Chrysler Repair: Dodge stratus 1995 heat and air controls, fuse box, dodge stratus

Question
I read an answer that you gave in January I believe. It is almost identical to my problem. A week ago the batter went dead in my sons car due to the lights being left on. After jump starting the car the air will only blow out through the befrost vent. The fans blows at all speeds but the distribution will only blow out the defrost vent reguardlous of what posision the know is in. A check of all fuses with a meter was good. The last person you answered with this problem had changed thier battery and the same problem happened. Do you have any new ideas on what is causing this problem, how to fix it and what it may be?

Answer
Hi Wayne,
I have the manual for the '96 stratus which I believe was the second year of production following the car's initial year '95. I would have one uncertainty and that is whether the heater system changed from '95 to '96, probably not but just to mention that. In the earlier years the air distribution was handled by a vacuum operated switch that relied upon a vacuum line the branched off the big hose from the intake manifold to the power brake canister. At the canister a fine gauge vacuum line went thru the middle of the firewall to the heater control panel in the cabin. So you might take a look to see if there is such a line in your son's car. If so, then it probably is disconnected from the fitting at the hose or cracked.
But in my '96 manual for the stratus it now is the case that the air distribution is changed by an electrically operated motor that is powered off the body computer which is located adhacent to the fuse box. It involves a 5-wire connector from the computer to the the "mode" door motor (that is located on the left hand end of the heater/AC distribution box under the dash). I would check the pink/dark blue wire to verify that there is 5 volts on that wire which is provided by the computer to power the motor that moves the mode door to different positions. If there is not, then I would check the fuses 5,9, and 11 under the dash, and if those are alright, I would go to power distribution center, a rectangular box imder the hood near the battery which contains fuses and relays, and in that box check fuses 4,7,8, and 15 all of which play a role in the operation of the body computer. If all those check out, then I would suspect that the body computer was damaged in the recharging process. If you find there to be 5 volts on the wire from the computer to the motor, then I would suspect the mode motor has gone bad.
So check those out and get back to me with a progress report or questions. The voltage presence/absence should be checked with the ignition key in the "run" position.
Roland