I need heat!!

[hurt]

It's been hovering around 0 degrees lately and it takes forever to get the car warmed up. I let it idle for 10-15 minutes in the morning but the temp guage will hit the first line only after about 20 min of city driving and will never get above the N. I'm thinking the t-stat is stuck open but what's a good way to tell? Any other ideas of what it might be? I'm tired of freezing my nutz off.

I don't have a block heater, but that should't prevent it from warming up as normal after it's been started.

For what it's worth the temp guage will rarely get above the O during the summer.

 

[maypo59]

One of the main ways to tell your thermostat has taken a crap is that, in the winter, the car won't warm up...

 

[OrangeMustangGt]

put some cardboard over the radiator, that way it wont exchange heat as fast, warming up you car faster

 

[Black95GTS]

I wouldn't trust the stock gauges that much. I'd pick up an afternmarket gauge and check that out, could be yours has been low the whole time. Our cars are notorious for crappy stock gauges.

Adam

 

[215what]

These car's take forever to warm up, and if you take off with out leting them warm up for get about it. mine will just buck and die!!

 

[Cobra4075]

Spend $10 bucks on a new thermostat. If that doesn't work have the coolant system flushed. The heater core could be clogged.

 

[hurt]

Thanks all, I flushed the system about two years ago and replaced the thermostat then. Looks like I'll be doing it again shortly.