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Ford Explorer Air Conditioner and Heater Problems

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Comments

  • 393clevor393clevor Member Posts: 5
    you have a vacuum leak somewhere, or there is a bad check valve.......
  • tsnyder2177tsnyder2177 Member Posts: 1
    I may have the same no heat issue with my 02 Explorer. I've been off work following surgery so a dealer fix is out of the question.Can reply to: buckeyesrule04@yahoo.com
  • ebaxebax Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 explorer with the deatc system.Usually when you turn the truck on everything goes back to the previous settings but now when you start the truck its all shut off and it resets itself to 75 degrees.This is very annoying.Not sure what this could be,and would be thankful for any ideas.The heat seems to be working fine just don't want this to become a bigger problem.
  • heatertreaterheatertreater Member Posts: 50
    Your problem sounds like the common blend door problem on the early Explorer. The door is on a vertical axis and when it breaks, it can swing back and forth randomly giving heat or AC or nothing. The difference on acceleration is the force placed on the door swinging it one direction.

    You can check the operation by fully opening the glove box, removing the actuator motor on top of the plenum box and examining the blend door axle. Pictures of the common fail signature are available on the heatertreater.net web site. There are several "free" fixes that mostly are worth what you pay for them. The solution on the web site is solid and proven over hundreds of vehicles and will resolve the problem once and for all.
  • hash_pennihash_penni Member Posts: 13
    My 2002 Ford Explorers heat will not work....It blows out air just fine, but its cold...when I turn the controller on heat, it makes a knocking sound and just keeps blowing out cold air. I was reading a few other problems and I may get it, but if someone could tell me how to fix it....that would be great!!!

    Thanks
  • MishasmaMishasma Member Posts: 2
    Hi Hash penni... I have a 98 Explorer and have recently discovered that my A/C is stuck on... I took it in to get the Thermostat changed (which was bad by the way), only to have the repair man, who is a former Ford employee, explain to me that the blend door actuator has gone bad... In mine, he opened the glove box and dropped it, and behind it on the fire wall was a white box with a wire plugged in it.. he unplugged it and turned the air on and off and there was no change in the system.. He then informed me that the BLEND DOOR MOTOR... or what is further referred to at Autozone, Advance, and Pepboys as a blend door actuator is what I need to fix it...

    After further review, it has to be ordered (3-5 day wait) and the entire dash has to be removed to change it...

    Again, I do not know if this is your problem but its a place to start...

    Good luck ;)
  • ceikey12ceikey12 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2002. When I put on the front defrost, not much air comes out. Much of the air still comes out of the floor. Any ideas what could be causing this?
  • heatertreaterheatertreater Member Posts: 50
    This thread has discussed both the old and newer plenum boxes. The pre 02 box is the easier to fix. As mentioned, you can fully open the glove box and view the actuator motor on top of the box. Ford didn't leave much room to work on the motor, but with a little patience, the motor can be removed. Figure on some scraped knuckles and a couple of censored comments to get the job done. Two attachment methods were used. One is just a plastic pinch connection and the motor can be removed by prying up with a large screw driver. Screws directly into the box were also used and the two front screws are easy, but the back one requires a very slim ratchet. Either way, with a box of bandaids and persistence the motor can be removed.

    Once the motor is off, you can feel the top of the axle or view it with a mirror. My favorite trick is to use a digital camera to "see" where I can't put my head. On this one, there's not even enough room for a camera. There are two common break patterns for the axle and examples and pictures are available on the HeaterTreater web site. Most of the time, you will find one of these fail modes and the diagnosis of a broke blend door(common) is fairly obvious.

    The trick now is replacing the blend door without having to remove the steering column, remove the dash, evacuate the AC, drain the radiator, and finally remove the plenum box. Replacing the blend door is easy, it's the work to remove and replace the dash that is difficult....and after you go to all that work, you are just putting in another plastic blend door that will break again over time. The good news is that the second time you will be experienced and it will take a little less time.

