No Heat!!!!

[kzoosho]

We are going to tear into it today and try to hammer it out.

 

[socialdeviat]

To be safe and rule out an obstruction in the heating line path(as those heater hoses are a PITA anyway) run compressed air through the two open ends. If it flows freely? than no problems with the Heater core, at the same time pressure test the bad boy to 15-16lbs to be safe and thats gonna rule that out.

If your not getting flow to it. Your metal lines could have corroded inside and built up a blockage. Whats the condition of the coolant? 50/50 or straight water.

 

[nissanchick27]

I think that more then likely there is a blockage in the heater core because if there is no flow the the lines wont get hot. I would try water before air because air will not draw the blockage out it will just move it around and water will take it with it out. Tim just call nick on this one lol!

 

[MADDOG11]

Okay you two, to your respective corners.

You're both right...however, my issue at this point is seemingly ****** coolant flow, not allowing enough coolant to pass through to the heater core. This is my guess. Sometime next week, I'm gonna tear into it and replace the water pump with a brand new one that's been bouncing around in my trunk. If that don't work, I'll start researching other options. I have no reason to believe that the heater core is blocked, since neither line going TO the heater core gets hot as though coolant was running through it. I just don't think there's enough pressure in the cooling system to get coolant all the way up there. I'm probably gonna replace the thermostat while I'm at it.....really, for no apparent reason. But it's worth a shot.

Yea well, he started it!?!

 

[SuperHO]

coolant level while cold is full. I just went out and checked it. I don't have time to run it right now to let it warm up, but I may have mandy do that while I'm at work tonight and check it when I get home. I've never known low coolant to cause a no-heat condition....but, then again, i'm hardly an A.S.E. certified mechanic...

 

[kzoosho]

coolant level while cold is full. I just went out and checked it. I don't have time to run it right now to let it warm up, but I may have mandy do that while I'm at work tonight and check it when I get home. I've never known low coolant to cause a no-heat condition....but, then again, i'm hardly an A.S.E. certified mechanic...

Well Timbo and i will come and help you with whatever you need. And yes low coolant can cause no heat . its happened to me before.

 

[SuperHO]

Okay...here's the update and my synopsis of this whole ordeal....


Methinks my heater core's clogged/blocked up. coolant level at operating temp is good. Just checked it. upper Rad hose got hard again, but the lower rad hose was hot as well, as though it had plenty of coolant running through it. checked the lines going to and from the heater core....the line on the right as you're facing the engine from the front of the car was plenty warm, but the line on the left was cold...not cool, but cold. No heat in the cabin of the car, though the thermostat WAS open. No signs of leakage anywhere....so I'm guessin the heater core's clogged. Anyone else got any ideas, or is this what I should tackle?

 

[kzoosho]

Garden hose to the heater lines sir.

 

[SuperHO]

a garden hose won't create enough pressure to pop a hole in my heater core, will it? I'm really looking for any way to NOT have to remove the dash in this car, although I'm sure if I do, it'll not rattle or squeak as much as it does now....

 

[93rev2sev]

Heres a better idea than the garden hose...

If you have a shopvac. Just tape the vacuum hose to the heater core hose and turn it on. A shopvac will not suck hard enough to collapse any lines or anything so this might be a good test for a clog.

I would say that if you ARE clogged at the heater core, time for step 2.

If you can get the shopvac to pull vacuum through the core, then you can suck a piece of twine through the heater core. If you can suck twine through the core, then tie knots in the twine and "floss" the core with the knots...essentially snaking it out. If all goes well, the gunk will come out with the knots. If there is a 100% restriction...the twine wont go through ... obviously.

 

[SHOZ123]

A garden hose can create pressures ~100lbs. You heater core is made for <20 lbs. If you use a garden hose be sure to flush backwards (small hose to big hose) and to slowly open the valve controlling the water pressure.

