Would it be possible to just swap out the manual climate controls for the automatic one?

If the wiring matches and you change the control module, if the manual HVAC supports motored movement and you fit an in car temperature sensor and configure everything to function, then, yes.

(That was a bit like Back To The Future 3 when Marty & Doc are asking how fast the locomotive can go)

1 hour ago, DaveT70 said:

If the wiring matches and you change the control module, if the manual HVAC supports motored movement and you fit an in car temperature sensor and configure everything to function, then, yes.

(That was a bit like Back To The Future 3 when Marty & Doc are asking how fast the locomotive can go)

I’m not sure what you mean with motored movement, do you mean the air duct fan actuator movement? Cause that’s automatic with the press of a button, also I was wondering if the car already had the sensor cause the air does change in temperature and so does the fan speed but that might be the ambient/sunload sensor on the dashboard.

No I mean the motors to turn the air outlet flaps too, if that's compatible with auto control.

An in car temp sensor is needed for climate control as well as sun load, there will be a redundant little grille on your IP somewhere on the driver's side

1 hour ago, DaveT70 said:

No I mean the motors to turn the air outlet flaps too, if that's compatible with auto control.

An in car temp sensor is needed for climate control as well as sun load, there will be a redundant little grille on your IP somewhere on the driver's side

Ah gotcha. Are there different air outlet motors? I didn’t know that.

 

as for the temperature sensor, I did find a grill on the right side next to the steering wheel but idk if there’s a sensor inside, I tried looking with my flash light but no luck of getting a glimpse.

how do you normally reach it?

Different dashboard wiring harness.
Different heater housing.
Different air outlet actuators.
Different control panel/module.
Additional temperature control actuators.
Additional temperature sensors inside the heater housing.
Additional interior temperature sensor.
Additional sun intensity sensor.

And most of all a lot of labor since the entire dashboard needs to be removed to get access to the wiring harness and the heater housing.

Sounds like a world of pain for the sake of turning a knob or pressing a button once in a while!😀

 

4 hours ago, JW1982 said:

Different dashboard wiring harness.
Different heater housing.
Different air outlet actuators.
Different control panel/module.
Additional temperature control actuators.
Additional temperature sensors inside the heater housing.
Additional interior temperature sensor.
Additional sun intensity sensor.

And most of all a lot of labor since the entire dashboard needs to be removed to get access to the wiring harness and the heater housing.

Why would I need a whole new dashboard wiring harness? The connectors are the same as the ones on the manual HVAC control module.

2 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Sounds like a world of pain for the sake of turning a knob or pressing a button once in a while!😀

 

Thanks for the useful information…

7 minutes ago, Miles5600 said:

Why would I need a whole new dashboard wiring harness? The connectors are the same as the ones on the manual HVAC control module.

The connectors for the control panel may be the same but the required wiring for all of the extra sensors and actuators will be missing.

The days that Ford used a single wiring harness for all trim levels are long gone. The penny pinchers that run the company literally save every inch of wiring they can.

I’ve done this on my Transit custom  

Fiesta is practically identical

It’s not that difficult.
The main module plugs are the same, just missing some wires and terminals

You will have to replace the dashboard light sensor for a combined light/sun load sensor, and add a couple of wires

fit interior temp sensor and add I think 5 wires

fit a temperature register sensor in the upper air ducting, behind radio, and another one in the footwell ducting. Adding wires to both

Change the 2 pin/2wire recirculation motor for a 5 pin version and add 3 wires

difficult bit is getting all the parts with the plugs attached. 
 

then a bit of changing in forscan