    There are various fixes for this problem ranging from a three cent nail inserted into the motor axle to paying the dealer $$$$$ to disassemble the Explorer and put in new OEM Ford approved plastic. The HeaterTreater fix cuts an opening in the bottom of the plenum box in the passenger side footwell and replaces the door with a metal replacement that will NOT have the same failure problems as the plastic door. You end up with metal duct tape sealing the bottom cut in the box and if you lay on your back and squeeze under the dash, it will look hacked. Fully functional, but hacked. The solution has been installed in hundreds of Explorer/Ranger/Mountaineer's with 100% success. This isn't the least expensive fix, but is a severe fraction of dealer cost and is proven to be a one time permanent solution. The engineers at HeaterTreater are the experts and you can rely on the fixes and customer support from that team to guarantee success on restoring HVAC function to your automobile. Check the web site(heatertreater.net) for full details of the fix and technical reports on different solutions.

    The newer box(02+) is a different animal and the fix is completely different. Again, check the technical information at HeaterTreater to understand, diagnose, and fix problems on this box as well as the earlier box.
  • damdifiknowdamdifiknow Member Posts: 1
    I have a 97 explorer (4x4) 4.0efi , i went out and everything worked fine ... parked to like two hours and then used remote starter truck started no problem , need i say this was in a bad snow storm up here in ottawa canada. But when i went out to truck 5 minutes later i noticed the windows were not unfrosting...no heat , no blowing air nadda everything is dead in the heating system ? checked everything from fuses to connections under dash to under hood fuses ...is at total loss here not mechanically inclinded as the old saying goes any suggestions !!!!!
  • ceikey12ceikey12 Member Posts: 3
    Thanks heatertreater. Just to be clear...from this thread it sounds like the common result of the blend door failure is no heat. In my case, the air gets plenty hot (or cold if using AC) it just doesn't adjust from defrost, to floor, to vents, etc. Are we talking about the same failure mode (blend door) which will have this result as well?
  • heatertreaterheatertreater Member Posts: 50
    Simple question, but the answer is a little complex and has to be divided between 02- and 02+.
    - On the 02+ models, the blend door is on a horizontal axis. When the door breaks, gravity will usually pull it to the bottom of the box. If can wedge in different positions, but it is most common for it to lie in the bottom, blocking air flow through the heater core. However, it isn't a complete blockage. The 02+ has a vacuum button that will shut down coolant flow through the heater core when the door is forced to the full down position for Max AC. Just the weight of the door is not enough to depress this switch and it will actually hold a broken door slightly open. You will get a minor amount of heat, and poor AC efficiency when the door is broken and just lying in the bottom of the box.
    - On the older models, the blend door is on a vertical axis. When it breaks it can swing open and shut freely and operation is unpredictable. Again, it can break in different ways and wedge in any position in the box, but usually just "flaps in the breeze". A lot of customers will report that they can get heat if they go uphill, make a hard right turn, and hit the blower motor to full blast. What is happening is that the door is being pushed around by motion of the automobile and the door is pinned in one position by blasting the fan motor to hold it in place. If you check through different posts, you can find a lot of "superstitions" to get heat or AC. If this describes your truck, it's fairly certain that the blend door is broken. You can find pictures of both systems on the heatertreater.net web site.

    To your question directly: The switch between defrost/vent/floor is controlled by the mode door. This door is vacuum actuated on the Explorer and failure to switch is usually a vacuum leak somewhere in the system. The no-vacuum default mode is defrost-only for safety reasons. If this is your problem, you need to start with an inspection under the hood for loose or deteriorated vacuum lines and move on to using a handheld vacuum gauge/pump to check operation of the doors and trace a vacuum leak back to the source.
  • ceikey12ceikey12 Member Posts: 3
    Based on what you are saying, it does seem to be a vacuum issue. However, in all modes, I get a high flow of air to the floor and insufficient flow to the mode it is actually set to (even when in defrost mode). It also seems that the drivers side floor gets most of the flow and the passenger side floor gets very little. My wife is always complaining about cold feet.
  • kaakaa Member Posts: 1
    I have the same POS 2006 Ford Explorer with exactly the same problem. I have been told to change the radiator, change the thermostat, change the fan clutch assembly, change the blend door. All of which did nothing but help Ford pay for their over priced employee pension fund. I will never buy another Ford product. 2 years old and I cant drive it in the winter unless I want to freeze to death. Pathetic.

