RDEXPO02
Member
Where is the blend door for the rear? I can't imaging I have two bad doors but at least I should be able to get heat from that one and check it easier no?
just ordered DVD on Ebay
Thanks
just ordered DVD on Ebay
Thanks
Poor Heat in Both Front & Rear Units
- Thread starter RDEXPO02
- Start date
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bedrck46
Guest
Check you inlet and outlet hoses to the heater core Sounds as though you have a clogged system
Also read this thread to get some other ideas as for thing to check
You may also want to change the T/stat
RDEXPO02
Member
It still bothers me with this heat thing. Why BOTH front and rear heaters are blowing only luke warm air. The only thing in common is the water flow from the water pump and I KNOW I got flow and good pressure when I rev it from when I tried to bypass the reducer valve which is now back in. It can't be the blend door, Not on BOTH of them at the same time!
I noticed something yesterday, I used the VENT mode and I had heat (in the front anyways). Not extremely hot hot hot nut was nice and warm more so than usual and was sweating with my jacket on after 5-10 min. I think I'm getting more heat on VENT mode. More so in the front than the rear unit. When I change to defrost, it's barely warm at all.
I read this was a way to bleed the lines in the DVD. Why VENT mode does anything I have no clue. Could I be onto something here? Its not dependable and didn't fix it cuz last night I remote started the car and left it on VENT the night before and it was not warm at all really or even close to all toasty as expected after running it twice (20 min each run).
This spark anything for ya?
I noticed something yesterday, I used the VENT mode and I had heat (in the front anyways). Not extremely hot hot hot nut was nice and warm more so than usual and was sweating with my jacket on after 5-10 min. I think I'm getting more heat on VENT mode. More so in the front than the rear unit. When I change to defrost, it's barely warm at all.
I read this was a way to bleed the lines in the DVD. Why VENT mode does anything I have no clue. Could I be onto something here? Its not dependable and didn't fix it cuz last night I remote started the car and left it on VENT the night before and it was not warm at all really or even close to all toasty as expected after running it twice (20 min each run).
This spark anything for ya?
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bedrck46
Guest
In vent it doesn't use outside air
DISREGARD THE ABOVE I WAS WRONG
DISREGARD THE ABOVE I WAS WRONG
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Shinobi'sZ
Member
I have an 02' Eddie Baurer with the same issues as described in the thread title.
I paid $400 for a reputable shop to diagnose. They replaced a thermostat, didn't do anything. They observed the blend door actuators moving, also when the temp is changed on the head unit, the air will go from cool 60* to warm when put on 90* and reverse. Their next diagnosis was to replace both front and rear heater cores for $1000. I was skeptical because I was wondering how both Heatercores could go bad at the same time, while I don't think that it is impossible as they are most likely the same units, use the same coolant, and are the same age. I opted out and tried to first flush the heatercores with some Prestone Coolant flush.
To do this I completely drained all of the coolant. I bypassed the surge tank so that the flush would go into the heater core first at maximum strength, fearing it might cause a leak because I used the Prestone on my Grandfather's Ford Motorhome and the heatercore began leaking, but he later told me he had dumped some Alumseal in it to stop the heatercore leak, so most likely the flush just ate that up when I used it on his motor home. No leaks yet after using in my Expy.
To flush I took off the heatercore inlet tube coming off the water pump/block location. As I poured the flush down the tube it did overflow a bit, but would slowly drain down, indicative of possibly a blocked restrictor. I did not know there was a restrictor in the line until reading on this forum, as others I thought it was primarily a hard piece of line to keep the rigidity in the inlet hose as it routes upwards going towards the T.
The inlet T to the heatercores get to hot to touch after the temps are up. The return T never gets as hot as the inlet. I would expect a slight difference as with the fans on maximum blowing across the heatercores it should technically cool the return temps some as it is nothing more than a intercooler in operation like for any air to water intercooler, turbo etc. But the temp is luke warm at best and I can easily hold onto the line with my hand for as long as I want.
Too me that is indicative of a flow restriction. Which could mean:
1.) partially clogged heatercores.
2.) partially plugged restrictor.
3.) water pump (read where electrolysis can eat the impellers over time).
4.) all the above.
I will start with the easiest and cheapest to replace first, which will be to bypass the restrictor to see if the improved flow without it in place results in the return heatercore T getting hotter, if it does I will know some flow improvement helped. Once the restrictor is checked, I will replace the waterpump as it is fairly inexpensive for both time and parts (especially since I will do it myself). If that doesn't work, I will replace the rear heatercore as it is easier to get to than the front heatercore, if the return T rear line gets hotter than the front heatercore return at the T, this will confirm the heatercore is an issue as a flow restriction.
Then I will have to tear apart the front dash to replace the heatercore or pay somebody else to do it so I dont have to deal with the frustration. But that is unlikely as the Expy is only worth about $6,000, and to pay somebody 1/6 of the cost to fix the heater is something I doubt I will do.
Because I have done many searches regarding this issue, and don't often find that people return to threads to post their results. I will be sure to report my findings. It's hard for me to believe that nobody including Ford hasn't been able to report on what the fix was/is. I hate throwing money at old vehicles to chase unclear diagnosis. So hopefully what I outlined will plot the course for fixing this issue with the heat and I can report back successful results to help others with this issue.
