What Operates the Blend Door on an F-150 Ford Pickup?

Old F-150s use vacuum control for the blend door operation.

The blend door on an F-150 Ford pickup controls the airflow through the vents. When you select which vents you want air coming from, the blend door switches to the setting you chose in order to re-route the incoming air.

ETC

The ETC, the control head in the Ford F-150's dashboard, provides the first step of operational control over the blend door. By selecting the different vent settings, you're sending a signal to operate the blend door.

Actuator

The ETC sends a signal to the blend door actuator. The actuator has a small arm on it that pulls a lever on the blend door assembly, which moves the blend door itself.

Vacuum or Electric

Older Ford F-150 ETCs use vacuum control to send the operational intent from the ETC to the blend door assembly, while newer models use electrical circuitry to command the blend door to operate the assembly.

References

• "Ford F150 2004 Thru 2010: Haynes Manual"; Ken Freund; 2010
• "Ford F150 1997 Thru 2003: Haynes Manual"; Ken Freund; 2003