No heat at idle - help please!

Log Out | Topics | Search Moderators | Register | Edit Profile

Thread Last Poster Posts Pages Last Post   Closed: New threads not accepted on this page

Author Message   Milan (Milan) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 12:19 am:    So the lemon is acting up again...sometimes at idle I get no hot air coming from the heater. The fan works but it blows cool air. If I rev up the engine a bit (just to 1000 rpm) and hold it there for a minute, it will start blowing hot air as it should. Driving, usually using more rpms , also fixes the problem sometimes. Being in Canada and finally getting winter here, no hot air during idle is troublesome though. The car warms up relatively fine in the morning but that's because during warm up it idles at about 1000 rpms. Driving is fine. Just when I make extended stops with the engine running, it becomes an issue. I'm guessing either plugged heater core (or air in it? - I do get the "gurgles" sometime), or some flap not closing/opening or some solenoid not opening the valve all the way. Any ideas? Thanks   Jason Vance (Jason) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 03:29 am:    How's your coolant level?   Milan (Milan) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 11:03 am:    Coolant level is OK. Above Min.   Corey Shuman (One_Bad_Rover) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 11:57 am:    Youre on the right track, heater core is toast, or your radiator could be seriously clogged, either one would have reduced pressure at idle and therefore not produce heat. You can take off your rad. cap when cold, start it up and watch how the water flows(or doesnt flow) through the "gills" in the radiator, you may need a flashlight, if the water flows freely then get into your heater core. good luck.....   Milan (Milan) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 12:19 pm:    Thanks guys! Any more suggestions? Would problems with the heater controls cause this?   Ed Petrush (Exp3) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 01:05 pm:    it sounds like a flow issue... could also be water pump... or belt... when (& if) was the last coolant flush, water pump change, & serp belt change... these all could cause some issues.. My guess is a heater core failure or clogging is a low probability... kinked hose, cloged radiator etc...   Ed Petrush (Exp3) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 01:06 pm:    and no.. heater controls can not be an issue.. the rpms vs heated air flow had no tie to the dual zone "flaps"...   Milan (Milan) Posted on Tuesday, January 21, 2003 - 01:45 pm:    Thanks Ed, The belt is fine. I also considered the waterpump - was afraid it might be it or the plugged core. Neither I really wanted to hear, so I was fishing for "heater controls" related issues. I'll doble check the level as per Jason and I will check the flow like Corey suggested. Thanks all!