said the heater resistor.

No it's not the heater resistor as that controls the fan speed. This is on right side of the heater by passengers foot (by the passengers right foot is a panel with 1 screw and some clips)

Automatic climate control Mk7 Fiestas have 3 actuators fitted due to all the automation and no matter how hard you google there isn't any thing out

Right hand dive locations (left hand swap driver and passenger round) all are mounted on the heater unit and Haynes say remove the whole unit

1 actuator is behind the glove box (need to remove the glove box complete 2 pins attach it and its in front of you by the fusebox) this controls the Recirculation flap

1 actuator is by the passengers right leg (again for ease take the glove box out the by the passengers right foot is a panel with 1 screw and some clips it's on the left of the heater) this controls all the flaps for the different vents

1 actuator is by the drivers left leg (by the drivers left foot is a panel with 1 screw and some clips) it's on the right side of the heater but the leg air bag is in the way (I managed to remove the actuator with a torx bit and a 1/4 drive spanner and left air bag in place) this controls the hot / Cold flap this is the one that broke on me

Test the actuators by removing the 2 torx screws and operating the relevant control if actuator works then it's the flaps. Mine was the arm that went from the actuator to the hot / Cold Flap. 

Part number Ford 1827184 £135 and you get all 10 parts to repair all the arms and controls I only needed 1 part or you can buy the whole heater unit, so went to scrap yard with no avail.

I then contacted a 3d printing company (Orija Designs, Woodley Berkshire) i gave them the broken arm and 1 day later they called me saying it's ready at a lot less than I was quoted at Ford (a lot less) part fits like a dream and I've got hot / Cold settings

I recon all these parts can be made with a 3d printer at less the the quoted price

Hope this helps anyone who looks at this post

[Vinjy]

Hi Docker, this looks like a a really thorough guide! With the cold weather I notice my heater doesn't work as it should. I can select cold and it comes out cold, but when I select hot it feels like it gets half way but that's it. Could this be the 3rd actuator? Any other suggestions as you have looked in to this in quite some detail?

I have a Fiesta mk7 btw. 

[Docker]

Hi Ivan

Glad you like the guide mate

If you lie in the right hand footwell drivers side and look up beside the leg airbag and centre console you can see the arm working mate I've added 2 pics to show you. You can also get a finger on it (don't trap it though lol)

One is actuator in place the other removed. When looking up you can see if it operates with everything attached.

The actuator is only screwed on with 2 torx screws I will say one is a pig to get to I ended up using a 1/4 inch torx bit and a 1/4 spanner undoing bit at a time

If the arm is broken my words of advice is get a 3d printer to make one up as I've quoted in above Orijas website is www.orijadesigns.co.uk. They maybe able to build you one like mine at a fraction of the cost of buying the set from Ford

if it's not this then go to left hand side passenger footwell there are 2 pipes these should be very hot if they aren't then youve possibly got a heating problem within the cooling system

hope this helps

[ni_voyageur]

My item title: "Fix a HEATER SELECTION DIAL problen on the Ford Fiesta Mk7"

Just spent 5 hours trying to sort out a problem with the Heater Control Unit on my 2013 Fiesta Zetec.

But it was a failed attempt, especially because the plastic heater control unit is fragile - eg. 4 light plastic lugs with holes for the 4 retaining screwa. I removed the screws, but on pulling the Heater Control Unit past the aperture edge,  one of the lugs got broken.

Sadly only 3 of the 4 retaining screws could be used later for reattaching the control unit.

Possible metawords: FIESTA HEATER CONTROL UNIT. 

On YouTube I found a warning that  Fiesta Mk7 Heater problems can be difficult to fix.

Firstly the top plastic cover above the Radio display needs to be removed, which is tricky due to the type of retaining clips used.
My next stop was Halfords, for a ratchet screwdriver bundled with ten driver heads.

Note: It is good to unscrew the screws that hold the Radio Console in place.

