I recently got a new battery and since then the temperature has been flashing. I have just ignored it because everything else is working, including the AC......but, It is COLD now and I need heat and there is none. I noticed a water dripping, moving sound when I turned the car off last night too and we also flushed the radiator recently. Any suggestions? I tired to follow some of the old threads but none of the links would work. Please help!!


I have a 1997 SSEi

That is typically a bad thermostat, basically it stays open and doesn't allow the car to build heat, or a clogged heater core not allowing water to circulate thru the heater. I would replace the thermostat and flush the system. This is assuming that you are blowing air, it'* just cold.... the blowers go bad in these cars too. They're easy to change and are on the firewall behind the motor, a 20 minute job. You're not low on radiator water are you?

Thanks for the reply HotRod! I do have heat when it feels like it so we have decided that it is the actuator door, my son is going to change it for me...thank God for mechanical sons! I was able to research the info on changing it from this site and really appreciate all the excellent info and pics.

Can someone tell me how to access the thermostat, I'm not getting heat either. I have a '92 SSEi.

The first clue is that you flushed the radiator. Did you run the car to full heat temperature and then recheck the radiator for being full after it cooled? Often there'* air left in the radiator and heater core after draining. This makes the heater NOT produce heat because there'* not water running through it at idle; often the symptom is heat works with engine running at fast rpms at highway speed.

For my 98 there'* method in the service manual for getting the air out of heater... get motor fully warmed (with radiator full) and run motor at 2500 or 3000 rpms for 15 seconds. Then repeat this 4 more times. Then open the brass air bleed on top of the thermostat housing on the motor and bleed the air out there--I use a towel to catch the water coming out when air is all out. My driveway has a slight upward slope so I park with the radiator uphill to help get air out of heater if that will help.

The second factor may be the battery replacement. Before disconnecting battery posters recommend turning the heater unit to OFF with the key on so that everything goes to rest mode. It seems that disconnecting the battery and then having the HVAC do its checks on repowering can cause problems.

Your most likely problem if there is one, is tha actuator motor that moves the heater temperature control vane. Search for actuator to find posts and pictures. I believe it'* not easy to get to on Pontiacs (I have a leSabre). My Dash control has been blinking in cold weather for years and everything works fine, more or less. So I'm hoping your problem is air int he heater core or low coolant level in the radiator.

You can check for water flowing through the heater core by testing the temperature on both hoses in and out of it near the firewall with the motor all warmed up after a drive and the fan running on high. The in and out hoses should both be nearly the same temperature if enough water flow is going through the heater. If one is cool then the water flow is slow and the heat is being drawn out of it and the heater core is running cool; it won't heat the interior as well. On mine both hoses are too hot to hold more than a second or two.