Sounds like your attacking this all wrong.

Fix your vacuum leaks first. Vacuum leaks can cause drivability problems, and if you know you have them (heat only through defrost and that clunk from the air flow control door) fix them.

Then I would go through the Idle Learn Procedure. This will A) clear the current codes and B) sounds like it might fix some of your problems.

As far as your spark plugs not coming out, did you do it with the block hot or cold? And are you sure you were loosening them. I know it's a rookie mistake, but I'm sure we've all done it one time or another when we were tired or frustrated...

 

How do I go about fixing the vac leak (only coming from defrost)? I unbolted the actual heater controls but can't get them out far enough to see any of the vac lines.

The big question that I have about this is would a vaccum problem with the heater controls affect the drivability of my car?

 

Having a vacuum leak anywhere could effect the drivability of your car. All the vacuum is coming from the engine, so any leak is going to let air in.

As far as how to fix it. Haven't torn apart mine well enough to tell you.

One way to diagnose it is to find which vacuum lines that go to the heater controls and block them off at their source. Basically disconnect them temporarily with a cap and see if that improves the problem. If it does, then trace that line and replace it with a new one.

 

I pulled out my air/heater controls. On the left there are 2 vac lines (gray and pink) held together and on the right there is about 5 held together. When I pulled the left 2 off the only the pink had any vaccum and when I pulled the right ones off none had any vaccum. No matter what settings I used the left pink always had vac and the gray never did and none of the right ones ever got vaccum. Does this sound right?

Also, I have heard that all the lines from the controls go into one main vaccum line that goes to the engine. My question is (on a 3.1) where does the vaccum line come through the firewall?

 

Is the HVAC vac line right by the AIR pump switching valve vac line? There are two lines that go into a wiring loom. One goes to the switching valve and the other goes to the back of my plenum. Is this the vac that I'm looking for?

 

Kieth,

I think that the problem with my HVAC is the actual selector switch that the vacuum lines hook up to. I'm going to replace that and if my HVAC problems are solved by drivability does not improve what should be the next course of action?