As I've hinted above, the Ford Fiesta heater controls are poorly designed for servicing. Indeed the Heater Controls concept is flawed, In particular the way in which strong wires (non-electrical ones) are attached to the back of the plastic Heater Control Unit.

With a bit of persuasion,  2 detachable plastic pegs came off, but one fell into the (by now) open gear shift lever area. It took 40 mins more to  retrieve that item. (removed the panels along footwells, but type of screw there was so frustrating - it just kept turning and not coming out. It took 15 mins for the driver side off, but the main plug to the back centre of the radio console was easily unplugged.

Strong control wires to operate other levers eleswhere, thus regulating the flow of warm air into the car..

(these wires have  small spherical ball on the end, intended to make a secure, fixed connection. but  the way they connect to the rear of the heater control panel is not secure at all).

After hours of frustration, the repair had to be abandoned, it was simply too difficult to service.

My 2013 Fiesta heater control unit cannot be manually reconnected to the control wires that sprang out of position in the course of selecting the direction of  warm air from the heater.

Unless Ford has produced a better Heater control unit, I am loath to pay Ford for the same Heater Unit as was supplied in 2013, except they can repair that one.

[Fiesta1.25]

Liked your guide on how to fix the heater issue, can you tell me if my issue is linked to the same actuator..... when I put my temp control to “max” I hear an intermittent sound of something like two plastic cogs grinding together, but this only happens when heat is set to max..... if I reduce the heat back one click to 28degrees the noise doesn’t happen?

Also when you unscrew the two torx, does the unit just lift off or is it aligned or attached to anything under it?

 

[ni_voyageur]

To Alan, Fiesta 1.25

was the question for me?

On the back of the Heater Control Unit, the heat selector (the R.H. knob rotates from blue / cold -> to red / warm), it has behind a half-dial which has the retaining plastic hole for the small silver end of a taut wire going to the real heater switch somewhere.

If the wire (1/4 inch end-ball) is detatched from the plastic half-dial, it could make a noise when loose from its mooring.

How stupid of the designers to anchor a strong wire in a cheap plastic control. Strong hands may turn the temp knob too far.

I think that is what happened to me when I rotated the selector wheel (dial) on the central front part of the Heater Control Unit.

Cheers

Dave

ps. my last posting was done after 01:30 and I was really nodding off to sleep, after the 5-hr battle  to access behind the Media Unit and Heater Control Unit.

Top comes off first, then unscrew the Media (radio/CD control unit), the 2 screws, leave the 2 silver nuts there untouched as not affecting removal.

Be very careful to catch the plastic retaining 'clips' which are behind the Airbag and door-lock button panel just above the Heater.

That small panel comes off from the Media fascia above. See a visual on YouTube about Fiesta plastics removal. It shows the 'clips' (pegs) but does not warn that they have to be refitted to the back of the fascia FIRST, before reinserting them to the holes on the dash frame behind.

(again a plastic frame). This order of attachment is important, as these pegs are a pain to take off if you put them on first. They will need to be inserted into grooves in the panel to attach, before the whole panel is pressed back into the retaining frame. (again PLASTIC!)

Hope that helps.

NOTE TO EXPERTS: the rear wires or light cables, if you want to call them (non-electrical, strong connecting wire), have some plastic positioners. which are shaped to attach somehow to back of the FIESTA HEATER CONTROL UNIT. I say 'somehow' , because once the wire and positioners are dislodged, it is like the Rubik Cube to figure out the way up they should be and how they might be reattached to the rear of the Heater Control Unit.

 

In conclusion, note that your fingers will have less than an inch of space to fiddle and fumble as you try to see how this would fit back together.

I imagine that FORD would do the unit in twl halves. But best not to attempt that, as the bits of the control unit break off when attempting to see how the back cover of the unit would separate from the front part of the Heater Control Unit.

 

[ni_voyageur]

Spelling correction: I imagine that FORD fitted the Heater Control Unit in 2 halves. But best not to attempt that, as when attempting to see how the back cover of the unit would separate from the front part of the Heater Control Unit, bits of the light plastic control unit break off.

