heat/AC blowing out of defrost ONLY
 

My 2001 Chrysler Sebring (2.7L DOHC) has just started to blow heat and AC only out of the defrost. I know this is the default setting when 'something' is broken or malfunctioning but I'm not sure what that 'something' is.

I've read in some places that the control panel sets an actuator which ultimately determines where the heat/AC blows out. I've also read that it could be a hose that is lose or got disconnected.

The only step I have taken to try to fix is pulling out the panel and making sure all connections were secure. (Which they are). Also, I thought it could be electrical so I checked for fuses but nothing seems to fit the criteria I'm looking for except "blower motor" but it blows air just fine, only it comes out of the wrong place!

Thanks in advance!

its all electrical no vac hoses and the ac control head sends a signal the bcm and the bcm controls the doors so thus far all the info u have been given is wrong and wont do any good. Remove the IOD fuse for 30 seconds then reinstall see if that will do anything if not more then likely a bad motor or the bcm.

I appreciate your help. Unfortunately, I don't know what the IOD fuse is. However, I was able to dig deep into my dash and look at the blend door actuator and confirm that it is working correctly along with my controls (FOR NOW). However, I think that may have been the problem so next time it defaults to the defrost at all times, I know where to look.

For anybody having the same problem just reply to this thread and I'll let you know where to look for this blend door actuator. Kind of a pain to access, but not too bad.

Thanks a lot to CHRYSLER TECH!

Is yours a coupe, sedan or convertible? If it's a sedan or convertible, there's a "calibration" technique you can run. With the engine running, turn the temp knob all the way to the cold side. Turn the mode knob all the way to the defrost position. Put the fan switch to any position other than off. Then press the rear defroster button until you hear a chime. Let it go. The system will go thru some gyrations and give you a "report" in your odometer readout. A "0" is good.
You may have a bad control head. As you noted, the default mode is defrost, so if the body computer senses a loss of signal from the controls, it will put it into defrost.
Again assuming yours is a convertible or sedan, salvage control heads are fairly commonly available on eBay and in junkyards. The part is used in the sedan and convertible and in the Dodge Stratus from 2001 through 2006, so there are lots of them out there. It's an easy replacement which I would definitely try before tearing the dash apart.
The IOD fuse is the one in the middle of the fuse panel at the left end of the dashboard. Easily recognized by the "ears". You can pop it out with no tools.

Mine is a sedan. I will try to complete the calibration and check back with results. On another note, the IOD fuse is okay and like I said previously, the controls are working correctly right now. However, it has done this before and I suspect the controls will default to the defrost at any given time. It is very spiratic and I don't find any pattern in when it functions correctly or not. (cold weather, warm weather, car first starting, running for a while, etc.) No pattern! I'll keep the thread up-to-date.

Could you tell me what exactly you're talking about when you say "control heads"?

Thanks!

The control head is the panel on the dash where the heater controls are located. You have already figured out how to remove it. Your symptoms of sporadic problems sounds exactly like my 2001 convertible. The problems were solved when I replaced the control head with a salvage unit I bought on eBay for something around $30, I think. Because of the ease of the replacement and the low cost, I would definitely replace the control unit before replacement of the bcm (body control module or body computer).

Tech was recommending you pull the IOD fuse not to check the fuse but to kill all power to the body control computer to reset it.

The control head sounds like a MUCH easier fix than the motor under the dash which controls the flow of the air. When it goes out again, I believe I'll first verify the motor is functioning correctly (which sucks because it's a HUGE P-I-N-A to get under the dash to access that motor) and if so, replace the control head with one from a junkyard/eBay. I've had it in my mind that it is some sort of electrical short this whole time and since I physically saw the motor working like it should, I feel like it has to be traced back to the controls. I have verified as much as I could that that wires are all intact but you can only see so much with the way those ports/plugs are designed.

Also, now I completely understand the purpose of the IOD fuse. THANK YOU for clarifying that for me. Once I reset it, I noticed my controls on the dash (avg. MPG, time engine has been running, etc.) had been reset. It was like a light-bulb going off in my head. Also, I read somewhere that car dealers pull that fuse to help with battery drain while the car sits in their lot.

Thanks a lot everyone! If any up-dates happen, I'll be sure to post. I know these forums are a big help to future problems for others.

if u pulled the iod fuse and then it start to work after that it means U have a BCM issue

i have the same ac problem with my vehicle blows out defrost
 

held defrost diagos check and it came up ac50, and ac 45. pls help......desert and having ac but not having it sucks.....

Replace the control head. That's the part on the dash with the knobs. It's very easy to do. Find a part on eBay or search local junkyards. The same control was used on convertibles and sedans including Sebring and Dodge Stratus from 2001 through 2006. Coupes are different.