I have a 2000 ford ranger 2.3 4x4. All the vacuum hoses for the AC unit from the A/C vacuum reservoir (baseball looking thing) have broken off due to age. I need to replace all these lines. Is there a simple diagram that shows where the vacuum lines from the reservoir go to. The vacuum line from the heater value also broke due to age...So I need a simple diagram that shows the lines from the vacuum reservoir where they go to and where the vacuum line from the heater value goes to. I believe that this is something that I can do myself and dont want to pay a mechanic to do.

Thanks
Joe

 

Those vacuum lines are not for AC, they are for Vent control in the cab, i.e. defrost, panel and floor

The one on the heater by-pass valve is part of that setup and it comes from the cab

Under the glove box on the inside firewall you will see 2 vacuum lines, black, and white or grey, seen here: https://www.therangerstation.com/for...lug-jpg.51618/

Thats a connector to splice the 2 vacuum lines that go to engine bay
Hard to see on the engine side but they are there

The black one runs along the passenger side frame rail to the Vacuum Reservoir, often gets damaged, these are hard plastic vacuum lines but can be replaced/spliced with regular vacuum hose of the right size

The Vacuum reservoir has 2 ports, one for the above black line from the cab, the other runs to the engine's intake, the vacuum source, it should have a Check Valve, looks like this: https://static.cargurus.com/images/s...1600x1200.jpeg
This allows the Reservoir to hold vacuum after engine is off, or when engine vacuum is low

Intake---------check valve----------------------reservoir-----------------------------------------------------firewall---------------Climate control panel


The Heater by-pass valves vacuum line is connected to the White/grey line in the cab, it only has vacuum when selector in cab is set as OFF or AC Max


Only vacuum diagrams I know off are on the engine bays rad support, but they are often hard to read

 

Thank you! Is there a way to bypass the actuator door so it will stop from blowing through the defrost and out the vents?

 

Would it be possible to have a diagram drawn on how the vent control lines go. For example from the vacuum reservoir, when do those line go, where does the line go from the vent control value, etc...I am just trying to make it simple for me and simple for my daughter as I am teaching her how to fix things on her truck

 

No, defrost is the only vent that works when there is no vacuum at the dash control, there is no way to manually change that

This is what a 1994 vacuum diagram looks like, 2000 is more complicated: https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...se_diagram.gif
They are made for mechanics

There are no specific diagrams for just the reservoir to cab main vacuum line, you will need to find it and repair it
As said it comes out of the firewall on the passenger side down under the blower housing, black plastic so "looks like" a wire, and runs along the frame rail to the front and connects to the vacuum "ball"

And a bit confuse on your Ranger, but doesn't matter for this
2000 Rangers only had 2.5l 4cyl engine which never came with 4WD, last year 4cyl Ranger could get 4WD was 1997
2000 3.0l and 4.0l V6 could have 4WD

 

So...just making sure I understand this...there are 2 lines that come from the passenger side compartment a black line and a white/grey line...the white/grey line goes to the heater by-pass value. The black one runs along side of the engine compartment to the top port in the vacuum ball. the bottom port of the vacuum ball goes to the engine intake line which has the check value on it.

 

Yes

Black line is the Vacuum source for the climate control system in the dash

White/grey line comes from that climate control system and goes to the heater by-pass valve

So the Black line is the main one, makes it all work
Assuming Vacuum Reservoir has good vacuum from intake


When you accelerate vacuum in the intake drops to almost 0, this is why there is a Vacuum reservoir for the Power brakes(booster is a vacuum reservoir) and why there is a vacuum reservoir for the Climate control Vents, if it didn't have this then every time you accelerated the Vents in the cabs would switch to Defrost, and then back to panel or floor once once you were cruising along again

 

THANK YOU!

 

Thank you! I need to replace the vacuum lines. Where or what do I need to search. These vacuum line have really small holes and I want to make sure that I get the right thing...

 

The size/diameter of the line/hose only matters when you are connecting to Original lines/hoses so its a snug fit, no clamps
In between the original lines/hoses the diameter doesn't matter
Vacuum, negative pressure, is consistent regardless of the size of the hose, i.e. The bigger Vacuum Ball has same negative pressure as the small hard plastic vacuum line

Auto parts stores sell rubber and hard plastic vacuum line in several diameters, also adapters to change sizes
Automakers use hard plastic because its cheaper, and it can also be pre-bent and colored making assembly at the Factory easier
But rubber hose works just fine for repairs


I think Rangers used 1/8" lines but never checked

 

Thank you again, you have been a HUGE help!!! Looking things over all my lines are screwed up...There are no lines going to the vacuum ball (not sure when then broke off) and the line to the heater by pass value recently broke. The air is strictly blowing out of the defrost but it is blowing ice cold...Is there a quick and easy way to fix this issue to get the air from blowing out of the defrost to blowing out of the vent...