I paid $400 for a reputable shop to diagnose. They replaced a thermostat, didn't do anything. They observed the blend door actuators moving, also when the temp is changed on the head unit, the air will go from cool 60* to warm when put on 90* and reverse. Their next diagnosis was to replace both front and rear heater cores for $1000. I was skeptical because I was wondering how both Heatercores could go bad at the same time, while I don't think that it is impossible as they are most likely the same units, use the same coolant, and are the same age. I opted out and tried to first flush the heatercores with some Prestone Coolant flush.
To do this I completely drained all of the coolant. I bypassed the surge tank so that the flush would go into the heater core first at maximum strength, fearing it might cause a leak because I used the Prestone on my Grandfather's Ford Motorhome and the heatercore began leaking, but he later told me he had dumped some Alumseal in it to stop the heatercore leak, so most likely the flush just ate that up when I used it on his motor home. No leaks yet after using in my Expy.
To flush I took off the heatercore inlet tube coming off the water pump/block location. As I poured the flush down the tube it did overflow a bit, but would slowly drain down, indicative of possibly a blocked restrictor. I did not know there was a restrictor in the line until reading on this forum, as others I thought it was primarily a hard piece of line to keep the rigidity in the inlet hose as it routes upwards going towards the T.
The inlet T to the heatercores get to hot to touch after the temps are up. The return T never gets as hot as the inlet. I would expect a slight difference as with the fans on maximum blowing across the heatercores it should technically cool the return temps some as it is nothing more than a intercooler in operation like for any air to water intercooler, turbo etc. But the temp is luke warm at best and I can easily hold onto the line with my hand for as long as I want.
Too me that is indicative of a flow restriction. Which could mean:
1.) partially clogged heatercores.
2.) partially plugged restrictor.
3.) water pump (read where electrolysis can eat the impellers over time).
4.) all the above.
I will start with the easiest and cheapest to replace first, which will be to bypass the restrictor to see if the improved flow without it in place results in the return heatercore T getting hotter, if it does I will know some flow improvement helped. Once the restrictor is checked, I will replace the waterpump as it is fairly inexpensive for both time and parts (especially since I will do it myself). If that doesn't work, I will replace the rear heatercore as it is easier to get to than the front heatercore, if the return T rear line gets hotter than the front heatercore return at the T, this will confirm the heatercore is an issue as a flow restriction.
Then I will have to tear apart the front dash to replace the heatercore or pay somebody else to do it so I dont have to deal with the frustration. But that is unlikely as the Expy is only worth about $6,000, and to pay somebody 1/6 of the cost to fix the heater is something I doubt I will do.
Because I have done many searches regarding this issue, and don't often find that people return to threads to post their results. I will be sure to report my findings. It's hard for me to believe that nobody including Ford hasn't been able to report on what the fix was/is. I hate throwing money at old vehicles to chase unclear diagnosis. So hopefully what I outlined will plot the course for fixing this issue with the heat and I can report back successful results to help others with this issue.
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bedrck46
Guest
Thank you and I do agree that many don't bother to return to post results. Looking forward to your return.
RDEXPO02
Member
Had the car serviced at oil change place. Had oil and filter changed and saw they had a coolant "changer" machine. Its not a "flush" with pressure rather only works by vacuum. They stick a 3/4" tube in the degas tank and reach down to the tube coming up from the lower radiator hose. They suck it all out with reverse pressure while engine running and replace it all with 50/50 mix. It was browninsh and nasty looking, hadn't been changed in 100K miles that I just broke last weekend.
I know I don't have a clog because I blew into the tube and it came out the water pump when I was checking the flow restrictor. I do notice the main upper radiator hose has pressure in it now when it gets hot, maybe there was an air pocket or something. Heat seams to be better but not from the defrost. It melts the snow and is warm but not hot hot hot. Rear unit still the same, warmer than outside but not hot hot hot.
I would have to say it does get the car warmer when driving or sitting in the car holding idle at 1500 or so but the temperature out of the vents does not get any warmer blowing out of the vents. Am I imagining? Is it the exhaust underneath heating the car? Could it be the water pump? I seen a picture of it and it is a dual sided pump with metal blades in the front for engine and plastic impeller for the heater cores. Or was it a bad picture or something else?
Too cold for a water pump job, I'll be sure to post the fix when I find it. I've also seen people on EBay posting heater control valves for 97-02 models. Are they wrong? Are we sure there is no heater control valve? Not even for the rear maybe?
I know I don't have a clog because I blew into the tube and it came out the water pump when I was checking the flow restrictor. I do notice the main upper radiator hose has pressure in it now when it gets hot, maybe there was an air pocket or something. Heat seams to be better but not from the defrost. It melts the snow and is warm but not hot hot hot. Rear unit still the same, warmer than outside but not hot hot hot.
I would have to say it does get the car warmer when driving or sitting in the car holding idle at 1500 or so but the temperature out of the vents does not get any warmer blowing out of the vents. Am I imagining? Is it the exhaust underneath heating the car? Could it be the water pump? I seen a picture of it and it is a dual sided pump with metal blades in the front for engine and plastic impeller for the heater cores. Or was it a bad picture or something else?
Too cold for a water pump job, I'll be sure to post the fix when I find it. I've also seen people on EBay posting heater control valves for 97-02 models. Are they wrong? Are we sure there is no heater control valve? Not even for the rear maybe?
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bedrck46
Guest
Looking forward to hearing what the fix is.
I don't know if you are imagining but you are definitely have nightmares.
Keep the forum posted
I don't know if you are imagining but you are definitely have nightmares.
Keep the forum posted
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