Heat isn't very warm.

88 Fox GT

Active Member

Nov 18, 2002

1,674

0

36

Iowa

Oct 22, 2006

#1

• Oct 22, 2006

• #1

Does anyone here have good heat in their car? Last two Foxes I've owned have had ****ty heat. My heat isn't very warm at all. I figured maybe the cable wasn't getting pulled over far enough so I took out the controls and disconnected the cable and pulled it all the way out and it's still not very warm.

I know I probably have a small heater core leak because when I first turn the heat on, I smell antifreeze for a little bit and it quickly goes away. There's never any coolant on the floor so it's not leaking that bad. Is this why my heat sucks? Am I **** out of luck unless I replace the heater core? Maybe the thermostat is too cold of a temp? I could take it out sometime and have a look at it because I have no idea what kind it is.

 

cardudeusa

Founding Member

Oct 22, 2002

1,744

5

48

Home of the Florida Gators!

Oct 22, 2006

#2

• Oct 22, 2006

• #2

My heat works fine for Florida once the car warms up. I have a flow restrictor inline to keep from pumping to much coolant through it. Also, like you said about the t-stat, could be a 180 or lower I would definatley check that.

 

Roland69

Sergeant Tangnet

Sep 17, 2005

2,867

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58

Port Elgin, Ontario

Oct 22, 2006

#3

• Oct 22, 2006

• #3

does your blower move much air or is the temp gauge going up much....

 

MikeC

Founding Member

Aug 1, 2002

240

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16

SLC, UT

Oct 22, 2006

#4

• Oct 22, 2006

• #4

Make sure the heater core restrictor is not clogged.

 

Roland69

Sergeant Tangnet

Sep 17, 2005

2,867

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58

Port Elgin, Ontario

Oct 22, 2006

#5

• Oct 22, 2006

• #5

or the evap core is free of crap like dust and feathers, dog hair....I clean out the evap core on a car atleast once a week and they complain they don't have good heat or the blower motor isn't strong but when we take it apart the blower motor blows awsome but the evap core stops/slows the wind.

 

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because

Founding Member

Jan 15, 2002

2,773

17

89

Dallas, GA

Oct 22, 2006

#6

• Oct 22, 2006

• #6

Either the blend-door is not going all the way, or your not getting proper flow through the heater core. Heater cores become clogged very easily, because the passages are very small. Using a garden hose, make sure water flows through the core easily. Sometimes, a backflush will fix this. There should be little force required to get the water to flow through, you should not need to hold the garden hose right on the heater hose. Another possiblility is the door is not moving as is should. Look under the dash as you turn the heat on, it should move. I can't remember on a fox if it's visable from outside. Another possiblity is clogged passages in the vent box.

 

D

Deleted member 87397

Oct 22, 2006

#7

• Oct 22, 2006

• #7

Your stat could simply be stuck open part of the way causing coolant to flow all the time.

 

grey5.0beast

Cookies should never be DUNKED!!!

Aug 3, 2004

0

1

0

atl ga

Oct 22, 2006

#8

• Oct 22, 2006

• #8

my heat is awesom, i have a 180 t-stat. I'd definately pull the tstat just to check it out, can't hurt

 

8

8950HO

New Member

Mar 31, 2005

658

2

0

Oct 22, 2006

#9

• Oct 22, 2006

• #9

Start with the thermostat since you don`t know whats in there.

The 190-195* thermostats will give the most heat.I had a 180* in for one winter and the heat was not that good compared to a 195* high flow stat.

 

sgarlic

Founding Member

Apr 21, 2001

3,085

1

56

Oct 22, 2006

#10

• Oct 22, 2006

• #10

Shouldn't matter which t-stat as long as it's not stuck open. Either way, it's not like you're going to be getting 160* air blown on you versus 195* air. The temp of the air that you get is going to be significantly less. I ran a 160* in my Beretta years and years ago back in WI winters, and never had any complaints about the temp of the heat.

If you aren't getting sufficient heat, but you have an accurate gauge telling you you're at correct operating temperature, I would suspect as said earlier, a blend door issue, or insufficient flow or blockage to the heater core.

Replacing them really isn't that tough, just takes a while.

 

Snikt89GT

New Member

Sep 6, 2006

264

1

0

Deland, Florida

Oct 22, 2006

#11

• Oct 22, 2006

• #11

90mustangGT said:

Either the blend-door is not going all the way, or your not getting proper flow through the heater core. Heater cores become clogged very easily, because the passages are very small. Using a garden hose, make sure water flows through the core easily. Sometimes, a backflush will fix this. There should be little force required to get the water to flow through, you should not need to hold the garden hose right on the heater hose. Another possiblility is the door is not moving as is should. Look under the dash as you turn the heat on, it should move. I can't remember on a fox if it's visable from outside. Another possiblity is clogged passages in the vent box.

Click to expand...

You should post some more pics of the chick in your avatar

 

Roland69

Sergeant Tangnet

Sep 17, 2005

2,867

2

58

Port Elgin, Ontario

Oct 22, 2006

#12

• Oct 22, 2006

• #12

he has

 

88 Fox GT

Active Member

Nov 18, 2002

1,674

0

36

Iowa

Oct 31, 2006

#13

• Oct 31, 2006

• #13

Roland69 said:

or the evap core is free of crap like dust and feathers, dog hair....I clean out the evap core on a car atleast once a week and they complain they don't have good heat or the blower motor isn't strong but when we take it apart the blower motor blows awsome but the evap core stops/slows the wind.

Click to expand...

How to I go about cleaning this out? I guess I'm not sure exactly what it is. Is it the thing behind the little door that opens and closes under the glove box?

 

Nick12269

New Member

Sep 30, 2004

17

0

2

CT

Oct 31, 2006

#14

• Oct 31, 2006

• #14

i agree with sgarlic... if your engine is heating up normally and running at proper temps i would go to the heater core. check for restrictions of any kind and try what 90mustanggt said about the garden hose. ive never been in the evap case on a mustang so i dont no how difficult it would be to get at the blend doors but im sure it involves taking the dash out? goodluck