[Absar]

Hello.. In my Ford Ikon, this is the 2nd time my a/c water diverter valve has failed. This happened 6 months back, but that time I had extended warranty, so it was replaced free of charge. Now I don't have, so they're charging me 3,800 rupees.

I gave the car yesterday, they told they will replace it and give it today. This morning, they did not have the part and I told I need the car, so they told they will remove the water diverter valve and disconnected the heater from the a/c. The cooling works perfectly. I even thought of keeping it like this and never having any water diverter valve problems again. The car is with me now. They said, stock would come in about a week.

Without the water diverter valve, the thermostat control is inactive. Its only in cold mode..this is what he told at Ford.

Why does this fail always? I'm fed up of this happening.

-Absar

[Jaggu]

might be a manufacturing problem and in my car and its almost 7 years of existence with me i never had this problem and i suggest you keep it this way, why do u need a heater in chennai any way?

[Absar]

OMG! You lucky lucky LUCKY person! 7 years and problem free. Amazing! Okay Ill keep it this way I guess.

-Absar

[danlalan]

i dont know about that i think he was mentioning that 1 particular problem...an ikon an no problems not possible i say...

[suman]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

might be a manufacturing problem and in my car and its almost 7 years of existence with me i never had this problem and i suggest you keep it this way, why do u need a heater in chennai any way?

Absolutely correct, leave it that way....it doesn't affect your cooling. If you ever shift to cooler places where you may need the heater, better to get it then.

But, packing up in 6 months - hope they haven't palmed off a defective one on you!

[Absar]

@ Suman,

during the first replacement, they said it was a manufacturing defect. but now they said its a complete fail. so i am leaving it as it is.

-Absar

[1100D]

My car has been thru 4-5 diverter valves in the past 2.5 years of ownership. My cars under extended warranty till next year September so dont mind.

Any Fuel Pump problems? Thats another pain area on my car.

[Absar]

Wow! That many? Thats an average of 1.5-2 diverter valves a year. However never faced any other problem with the car.

OT:What happens in a fuel pump failure ? Car wouldnt start?

-Absar

[danlalan]

I wanted to know this sudden hot air in the a/c as if the heater is turned on is becuase of the water diverter stuff????
How do u solve this a/c heater problem..

[xbox360]

Same with me. For my 3 yr old Ikon 1.6 ZXI, it failed in the 1st year warranty period and was replaced at no cost. Now it is somewhat intermittent, it blows hot air on me for no reason ever so often.
Probably i too will get the heater disengaged.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Absar

OT:What happens in a fuel pump failure ? Car wouldnt start?

-Absar

OT reply, chances are it will not and even if it does will stall often, depends on the severity of the failure.

[Absar]

Originally Posted by danlalan

I wanted to know this sudden hot air in the a/c as if the heater is turned on is becuase of the water diverter stuff????
How do u solve this a/c heater problem..

hey danlalan! have you got the problem finally? exactly that is what happens when the water diverter valve fails! either you'll have to replace the water diverter valve or get it removed and be problem free. I'm problem free without that water diverter valve in my car!

Originally Posted by xbox360

Same with me. For my 3 yr old Ikon 1.6 ZXI, it failed in the 1st year warranty period and was replaced at no cost. Now it is somewhat intermittent, it blows hot air on me for no reason ever so often.
Probably i too will get the heater disengaged.

Yeah best to remove it and live without it! Problem free..!

Only if Ford promises to give one which won't fail again in such a short time ill get it fixed again!

-Absar

[1100D]

Well if the Fuel Pump fails totally, the car wouldn't start. But generally what happens is that the car starts up, idles (or even revs) for a few seconds then revs start falling, car knocks and stalls. Get down BANG the fuel pump with your fist and start the car, it starts (check if it stalls again). Alternatively start her up rev the engine, drop the clutch let the car pickup, hit the brakes, the resultant jerk would have the same effect as giving a Bang.

The Fuel Pump failure can also stall a moving car , then repeat the process as mentioned above, but all this if the Ford guys cannot reach you for a couple of days, otherwise get this done soon.

Oh, it might help to check the Fuse # 8 fuel pump failure will blow that fuse if it is the recommended 10 amps. But most mechanics replace that with 15 amp fuses.

So make it an exercise to check your fuse box quite often to see any non conforming fuses.

Ford workshop guy says not to worry about part quality once the warranty is over, they have replacement warranty on parts they say, should the part fail within 6 months (which is what has happenned with the Fuel Pump and the Diverter valve on my car) they will replace the pump free of cost.

Only downside is that you have to visit them and have their horrible coffee.

[floyd]

This is an old thread, but still... Writing about the same problem here.

In my experience, the Ikon AC thermostat valve remains trouble free for 6 to 8 months, and then starts giving the hot air problem. I have replaced it twice, and then learned to live with it.

I notice that the problem of hot air happens only if I'm driving in heavy traffic (i.e. driving in 1st~2nd gear, lots of stops and starts). Once the hot air starts blowing, this is how I fix it.
1) If AC thermostat is not in full cold (min position), move it there.
2) Revv the engine a couple of times.

So far it has worked without fail. If I revv a few times, the AC returns to normal cooling.

Also, lately I have noted that even without turning the thermostat from the min position this problem occurs. When the car is switched off in a traffic lightm AC off, and then I turn the ignition on again, and turn on the AC (thermostat in min position), briefly, a whiff of smoke or fog blows from the AC vents, and hot air problem starts.

Of course, I revv the engine, and the problem disappears. But, I would like ot know... is this smoke/fog thing dangerous? I have learnt to live with the hot air problem, but this smoke thing is scary.

[Catalyst_delhi]

Apologies for digging up such an old thread , After a lot of heater valves , in my case it turns out not to be the valves. It is the heater control panel. I check a lot of heater valves from my friends and my old ones , even "dead" ones from Veena Ford indirapuram. These dead valves were working to spec!!!

12 V - cold - valve closed
0v - hot - valve open

Middle heat - valves switches from 0 - 12 - 0 every 1 second , This is dependent on the Tach signal , ECT and system voltage.

For the people out there whose valve blows hot - The valve is still pulsing and can be fixed by fixing a permenant earth to the valve.
For the people with permanent cold situation , break the connection to the valve
For people technically inclined , you can make a pwm switch pulsing no more than 1hz ( once every second)for 40 degress heat

Do not remove the valve - Interestingly the system is designed to open the valve(no 12v input) when the engine is shut off to help cool down process , heat soak etc.

If anyone wants more wiring diagrams or mechanical diagrams - do PM me