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No heat, and it 7 degrees out!

Old 02-09-2007, 05:05 PM
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Default No heat, and it 7 degrees out!

Well, as the topic states I have no heat, and it has been extremely cold for the past few weeks. Due to the cold temps my battery failed, therefore resulting in the purchase of a new battery (it would have been my 3rd recharge, it was time for a new one). Now I have a flashing EEC, and zero heat. I took out the glove box, and checked the motor that controls the air flow. at 90 its all the way left, and at 60, its all the way to the right (both blowing at max airflow). My concern is what is the reason for having no heat?

-if it means anything, my car has full coolant, and runs at about 200 for normal operating temp.
Old 02-09-2007, 05:08 PM
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is sounds as the Air mix door gears are cracked....while the arm may still travel to the correct postions the arm is not engaging the gear to actually move the door
Old 02-09-2007, 06:49 PM
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If you haven't already done so, please check the coolant level in the radiator when the car is cold. It should be all the way to the top. If not, fill it and bleed the cooling system.

Here are some tests to indicate where the problem might be. With the car at operating temperature, fan on high and the heat set to max, check the temperature of the top heater hose that feeds hot coolant from the engine to the heater core. It should be as hot as the top radiator hose. The bottom hose returning coolant from the heater core should be somewhat less hot than the top hose in a normally functioning heater, perhaps 20 or 30 degrees cooler with the heater blowing buckets of hot air into the cabin. If the bottom hose is just as hot as the top hose, then coolant is passing through the core OK, but no heat is being removed from it. This implies that air is not flowing through the heater core and you have some kind of ducting problem. If the top hose is hot and the bottom hose is a lot cooler or cold, that implies that there is a blockage of flow in the heater core. A blocked core is also indicated if the top hose never gets really hot because no coolant can flow. The hose temperatures are easily determined by the new non-contact thermometers that you can just point and shoot. If you feel the hoses with your hand, please be careful not to get hair, clothing, or any parts of your body caught in the moving belts pulleys and alternator fan. It will be safer if you shut the engine off, then quickly feel the hoses to determine the relative temperature of each. This is a tight area where it is very easy to get caught up in a moving belt, pulley, or fan blade.

If your tests reveal a blocked core, you may be able to unplug it by disconnecting both heater hoses at the tensioner assembly and flushing water through the core backwards, that is, through the lower hose. Water should flow freely out the top hose when you do this. If so, you will know your heater core is OK. If you cannot get a decent flow, it is time for a new core. If flushing works for you, reconnect the hoses and add about a quart of pure coolant to the system to compensate for the water in the heater core and hoses. In this cold weather, make sure you run the car and heater long enough for the coolant and water to thoroughly mix.
Old 02-10-2007, 12:47 AM
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Where exactly are the heater core hoses located? I was looking around under the hood, and could not seem to locate them. on the rear wall of the engine bay.

-But i did check the radiator while it was cool, and it was completly filled to the top, so thats a start.
Old 02-10-2007, 08:45 AM
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Originally Posted by atauri_92
Where exactly are the heater core hoses located? I was looking around under the hood, and could not seem to locate them. on the rear wall of the engine bay.

-But i did check the radiator while it was cool, and it was completly filled to the top, so thats a start.
On the passenger side of the engine compartment towards the windshield. Look down. You will see two hoses. It will be safer if you shut the engine off, then quickly feel the hoses to determine the relative temperature of each. This is a tight area where it is very easy to get caught up in a moving belt, pulley, or fan blade.
Old 02-10-2007, 09:22 AM
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Thanks, I will have to give that a check some time today, and post my findings,
Old 02-10-2007, 10:52 PM
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Ok, so the top hose that feeds into the engine block get extremly hot, almost too hot to touch for more than a 20 secs, while the top and bottom heater core hoses are hot (but they feel about the same temp) so does that mean just no heat is being released into the cabin.
Old 02-10-2007, 11:03 PM
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Being that your battery was disconnect ....I'd aim toward an air mix actuator failure. Easiest way to check is pull the glove box and watch operation through the inspection hole.
Old 02-11-2007, 09:02 AM
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Originally Posted by atauri_92
Ok, so the top hose that feeds into the engine block get extremly hot, almost too hot to touch for more than a 20 secs, while the top and bottom heater core hoses are hot (but they feel about the same temp) so does that mean just no heat is being released into the cabin.
Both hoses hot suggests that no air is flowing through the heater core. Probably the air mix actuator like Boost said.
Old 02-11-2007, 10:26 AM
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However..let'* not confuse the airmix with the blower. The flashing ECC would point to a fault in the system, except the blower.

Do you hear the fan for the blower running?
If you watch the actuator, does the arm move back away from the right after a certain amount of time w/o you turning down the heat?

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