Heater blows cold air?

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shart

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Hey guys,

Recently noticed in my wifes 99 5.4 eddie bauer expedition that when the heat is on it blows ice cold air and then after 30 minutes or so it is room temperature air. It never gets hot or even close to warm. Any ideas where to start checking on this? Ive never messed around with heater components in any car before so this is all new to me. Ive red alot that the blend door is an issue in expeditions... would this be a good place to start? Thanks!
 

tarafied1

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sounds like it might be low on coolant, I'd check that. The blender door issue wouldn't effect the heat, just the vents opening.
 
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shart

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This might be a dumb question, but you mean just check the coolant hose to the heater core correct?
 

seansolo

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I have to jump in here, my 1999 is doing the exact same thing. So far they are telling me it is probably the heater core in the front. Could be the blend door. I had a shop last winter flush the entire system and it did not solve the issue so I believe the heater core is plugged or something. Doing it yourself looks doable but very time consuming. They are quoting me 7 hours just in labor at a shop, ouch! Good luck bro, let me know what you come up with as I have to address the issue here as well. Thanks
 
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shart

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From what im reading, if the heater core needs to be replaced the wife is on her own... lol. The 7 hour qoute is pretty much right on and they will use all that time to do it... So replacing it myself it will probably take alot longer since i am not familar with everything. Im going to try a few things... Flush the coolant system, flush the heater core, and pull off the heater core hoses (if i can get to them) and make sure they are not clogged... Other then that its probably going to have to go into the shop or she is going to have to live with it..
 

jrjr

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With you truck warmed up both heater hoses should be hot... not warm, hot. If only one is or neither then you may have a plugged core. If both are hot then there is flow through the core and its most likely the blend door not opening due to either a bad actuator motor or a broken blend door tube.

7 hours is a low average I'd say. I just did mine. The dash was pulled back in 4.5 hours and probably another 4 to get it back together. Of course I had never done it before and someone with experience at this job should be able to do it faster. If you do pull it, or the hoses, replace the o rings.
Here ya go-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa7TiLRn9oE
 

walnuts4x4

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if blend door is broke it will allow for either only AC or HEAT... mine was broke and I only had AC so I went with "heatertreater" cheater method for fixing it... basically a 2 part blend door that requires a little hidden cutting and allows fixing without removing the dash... plus the door is a metal door that wont break like the stock ones do
 
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