 

Clearly this was never designed to be self-serviced at the car owner's own house. Probably the FORD designers thought they had invented a super intterior console with a flashy Heater Control Unit, but seen on a computer screen is a far cry from when a 'kinetic' failure occurs (can plastic have mechanical faults?)

and frustrates the car owner so much that (s)he might decide Ford FIESTA 2013 never again, since its heater is so unreliable (other online comments testify).

CAR HEATERS MUST BE RELIABLE, of PRACTICAL DESIGN and NOT so fragile plastic components which are sub-standard, when compared to the old, but fairly easy-to-service parts in the Fords of yesteryear. RS Escort; etc.

[Fiesta1.25]

Thanks for your reply, I’m not sure if you have the same heating system as me, my one is the automatic climate control like the one pictured.......

 

The temp control on the right is electronic rather than mechanical so it controls the actuator which then opens up the heater control valve, the OP’s 3rd photo shows the actuator module which I have located and felt as the noise happens and it’s definitely that which is at fault as I can feel it vibrate as the noise happens.

 

 

[ni_voyageur]

no Alan, my Diesel Fiesta Zetec has different dials.

eg. the air direction selector is the big dial. In its centre is an AC light and button divided by a horizontal line.

You might take a look on a Car Sales website. Some vendors put a photo of the interior console as a sales photo.

(I can't upload a photo now, due to laptop connections and older device, I have a new smartphone, but it is not yet online - I am in no rush to do that. My wife has her iPhone and I can ask her, but she works shifts and has been asking me to help her with online learning as a priority!)

[ni_voyageur]

ps recheck what you wrote. Autistic module? - presumably Autotext error 🙂

Also I need to look up what an actuator is. I tried hard to word the description I used so that most anyone could follow it without a picture.

Again the Unit is different in may Fiesta models. Ford have struggled with this design it seems!

[ni_voyageur]

 In many Fiesta models.

[Fiesta1.25]

I know exactly which heater control unit you have, I think we may have different issues, the one I have is all electric, for example the air direction flaps are all electrically adjusted rather than mechanically....... look at this link I have found my exact issue,

[Fiesta1.25]

Ps I have corrected my typos (got to love auto correct)

[ni_voyageur]

Yep, my car heater problem is much different, not an electronic control problem.

Ideally a different unit can be fitted by Ford, I still need to ask at a dealer. Thanks for the friendly replies. Have good weekend.

Dave

 

[Fiesta1.25]

No worries Dave, thanks for your detailed replies, hopefully you get your heater issues sorted, I just have to find somewhere to buy the actuator from then hopefully will fix my issue.
Have a great weekend

[Docker]

Hi Fiesta 1.25 & Dave

Hope you both have managed to sort your heater problems out. I'm not to familiar with the unit your on about dave but if it's what I think scrap yards are full of normal heater units. Unlike the type I've got. As for actuators fiesta 1.25 you can get these off Internet (or even ford) for around £30 to £60 when I looked into them

[Fiesta1.25]

Hi Fiesta 1.25 & Dave
Hope you both have managed to sort your heater problems out. I'm not to familiar with the unit your on about dave but if it's what I think scrap yards are full of normal heater units. Unlike the type I've got. As for actuators fiesta 1.25 you can get these off Internet (or even ford) for around £30 to £60 when I looked into them

Hi docker, I managed to get mine sorted, I got the actuator and the two levers that are attached to it, I only replaced the actuator it’s self as the two levers looked fine, it has solved my issue, so thank you for the original post, without that I would have probably struggled to pinpoint the issue.
Many thanks [emoji106]

[orijadesign]

Hi All, 

David here from OrijaDesign (3d printing company).

First of all thank you, Neil, for the recommendation.

For anyone with the same problem or similar, please contact me via our website - www.orijadesign.co.uk

I would be happy to help!