    The roar is probably your fan clutch but who knows. If you have a small leak in your radiator it can also cause the fan to engage and sound like a freakin bus.
  • nugget616nugget616 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 1998 Ford Explorer that mice have gotten into--in the blower, I have taken my glove box out and can see the bower and it had trash in front of the blower and a bit of trash in the blower I got wat was lose out I've had to cut the grid on left side so I can get my hand in there, I'm still cleaning on stuck on gunk, I've yet to get the smell out I turn on the vents and I'm still getting that odor yukkkk--anyway before I started this process the blend door was working fine on max/ac the door closed on regular ac and vent the door opened well the door stopped operating and has started operating again But the door is only open the it's turned on the max/ac it's close on everything else hearter/deforst etc.
    now I think I'm crazy WHEN and how does this door operate--seems as if it's working backwards now but maybe I just Thought it was working the reverse before--help--also any ideas how to remove this smell and could it be in the vent if so is there any way to get to them--Ford wants a fortune to do this, I'm trying to do what I can.
    Thanks so much for any help
  • tinkhelptinkhelp Member Posts: 1
    My fan is making a terrible noise and I need to remove the fan to check it out. Can anyone help?
  • dtownmildtownmil Member Posts: 23
    My 98 AC does not work at all. Is it worth having the system checked for leaks and charged? I may only have the exploder for one or two more summers and I've suffered through two with no AC already.

    I tried one of those cans that you charge it yourself and it didn't even make the AC cold for any time period at all.

    Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
  • heatertreaterheatertreater Member Posts: 50
    Of course the compressor has to be running properly and providing cooling capacity to the evaporator core inside the plenum box. You should be able to feel one AC line going into the firewall getting icy cold when the compressor is running and the return line warmer. This is a pretty good indication that the system is charged and providing at least marginal cooling. You'll need a set of gauges to check that it is absolutely optimal, but just checking with your hand should get close.

    A common problem with this particular model is the blend door in the system. This door diverts some or all of the air flow through the heater core. The door tends to break and will let air flow through the heater core, killing AC efficiency even if the evaporator core is cooling properly. The actuator motor for the blend door is on top of the plenum box behind the glove box opening. You can remove this motor and examine the blend door axle. There are two common fail modes and pictures of both are available. The repair involves replacing the blend door and the dealer will want to remove the dash and plenum box to replace the plastic door with another plastic door. Replacing the door is easy, but it's 8-10hrs labor to disassemble the dash, evacuate the AC system and remove the plenum box(figure $800+). There are better alternatives available.
  • diamonds1diamonds1 Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2004 ford explorer( limited), the air conditioner is blowing only warm air, thought it needed to be recharged, had the a.c. recharged but still only blowing warm air from vents .help thanks
  • chsrowerchsrower Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Explorer the air is only coming out of the defrost and floor. The heat works fine, and the a/c is cold. The only problem is that the a/c won't switch to the front vents. So the a/c just blasts my feet and the windsheild. Any ideas?
  • heatertreaterheatertreater Member Posts: 50
    On #191, the problem is likely with the blend door or actuator motor. The motor is hard to get to and there are video's in YouTube showing how to get to and examine the motor and blend door axle. The fix is within the capability of most DIY'ers and much better than an expensive dealer repair.

    On #192, the function between defrost/vent/floor is controlled by the mode door which is a vacuum actuated system. The vacuum motor and door is visible from the passenger side under the dash above the transmission tunnel. If you happen to be a left handed, 93lb, double jointed, contortionist, it's easy to get to...otherwise it's a tight fit. There is a plastic lever from the door that the shaft of the vacuum motor attaches to. This little plastic arm tends to break and will give the exact symptoms that you are seeing.

    The lever is a plastic piece that inserts into the end of the axle. It can be pried out with a screw driver and you can attempt to glue the pieces back together and get it working again. The HeaterTreater guys can help you with a metal replacement lever if the glue doesn't work out. Once you have it out, you can see the size and axle connector and may find some way to make a little lever that will work or a junkyard piece. I don't think Ford sells this part individually and you would have to buy the entire plenum box to get a replacement.