 

No, you must restore vacuum to the Reservoir and then to the cab via that black line from reservoir to firewall

Line to heater hose by-pass doesn't matter for Vent direction control, its only used in OFF and MAX AC


Air Temp control is done with an electric motor in the cab, called the Blend Door Actuator, common failure on all Fords after 1995
If you don't want AC cooled air, unplug the AC compressor Clutch in engine bay, 2 wire connector, and you will get outside air temp in cab

 

OK...just trying to make sure all is right...there should be 2 lines coming from the firewall...black line going down side of engine compartment and connects to the vacuum reservoir (top hole or bottom hole or does it matter)...the white/gray line connects to the heater by pass value....the 3rd line is a black line that runs from the engine intake and goes to the vacuum reservoir...i have found the line from the engine intake and white /gray line that goes to the heater by pass value...still looking for the other black line from the firewall...

 

Yes, that is all correct

The grey and black lines come out the same hole in the firewall, so follow the grey line down to firewall and black line should be there

The reservoir usually didn't have a built in check valve, so you can use either port for either hose, didn't matter

There would be an inline check valve on the line that runs to intake manifold, system will work without it but................when you accelerate you will notice the Vent direction will go to Defrost and then return after you are at cruising speed, lol
The inline check valve can be added after, or you should see it on the line you found, just a small valve with 2 hose connections, usually black and white colors

 

THANK YOU! One last thing, what are the rubber connectors on the end of the vacuum lines that go into the vacuum reservoir called. I need to replace one of them but need to know what I am looking for....thanks again, you have been a huge help

 

Not really a part number for those, auto parts stores have them in various sizes, usually Dorman "HELP" display
They come in 90deg or straight for use with the hard plastic lines, or you can just use rubber vacuum lines that fit snug over the reservoir fittings

Snug is the key word for vacuum lines, they have Negative Pressure inside so tend to pull together not push apart like hoses with pressure inside, i.e. heater hoses, so no clamps are needed with vacuum lines

 

I was able to connect boh lines to the reservoir and as you mentioned when i idle it is blowing out of the ventsd but when I accelerate it blow out of the defrost. I am guessing that I need to put in a check value on the intake line. can these be picked up at a local auto parts store?

 

Yes, any auto parts store should have inline check valves with correct hose size

The end you can suck air thru goes on the intake side hose, other end to reservoir
Most have an arrow, it points to intake, i.e. "air goes this way" --->

 

On my truck that black hose goes to the engine's exhaust ... no reservoir in sight.





There was a RED vacuum line on top of the engine, coupled to black hose that went nowhere, (disconnected.) Don't know where it's supposed to go.




Ideas?

Thanks

 

There will be no "vacuum" hose to exhaust in any year Ranger or any other vehicle, pull it out, it may now be melted to exhaust pipe

There should be a Vacuum diagram on rad support, often color coded, see whats "red"

reservoir is at the very front of the Ranger, passenger side, can only see it from under the vehicle, its in front of passenger front tire

 

Thank you. I'll check it out in the morning and let you know

 

I'm sorry ... rad support?

 

Rad support holds the radiator, it's a larger metal piece that runs from fender to fender across the front of a vehicle
There should be some labels on the top of it, like this: https://www.lightningrodder.com/cdn-...ge-jpg.540473/

These will often include a vacuum hose diagram

 

Hello, just coming back to Ranger Forum after many years. I'm looking at a vacuum problem too right now and caught your thread. I have a 2001 Ranger XLT 4-cyl 2.5L (same as 2.3 I believe), 2-wheel drive. Just thought I'd post here the vacuum routing drawing on the front radiator support for anyone that could use it in the future. (Took me a few tries, hopefully it attached!).

By the way, on the connecting elbows, I had same problem needing a replacement, Ford doesn't have anything anymore for this model according to the Ford parts dept at my dealer. They referred me to local Autiozone type stores. As far as I can tell, there's only one product out there - a pack of 4 silightly different sizes in mildy hard rubber, from brand Dorman. Seems as durable as OEM for under-hood, and the pack only costs a few dollars. And they have a couple spools of replacement vacuum hose in the back that you can buy by the foot. They don't have the super tiny hose that broke in my case, but you can fashion up little larger hoses to go over the tiny one, or over the elbow hose ends, or into a vacuum hose joiner/splicer that you can also buy at Autozone (same place and brand as the elbows, a pack of multi-sizes). I ended up using a splicer on the original super tiny hose that broke - with the tiny hose inserting into one end of the splicer, and the new larger rubber hose sliding over the other end of the splicer! And I was able to get the other end of the larger rubber hose over the hose-end of the elbow to complete it. Also, to keep the new hose from vibrating too much and touching anything, I took a strand of 12 awg insulated electrical wire out of some in-wall wire I had around (or any insulated stiff wire you can find), and bent one end around a nearby hose and the other end around this new hose to act as a hose bracket.