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Getting warm in a 1500

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rulle7

rulle7

Jedi Knight
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Ladies, Gents,
it's getting a bit nippy here in the far east, top's been up for the past couple of months and life is all in all quite satisfactory.
BUT, the heater is...a misnomer.
(Yes, heater valve is open, as are the flaps on the tranny tunnel, fan works.)
Heat is comparable to the dying breath of a very cold dying thing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif
What will I find when I take open the heater box?
Must be a core of some sort, I suppose...cleaning advice?
Just thought I'd throw this out before I take a closer look.
Thanks in advance for any enlightening thoughts. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
I wonder if you ran some radiator cleaner if it would help the heater core? Just hope it doesn't open up any holes in the heater core. Are you sure you are getting water flow through the heater? Sure sounds like you are not. Do the pipes to and from the heater both get warm/hot? Are you sure the heater valve even works?

Bruce
 
[ QUOTE ]
Ladies, Gents,
(Yes, heater valve is open, as are the flaps on the tranny tunnel, fan works.)
Heat is comparable to the dying breath of a very cold dying thing.
Must be a core of some sort, I suppose...cleaning advice?


[/ QUOTE ]
Hi Carl,
The heater requires a good supply of hot coolant. Either the coolant is not hot enough or it isn't flowing through the heater. You need to verify that you have a working thermostat that operates at around 180 degrees F.

The heater core is a small radiator core. It is common for the core to get plugged over time which greatly reduces the water flow. You can check by isolating the in & out hose connections & applying a garden hose to one of them. Try the flow in both directions. If there is not a good flow through the core, it will need to be removed & cleaned. Radiator shops do this. Sometimes, just the process of reverse flushing will flush out the core enough for it to work. The really hard part usually is getting the heater core out of the car. Sometimes, cleaning the core exposes small leaks which must be repaired.

As Bruce said, including the heater valve in this flow test may show the valve to be the problem.

Good luck,
D
 
Bruce, Dave,
thanks for good advice.
Will get close and personal with my heater tomorrow, Saturday. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
I'll let you know what I find.
 
Guys,
it was the valve.
Old and very cranky with sediment build-up.
High colesterol, me thinks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Anyway, soaked it overnight in "Bathtub-Heater Cleaner"
( That's for the water re-heating pipes in Japanese bathtubs, much like radiator cleaner. )
Also filled the core with the same stuff.
Flushed out the core (not much came out, good flow-through) and cleaned up the valve this morning,
buttoned it up and I have HEAT!!
Cheers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif
 
Isn't it a great feeling when you take apart something old like that, clean it all up and it WORKS! Glad it was a reasonably simple fix.

Bruce
 
'tis indeed!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hammer.gif
 
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