    HeaterTreater
  • bennyj2bennyj2 Member Posts: 2
    I just had my 03 explorer (131,000 miles) AC recharged at (of all places) Sears. Before going in I noticed the temp was a bit on the warmer side than years before. Being six years old I figured it needed recharging. After recharging at a cost of $135.00, I noticed the temp was cold on the offset but after a short time it stared warming by at least 10 degrees and the a short time later back to cold. This fluctuation presisted without stopping. Sears checked the system a second time and told me the temp was at 40 degrees. I could not find a spyglass under the hood to see if there were any air bubbles in the system. Help! I need to return with professional questions before summer arrives!
  • dodgekbaddodgekbad Member Posts: 56
    Hi,

    I have a '98 Explorer v6 sohc, with 127k miles. It blows warm air when the
    a/c is switched on.

    2 year ago I had the same problem, took it to a shop, and they told me the condensor was leaking. I bought a used COMPRESSOR at a junk yard
    by mistake. They put it in and everything; they had a machine that cleaned/filled the system and all that. It worked great until the following summer. I guess the leak never subsided, but I bought a can of refrigerant/stop leak and everything worked well again. Now it doesn't.

    I thought it was the leak again so bought more freon but this time it appears the system is full. There's a little pressure gauge on the can and the freon squirts out the side when I tried putting more in.

    Is there any to tell if it's the junk yard compressor that went bad? I still have my old one and figure I can put it in myself.
  • revotrevrevotrev Member Posts: 1
    how hard is it to replace this door??? and who sells it
  • heatertreaterheatertreater Member Posts: 50
    moderately difficult. HeaterTreater. The alternative is to purchase another plastic door from Ford and completely disassemble the dash, remove the steering column, evacuate the AC refrigerant, drain the radiator, remove the plenum box and install another door that will break again over time.
  • sterlinghawksterlinghawk Member Posts: 4
    Ok I always try and read the post to find an answer before bugging you guys. AC is blowing just a small bit of cold air. I have listened for the increased air flow when changing the AC to max to check and see if the recirculate door is broken, I do get the increased air flow.

    Question: Where underneath the hood is the cap located where I need to try and put freon in?

    Thanks
    Tracie
  • kilolwatt6kilolwatt6 Member Posts: 1
    99 Ford Explorer - During hot weather, the compressor clutch turns off when vehicle is stopped. When the outside temperature drops below 75 or 80 it seems to work OK. Any ideas?

    Kilowatt6
  • jay_57jay_57 Member Posts: 1
    Please help -- I have a problem with the manual air conditioning system in my 2004 Ford Explorer.

    Concern:

    The vents on the driver-side of the vehicle (includes left vent on dash center panel, vent on left-side of steering wheel and left floor console vent) blow warm air whenever the A/C is in the maximum (re-circulated interior air) and regular (draws in exterior air) positions. This warm air condition is most observable when outside air is used. I believe this is because as the a/c system re-circulates the interior air in the "Max" a/c position, the difference in vent temperature diminishes.

    Observations:

    1. Air flow volume appears normal
    2. Right-side (passenger side) vent temperature is in the 65 to 68 degree range (not precise as inexpensive stick-on thermometer was used)
    3. Left-side (driver side) vent temperature appears to equal the temperature outside of vehicle when a/c is in regular position
    4. Left-side vent temperature slowly equals right-side as the interior cools (only applicable when "Max" position is selected)

    Questions:

    1. What should be my next steps to attempt to diagnose the concern?
    2. Is there a physical divider in the a/c system that splits the cool air distribution into two distinct (driver-side & passenger-side) sections?

    Thank you,
    Jay
  • steflundsteflund Member Posts: 2
    The front vents on my 04 Ford Explorer have stopped blowing air. The floor, rear, and dash vents are all working fine. This is the case for both heat and air. Can anyone tell me what the problem could be, and if it would be easy for us to fix ourselves, or if we should just take it to a shop. Also if anyone knows aprox. how much it would cost to fix this problem. Thank you so much!
  • heatertreaterheatertreater Member Posts: 50
    This is strange behavior and you'll need to check several things to get to the bottom of the problem.

    1. Is the air flow strong and changes with fan speed on the defrost/floor/dash vents? Need to make sure that there isn't some sort of blockage of air flow into the fan motor. If flow isn't changing with fan speed, suspect the re-circ door.

