Another Heat/AC question...

[chollybennett]

I've read with interest the threads here about this problem, so I know it's common with the LS, but since I really don't know 100% how the system works, I'd like to ask for some opinions from those who do.

I have an '01 LSV8, and I have recently started getting a mixture of both hot air from the heater core and cold air from the A/C coil at the same time, on both the driver's and passenger's outlets. The hot air component continues, even when the temp is warm outside, and the A/C set temp is 60 or 65 degrees. Could just the blend door cause this by itself, or would the hot water valve also have to be stuck open to get the hot air component full-time? Could the hot water valve alone cause this problem, thus sparing me the agony of tearing down to get the blend motor out?

Thanks in advance for the help...

[joegr]

There is no blend-air door on the LS. There is a cold air bypass door on your gen I LS, but it doesn't regulate temperature. It is used only when you need full cooling on both sides. The DCCV (heater valves) regulate temperature on both sides. Your problem could be the DCCV (most common) or it could be some other problem with the DATC. It's not the blend-air door, because you don't have one.

[chollybennett]

That makes good sense to me. Thanks. You spoke of heater valve(s) in the plural. Is there more than one? (I know about the one in the engine compartment just in front of the right wheel -- I had to move it to get to my sway bar bushings... ) If more than one, could they both fail at the same time? (I'm getting heat when I shouldn't out of both the passenger and driver's side.)

[joegr]

Originally Posted by chollybennett

That makes good sense to me. Thanks. You spoke of heater valve(s) in the plural. Is there more than one? (I know about the one in the engine compartment just in front of the right wheel -- I had to move it to get to my sway bar bushings... ) If more than one, could they both fail at the same time? (I'm getting heat when I shouldn't out of both the passenger and driver's side.)

There is one valve assembly that contains two independent valves, one for the driver's side and one for the passenger's side. The valve assembly is just behind the radiator on the right side. Below the valve assembly is the aux coolant pump. Are you sure that isn't what you had to move?

[chollybennett]

Originally Posted by joegr

There is one valve assembly that contains two independent valves, one for the driver's side and one for the passenger's side. The valve assembly is just behind the radiator on the right side. Below the valve assembly is the aux coolant pump. Are you sure that isn't what you had to move?

It's described in the Ford TSM disk as "the heater water valve and bracket" assembly. Its bracket is mounted on the far right end of the front chassis crossmember by two bolts (Diagram A0001063), which must be removed, and the entire assembly wired aside, just to expose the front-right mounting bolt for the sway bar bushing. (What a design job!)

It's also described in other sections of the manual as the "dual coolant flow valve", which answers my question about there being two of them... There's no room to work around this thing... The manual says to remove the auxiliary cooling pump first, then disconnect the heater hoses, then unbolt the heater valve from its bracket, and then remove the bracket. The diagrams are pretty good, but they imply a lot more room to work than there actually is. I don't know if I'm up to this just 2 months from doing that sway bar bushing job...

[shorod]

If it's any consolation, I thought changing the sway bar bushings was more of a PITA than changing the DCCV on my wife's V6. I didn't have to deal with the aux coolant pump on her V6.

-Rod