ok heres the problem, my heater is blowing cold air. i know its not a popped headgasket, cause the car is not missing. the digital temp readout will flash a few times and then cold air is blowing out. sometimes it will blow hot air, but while driving sometimes it will stop and start blowing the cold air again. what could cause this? could it be a clogged heater core or could it be caused by the 180 degree thermostat that i have in.
any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated. it sucks with out heat in your car in KC in the winter.

Thanks,
Ryan

The flashing display is telling you that the HVAC programmer has a failure code saved in it--the only way to read it is with a "TECH 1" tool at the dealer.
When my 96 did this, it turned out to be the "air mix door actuator" that is mounted on the top of the HVAC box, behind and under the passenger air bag--requires dash removal to replace a 35 dollar part--but it fixed the problem

If you find out that the actuator is bad, I can probably give you a few pointers for pulling the dash, as can a couple of other people around here

Your thermostat won't cause that. I've heard of the mixing door before. I think Jim'* probably right on the money, and a scan would probably show that. There'* an HVAC diagnostic procedure up in Techinfo, bu I don't know if it'll work on a 96. Somebody should try and let me know if it does.

As far as the repair goes, those of you who have done this or are about to, should get your heads together and send me a procedure for Techinfo.

Thanks for the Information guys, I'll just take it to the dealership to get the code pulled so i know for sure what to replace. If it is air mix door acutator, ill be pming a few of you on tips for pulling the dash. Thanks again
Happy Motoring

Ryan

This happened to me a few days ago.. when my bonnie died in the middle of an intersection and the radiator hose clamp came off! This was the first time that I ever had a car overheat without being able to pull the heat off of the engine using the climate controls.

I am having this same problem. Code 140 and 152 are coming up. Symptoms are exactly like 2slow4u.

Does anyone have the part # for the "air mix door actuator"? Is it referred to by another name?

How hard is it to replace? Has anyone done it before?

Thanks.

Yes, there is an air-mix valve actuator and a valve itself. It determines how much air flows through the heater core. There is a position sensor inside the valve actuator which is probably telling the programmer that the valve is not where it is supposed to be.

Thanks. You wouldn't have the part number for the actuator, would you?

Any tips on replacement?

I haven't done one of these myself... The service manual says you have to remove the instrument panel assembly and then when you are down there the temperature valve link rod, wiring harness, and then screws. Don't forget to disable the airbags before you start.

When you are done you have to adjust the valve link. Set the HVAC to 90 degrees, wait 45 seconds, then move the valve to its full hot position, then snap the valve link into the retainer on the output crank.

It looks like it is to the left of the programmer.

I don't have access to a parts database here - Hopefully someone else can help.

The part # for the actuator on the 96 SSEi is 16141822.
I could not get to the actuator after removing the glove box and lower panel because of the air bag frame, but I found a way to avoid removing the dash.
Remove the glove box parts, and cut through the air vent about 1" to the right of the left duct with a hacksaw blade. Remove the 2 screws around the right vent and you can swing the ductwork out of the way to get to the actuator. After replacing the actuator, sand the rough edges of the vent smooth and join the cut with a piece of duct tape around the vent, and a piece inside that you can put over the cut through the duct. This will save hours of work.