[g1zm0]

 

Hi . My rhd fiesta titanium  mk7 09 plate fiesta  has a heater issue. 

I hear clicking coming from 2 places . One sounds like it's right behind the heater controls. The other  down to the left under steering wheel

 

The issue I'm having  is it would not blow air through  the vents but worked on all speeds . 

Now the heating dies.  Cant get it to blow anything. (bit like the wife). 

So the controls illuminate.  Front and back demisters works. But fan doesn't come on at any speed. And clicking from the bits I said 

 

Any ideas

[Fiesta1.25]

Best thing to do would get under the dashboard and try and feel which actuators are “clicking” and replace the faulty ones, that’s what I did and now no clicking and all is working well

[johnnyfive]

I have 2009 titanium with the auto climate control. My problem is buttons won't move the vent flaps.  I lowered the glove box, pulled off the plastic air vent directing to passenger footwell to expose the actuator controlling the vents. The actuator motor is working. But there is a black plastic arm (highlighted in purple) connecting the actuator motor to a metal rod. My plastic arm has part broken and won't move the metal rod. The metal rod moves up and down and is what changes the the 5 or 6 possible flap directions. You can move it manually here if you wish.This plastic part clearly seems to be one of the ten parts from the "Genuine Ford Fiesta MK7 MK8 Heater Air Distribution Lever Kit 2008- 1827184" costing £139 on eBay.  I just searched eBay with "1827184 ford part" and folk are selling aftermarket versions of my single broken part for a lot less. It's clearly a recognised bad design fault. 

 

[Youget246]

Thank you so much johnnyFive, I got the airflow of my ford fiesta stuck on face position, so I started to look for that actuator and that metal rod on passenger side but I only found the actuator that open and close recirculation flap.

I'm from Belgium and I remembered that you guys are mostly posting from UK having driving position on the right hahaha. So I just laid down on driver side didn't remove anything and I saw the actuator trying to turn but like the post above the plastic piece is broken. I moved manually the system to have airflow on the windscreen until I get a new one and replace it. 😃

   

 

[simondo]

I have a faulty Blend Door actuator too. The part no. is 1S7H-19E616-BB same as photo in previous post. Assuming the 'BB' part of the part no. denotes the when part was made, would example, 1S7H-19E616-AA or 1S7H-19E616-AB be compatible?

[EK11]

On 2/7/2020 at 8:01 AM, simondo said:

I have a faulty Blend Door actuator too. The part no. is 1S7H-19E616-BB same as photo in previous post. Assuming the 'BB' part of the part no. denotes the when part was made, would example, 1S7H-19E616-AA or 1S7H-19E616-AB be compatible?

Did you manage to figure out the answer to this? I have narrowed mine down to the same part on my 2011 Titanium but cannot seem to find an identical part number replacement. 

[liemdavid]

On 11/2/2018 at 3:27 AM, Docker said:

Hi Ivan

Glad you like the guide mate

If you lie in the right hand footwell drivers side and look up beside the leg airbag and centre console you can see the arm working mate I've added 2 pics to show you. You can also get a finger on it (don't trap it though lol)

One is actuator in place the other removed. When looking up you can see if it operates with everything attached.

The actuator is only screwed on with 2 torx screws I will say one is a pig to get to I ended up using a 1/4 inch torx bit and a 1/4 spanner undoing bit at a time

If the arm is broken my words of advice is get a 3d printer to make one up as I've quoted in above Orijas website is www.orijadesigns.co.uk. They maybe able to build you one like mine at a fraction of the cost of buying the set from Ford

if it's not this then go to left hand side passenger footwell there are 2 pipes these should be very hot if they aren't then youve possibly got a heating problem within the cooling system

hope this helps

Hi sir, i have problem with the motor actuator itself is weak and cant actuate the flap properly, its judge by AC repairshop technician on my city, this part stated as Visteon VP 1S7H-19E616-BB and its so hard to find this part,

Maybe someone can help me to fix this, any suggest and help will appreciate