    2. Did this occur all of a sudden or was some work done to the dash panel before the symptoms. It's easy to get the dash panel out of alignment when you attach it to the frame and a misalignment may diminish flow through the center vent. You can always pull the center dash control panel and make sure that the vent is clear.

    3. There is a spring loaded valve on the center vents that opens when the vehicle is on max heat. If the vent doors stick, it will block air flow during normal operation. Does the vent come to life when you go to max heat? If the flow changes then the problem is this sticking vent. The vent is opened when the blend door moves to the full up position and is meant to give a little boost of heat when the heater is first started. It's kind of a dumb idea since the air is cold at first and rapidly becomes too hot and you have to turn the heat down. If this is the problem I'd suggest just removing the front control panel and breaking valve. It's only purpose is to make the passenger compartment warm up about 30sec faster. We can provide pictures if you search the user name.

    4. The center vent door is actuated by the blend door moving up and down. If the door starts to get out of alignment, it can push the spring actuated center vent door to the side causing it to jam. This is an early indication that the blend door may be going bad. When this breaks, you lose control over the temperature control in the system. We have extensive information on the doors and a technical explanation of the operation and design flaws in the system. If the door turns out to be the problem there are aftermarket solutions available.

    I would be interested in knowing what you find.
  • bigrobbiebigrobbie Member Posts: 1
    WHERE DO YOU FIND THE RESPONSES TO THESE QUESTIONS? SOME MENTION PHOTOS, DETAILS ETC...
    ??
    HAVING SAME PROBLEM AS MANY OF THESE POSTS, AND WOULD LIKE MORE INFO ON HOW TO ACESS THE BLEND DOOR VIA THE GLOVE BOX.

    SOME OF THE POSTS MENTION METHOD OF CUTTING INTO THE DUCT TO AVOID THE EXTENSIVE DASH REMOVAL, REFRIGERANT AND COOLING SYATEM EVACUATION / DRAINING
  • explorer2004explorer2004 Member Posts: 1
    I have exactly the same vehicle (2004 Explorer) and exactly the same problem. If anyone can advise how to check or repair the blend door without dismantling the dash, please chime in. Thanks.
  • mohrlingmohrling Member Posts: 9
    Blower only works intermittently. I've replaced resistor package with no success. Next applied a 12volt line directly to blower and it turned on. I'm thinking dash switch? Any other place I may look?
    Thanks!
  • mpiacmpiac Member Posts: 1
    heatertreater, my AC seems to work in that it will put out cool air, but the Max AC portion does not seem to be working. The air output does not increase and the air does not get cooler over time when Max AC is selected. Do you think your blend door fix will take care of my problem?
  • mohrlingmohrling Member Posts: 9
    OK, so how tough is it to pull the switch? Looks as if the dash may have to go? Anyone?
  • air_door_fixair_door_fix Member Posts: 5
    The fan motor is a high current system and there are known problems with the reliability of the wiring over time. The first suspect is always the resistor pack and you have eliminated that as a source of the problem. At the highest speed(max AC) the resistor pack is taken out of the circuit, allowing the full voltage/current sourcing capability to reach the motor and run it at the max speed. Any resistance degradation in the wiring or connectors will be most obvious at full current and the wiring will heat and increase resistance at max load.

    My guess is that you have a bad connector or wiring that has degraded over time and the problem is most evident in full load mode. It won't get better over time and eventually the wires will melt. Check the motor wiring comments on the GC on the www.wjjeeps.com forum for an idea of what can go on with the wiring. I haven't seen reports of the same common problem on the Fords as is apparent on the Jeep, but there's no reason that some systems wouldn't see the same issues.

    My suggestion would be to closely inspect the wiring from the motor to the switch, looking for any signs of burns or melted insulation. If it doesn't look pristine, you've found the problem. I'd also inspect all connectors and remove any signs of oxidation by polishing with steel wool or sand paper. The final resolution may be replacing or patching the wiring/connectors.
  • air_door_fixair_door_fix Member Posts: 5
    Not sure what year model you have and the answer is slightly different for different years. Max AC is just fan full blast, re-circ mode on, blend door closed against the heater core. If each of these is working independently, but not together, there is a possibility of a control malfunction, but that's unlikely. If you can isolate the operation of the three functions above, we can make a better estimation of what's going wrong when all three are activated at once. Also, check my answer on this forum on motor wiring, that could also be involved.
  • ryangoryango Member Posts: 1
    When running the AC on my 2003 Ford Explorer there is cool (not cold) air coming from the passenger side vents, and warm air coming from the driver side vents. I have checked the blend door behind the glove box, and it appears to be operating properly, opening and closing when switching from from heat to and ac and when switching from ac to max ac. Any other suggestions on what to check?

