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How to Replace Heater Control Valve 2006-10 Ford Explorer

Created on: 2017-05-19

Watch this video to learn how to replace the heater control valve on your 06-10 Ford Explorer.

  1. step 1 :Draining the Radiator
    • Have a drain pan ready
    • Loosen the 19mm drain plug
    • Let the coolant drain
    • Close the plug
  2. step 2 :Removing the Heater Control Valve
    • Twist the hose line up and off
    • Squeeze the hose clip up
    • Twist the hose off
    • Lift the valve and squeeze the hose clip loose
    • Twist the valve from the hose
  3. step 3 :Installing the Heater Control Valve
    • Insert the heater control valve into hose
    • Squeeze the hose clamp into place
    • Insert the upper hose into place
    • Squeeze the hose clamp
    • Insert the hose line on top of the valve
  4. step 4 :Refilling the Radiator
    • Remove the radiator cap
    • Fill the radiator with the appropriate coolant
    • Fill the radiator bottle up to the fill line
    • Run the vehicle and check the fluid
    • Add coolant as needed

Tools needed

  • Socket Extensions

    Flat Blade Screwdriver

    19mm Socket

    Drain Pan

    Ratchet

    Needle nose pliers

Hi, I'm Mike from 1AAuto. We've been selling auto parts for over 30 years! We're dedicated to delivering quality auto parts, expert customer service, and fast and free shipping, all backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. We've created thousands of videos to help you install our parts with confidence. That saves you time and money, so visit us at 1AAuto.com, your trusted source for quality auto parts.

In this video, we're going to show you how to replace your heater control valve. This is a 2006 Ford Explorer.

Hope you like the video. If you do, please click subscribe and check out our thousands of other videos for all kinds of makes and models. For the part in this video, click the link down in the description. Visit 1AAuto.com for all your parts needs.

On the driver's side of the radiator, down below there's a big 19-millimeter cap—ours is broken off. If you take the appropriate size Allen key, you can actually put it into what might be remaining if you break yours and loosen. For various reasons, our vehicle doesn't have any fluid any it, but as you loosen this up, you'll get fluid flowing out of this hole here. Just make sure you have an appropriate container to catch the coolant. Once you've drained enough fluid, tighten the plug back up.

Even though we've drained the coolant down, I'm going to put an appropriate container below where we're working in case some coolant comes out. The valve's on the passenger side of your engine. Twist this vacuum line and pull up and off. Then two large clips hold the hoses, so we'll take a pair of pliers, squeeze the clip, pull it up and off. Then you can just grab the hose, twist, and pull and pull it up further to get to the second clip. Pull it up and squeeze. Pull it down and twist the valve and pull it from the hose.

Here’s our original one from the vehicle and our new one from 1AAuto. You can see they're exactly the same. They're going to go in fit and function the same. This part controls the heat flow to your heater core. Basically, it directs the coolant directly from the engine when your engine's cold. That way it will heat the coolant up quicker, so you'll get heat in the cabin quicker—and sometimes they'll seize up, and it will take you a longer time to get heat. If you're having trouble getting heat in the winter time, a new heater control valve can help you out.

Reinstall your new one. We just wet it down a little bit to make it slide into the hoses better. Pull your hose up, stick it down, twist, and then squeeze the clamp. Then bring it up into place. There we go. Then take your top hose, put it in place, squeeze the clamp, slide it down on, release, and then just find your vacuum line and plug it in. Then refill your radiator.

Fill the radiator first obviously while the vehicle's cool. Fill the radiator until you can see the coolant, and then fill your radiator bottle up to the fill cold line, which you can see on this side. You want to run the vehicle a few times and then just check your radiator fluid each time.

Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1AAuto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.


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