Air Blows Wherever It Feels Like
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
C230 Coupe
Air Blows Wherever It Feels Like
I just started having an issue with where my air blows in my 2002 C230K Coupe. Whenever i first turn on my car the air control flips the air from the floor to the dash. It goes back and forth 6 or 8 times and just gets stuck on whereever it ends up. So when I try to conrtol the air manually and lets say put it to the floor, it doesn't go there all of the time. It's a wierd issue, almost like a relay or something. Has anyone ever had this issue? It really sucks on those cold mornings, my feet get really cold sometimes I get lucky and it gets stuck on the floor. Please let me know if anyone has any ideas.
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 93
Likes: 3
From: Chicago
08 E350 4MATIC
Dead / disconnected battery recently?
Hear any scraping or clicking when manually changing positions?
Perhaps she needs the "stepper" motors re-synched.
Don't remember if it's in the user manual - with the car
running, depress and hold both defrost AND recirculate
buttons on the climate control. After several seconds
the LEDs will flash alternately while it re-learns the full
open to close position of all the vent motors. It should
go to full defrost mode upon completion. Shut her off
for at least :30 and retest.
Let us know...
Hear any scraping or clicking when manually changing positions?
Perhaps she needs the "stepper" motors re-synched.
Don't remember if it's in the user manual - with the car
running, depress and hold both defrost AND recirculate
buttons on the climate control. After several seconds
the LEDs will flash alternately while it re-learns the full
open to close position of all the vent motors. It should
go to full defrost mode upon completion. Shut her off
for at least :30 and retest.
Let us know...
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
C230 Coupe
well i tried what you said and i didnt have any luck. this is what i did. i had the car running and then i held in both of the buttons like you said. it then goes into the synching mode. i then release the buttons and let it do its thing. the only thing is that it never stops. it keeps going through all of the modes. last night i even let it sit there for about a half hour but it still never went into the defrost mode and stayed. the lights on the buttons kept altering back and forth. i looked through the manual and i tried searching more online about synching up the vents but i have had no luck there either. is there any other steps that i may have not done as far as how this process works? any more advice would be helpful. i apprieciate you trying to help me out, this issue is really annothing and i dont wont to take it to a dealer unless i absolutely have to. also, its almost like it goes through the synching mode when i first start the car, its the same noises as when i put it into the syching mode. do you think disconnecting the battery would do anything?
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 340
Likes: 1
From: South Fla.
06' C230SS
i honestly don't know anything about this issue. but while you wait for an answer - one thing is for sure - it definitly wouldn't hurt to unplug the battery for 10-15 minutes or so... THEN try to synchronize! 
GL bro!
Just remember after doing so you will have to re-synch windows and sunroof as well!
GL bro!Just remember after doing so you will have to re-synch windows and sunroof as well!
Super Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 974
Likes: 0
From: Boston
2003 C240
This is the stepper motor issue. Its a cheap plastic flap on the earlier models and is broken. The dealer has a stonger piece now. There are many threads on this, including one earlier this week, I think. It costs about 500-1000 in labor because everything has to come out except the high dash. My car does the same exact thing, as it does on many of ours...if you want the air on your feet or in your face, you have to get lucky, otherwise pay up, lol Good luck
Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 93
Likes: 3
From: Chicago
08 E350 4MATIC
My footwell linkage broke also, it took me all of 2 hours to replace.
Let me tell you... there's hardly ANY room to get a tool behind
the main brace to get at the motor.
If I remember correctly, the HVAC system opens the floor vents for up to :30
at start to prevent the windshield from fogging. I still don't believe that
a broken linkage explains why it fails to complete the synch process.
Even when mine was broken, it still completed every time I ran the process. But I'm just a telecom engineer, what do I know. =)
I blew the rear SAM the 3rd time I disconnected my battery.
Not trying to scare you (or anybody), but I had to drive 5 hours home
in the rain with no fuel gauge, wipers, turn signals, RF keyless entry (IR worked)...
Let me tell you... there's hardly ANY room to get a tool behind
the main brace to get at the motor.
If I remember correctly, the HVAC system opens the floor vents for up to :30
at start to prevent the windshield from fogging. I still don't believe that
a broken linkage explains why it fails to complete the synch process.
Even when mine was broken, it still completed every time I ran the process. But I'm just a telecom engineer, what do I know. =)
I blew the rear SAM the 3rd time I disconnected my battery.
Not trying to scare you (or anybody), but I had to drive 5 hours home
in the rain with no fuel gauge, wipers, turn signals, RF keyless entry (IR worked)...