    PS, the refrigerent has also recently been recharged.
  • fizzpotfizzpot Member Posts: 1
    have an 03 ford explorer - air conditioner not working at all - appears the compressor doesn't kick on - what are the causes/solutions I should first address? thanks
  • mikerusmikerus Member Posts: 1
    Have a 2007 Ford Explorer. Automatic AC blows cold trough upper vents and to the right footwell and it goes warm from left footwell. So the warmer my feet the colder air blows in my face. A local Ford dealer says: "That's the way it works". But it never worked this way till July, 17, 2009. Does anyone now what the problem is? Need help. Please.
  • talebtaleb Member Posts: 1
    i have a 99 explorer, my heater and a/c is not blowing any air at all, it just stop working 3 days ago. can u help me? i can hear a clicking sound on the right side, under the hood. i can turn the switch on for a/c and the heater, just no air blowing out of vents at all. please help me. i checked all fuses and they are ok.
  • mohrlingmohrling Member Posts: 9
    Thanks! Problem was isolated in the wiring at the motor. This was an easy change out to another blower motor and we've got the A/C blowing again.
  • malsalahmalsalah Member Posts: 1
    Hello....my Climate control blows the same in 1,2, or 3 whether it's in heat or AC, I always have to keep it on 4 specially now in the summer and it's too loud on 4 but 1,2,or 3 is the same...would someone tell me where do I start to fix this problem. Thanks
  • dobbsadobbsa Member Posts: 3
    I have a 1998 Ford Explorer. The A/C works fine at idle up to moderate speeds. Once it is at highway speeds, then the A/C turns warm. When I slow down the A/C gets cold again.

    I don't know if this is a vacuum leak under the hood somewhere, or if it is the under the dash door problem. Any help appreciated!
  • rwhall1rwhall1 Member Posts: 1
    My 97 Explorer Limited with electronic temperature control blower quit working -- the fuses, and motor check out, I changed the blower motor resistor. What do I do next? Thanks
  • rkohlbeckrkohlbeck Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 Ford Explorer XLT V6. A week ago, I installed a new stereo head unit into the vehicle. I reconnected all the climate controls wires back into the slots. The illumination works on each of the manual dials, but when you switch the activation dial on the right to one of the fan blowing options, I get nothing. I looked at the fuses, but none of them seem blown. Any ideas would be most helpful?
  • gdffredgdffred Member Posts: 2
    My problem started with the swith over from defrost to front vent heat would take awhile to switch over. Now I have a noise under the dash and no heat
  • gdffredgdffred Member Posts: 2
    My problem started when I would try to switch from floor heat to defrost and to vent exc. Now I have a clicking noise under the dash and no heat! Is there a temp repair until i can get to a repair shop and if so how do you locate the flap Iam hearing so much about
  • hash_pennihash_penni Member Posts: 13
    I am having this same problem...i have tried doing this already and it is not working...this may sound crazy, but do you have any more specifics on this...the knocking drives me crazy because i need heat!!!
  • leumasleumas Member Posts: 1
    did you get an answer , i have exactlyu the same problem , no heat and th clicking noise
  • hash_pennihash_penni Member Posts: 13
    I figured out the problem. The blend door is broken, and i tried what the lady had said to do, but it didnt work. so i bought the part from napa online, and you can replace it by yourself, but it takes some work. i am picking my part up today, which is only 13 dollars, and i am fixing it on saturday. when i get it done i will let you know how it goes! http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214332
    here is the link that i am using to help me with the replacement, and i bought a repair manuel. i am sorry this is all the info i have for now.

    http://www.napaonline.com/masterpages/NOLMaster.aspx?PageId=470&LineCode=BK&Part- Number=6601810&Description=Heater+Blend+Door+Repair+Latch
    here is the link for the part.

    i hope this helps you a little!!

    kasey
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