 

[SuperHO]

I'm only assuming that the heater core's blocked....I mean, it's the only thing that makes sense since the line on the right side (facing the motor from the front of the car) warms up, but after 1/2 hour of idling with a quarter on the throttle bringing it to 1500rpms, the line on the left was still cold...not even residual heat. Could it be possible that no coolant going through right there is causing a lil bit of pressure to build up upstream of the line, thus making my upper rad hose rock hard? I've tested the thermostat, and it's opening just fine...and the lower rad hose is hot like coolant's running through it. No coolant boiling or anything, and it's steaming when I pop the cap, telling me it's running through the motor, and after a half hour of idling, it wasn't even close to overheating.

This is becoming a real big pain in the ass.....

 

[sho'd]

flush your heater core, then go from there, my rad hose gets hard after they cooling system is up to temp, usually they build around 16 lbs i believe, it sounds as though your heater core is the problem, and it is pretty easy to back flush it, i would start there first. that way you can eliminate the heater core as the culprit, as if you flush and water is running through it and it is not blocked, then it's time to start digging deeper into the cooling system. thats what i would do, hope things work out. good luck.

 

[SHOZ123]

Be sure to take a video when you try that. I need a good laugh.

One thing I do to clean out old heater cores is to disconnect them, put some 1' pieces of hose on them. The get some Iron Out and mix up a gallon or two at the highest concentration (keep adding the Iron Out to the hot water until no more will dissolve).

Then fill one hose with the mix and let it drip through. You may add a funnel to the side you are filling to so there is more capacity. This will clean any minerals and scale out of the core. Won't help if stop leak has been used in the past though.

 

[TimboSHO]

Heres a better idea than the garden hose...

If you have a shopvac. Just tape the vacuum hose to the heater core hose and turn it on. A shopvac will not suck hard enough to collapse any lines or anything so this might be a good test for a clog.

I would say that if you ARE clogged at the heater core, time for step 2.

If you can get the shopvac to pull vacuum through the core, then you can suck a piece of twine through the heater core. If you can suck twine through the core, then tie knots in the twine and "floss" the core with the knots...essentially snaking it out. If all goes well, the gunk will come out with the knots. If there is a 100% restriction...the twine wont go through ... obviously.

This is a great idea! Wow!

Here's what I have done in the past when I had a friend with a plugged heater core on a Taurus (no heat). First I tried to flush water through it, no luck. Then I tried spraying compressed air through it (in moderation as not to damage the core) and got some chunks to come out. Then I found some type of acid at work (I keep forgetting to check what kind) and carefully poured just a small amount through followed by flushing it thoroughly with water. This worked amazing! A bunch of crap came out and flow was restored! Although, I got some acid on my and some of my tools and we didn't do so well.......

 

[SuperHO]

well, chances are, it's the friggin stop-leak that I poured in while I was in Colorado when I started having steam come from my vents...though it only did it for a short time (about an hour or two). I still dumped half a bottle of stop-leak in there, and I've noticed a lil bit of fuzz in the radiator. So hopefully back-flushing it on thursday's gonna make a decent bit of good. If not, Tim, I may be calling on you and Brian to come down and tear my car apart for me.

 

[kzoosho]

Tim, I may be calling on you and Brian to come down and tear my car apart for me.

Not a problem man i got you .

 

[Mr Anonymous]

well, chances are, it's the friggin stop-leak that I poured in while I was in Colorado when I started having steam come from my vents...though it only did it for a short time (about an hour or two). I still dumped half a bottle of stop-leak in there, and I've noticed a lil bit of fuzz in the radiator. So hopefully back-flushing it on thursday's gonna make a decent bit of good. If not, Tim, I may be calling on you and Brian to come down and tear my car apart for me.

Sharing this information about the steam and stop-leak earlier would have saved a lot of diagnostic hair-pulling!

Knowing that, I wouldn't even screw around with backflushing or anything else except buying a new heater core and installing it.

 

[93rev2sev]

If you had steam, flush it out to get heat and you will have more steam.

Mr.A is right, time to cozy up to your dash.

It's not as hard as it is time consuming.

Look on the bright side, you dont have to recover your freon.

 

[SuperHO]

Great.......Oh well....Brian, Tim, get your dash pullin shoes on...we gonna tear apart my car this weekend....or sooner if you feel so inclined. Mandy has keys....