96 3.8 Windstar A/C problem

My A/C only blows through the windshield vent even when I have it set to blow through the front panel. My rear A/C only blows out heat on the floor and nothing comes out through the ceiling vents as well. Does anyone know what could be wrong?

My A/C only blows through the windshield vent even when I have it set to blow through the front panel. My rear A/C only blows out heat on the floor and nothing comes out through the ceiling vents as well. Does anyone know what could be wrong?

Hi,
I have had the same problem. You have a loss of vacuum to your A/C controls. The default position for the valves is defrost. Here is a link to a thread I and others participated in. I hope it gets you started. Let us know what you find. Happy to try and help more.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=439581&highlight=busboy4

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=439581&highlight=busboy4

Where are the vacuum hoses located?

The vaccum hose comes off the back of the upper intake manifold and goes to a box on the passenger side of the engine compartment....on the inner fender.
From there, a vaccum line goes into the passenger compartment, and to the controls for the airflow.

If you look up under the dash....you will see several silver "bulbs" with a vaccum line going to them. These are the actual vaccum actuated doors that control where the air goes.

These are different from the "blend" door, which controls the mixture of air going over the heater core. That door is controlled by an electric motor.

Where are the vacuum hoses located?

Hi

briefly to add to Wiswind's post, the vacuum line off of the back of the intake manifold is red and snakes up toward the top of the right strut. After the vacuum check valve, and vacuum reservoir located there, it is black and goes through the firewall and over to the vacuum hose block just above the accelerator. If you take a look at the other posts I listed links for earlier, there is more detailed discussion on locations and tests for finding the leak. Take a look at those if you would and then let us know if you have other questions. As you are getting no movement of the valves at all, I would say you have a pretty good leak (most likely a chafed or cracked vacuum line) and the crack/leak has typically been under the hood. On newer models I have read where people located the leak at the dash panel.

Let us know what you find.

Thanks for your help. I'll try to take a look at it and see if I can do any of this myself. Looks like I just might have to take it in to a mechanic to fix. It sounds pretty difficult for me to do on my own.