Hey!
I recently bought a 1989 colony park.
It seemed to have heat, when it was mild, on the day I bought it. Now that it's truly brisk it becomes evident that it does not.
I figured a heater core was a good bet. It was clogged on my 1990; it's common. In any case, whatever else the cause, might be discovered behind the dash, and I liked the idea of a clean slate.
So I went on a dashboard R&R adventure tonight and did the heater core.
I ALSO discovered, with the dash out, that the temp blend door was binding! Fixed that asap with some penetrating oil and a few gentle wiggles to get the oil into there. The temp blend door now operates perfectly; with the dash hanging down, I could see it close completely in the full heat position.
And by the way, all coolant hoses are now new, as is the thermostat, as is, now, the heater core. I checked the thermostat too; the upper radiator hose gets too hot to grip for any length of time, so it's getting hot.
So it's not the thermostat, heater core, or temp blend door.
I drove 5 miles home just now on the highway. By the end, I essentially still did not have heat. I tried both "vent" and "floor" positions with full heat. It was... barely perceptively warmer than the outside air. Very, very little.
The same drive in my 1990 gets toasty by the end of it... BUT I drive my 1990 much more aggressively.
option a) patience-- drive 10, 15 miles and see what happens? After all, this test drive was a tame one.
option b) patience-- maybe the air just needs to burp out of the core? Is there any convenient way to speed up the process, or, just drive the car and let nature take its course?
option c) what is that blend door just behind the glove box, to the far right? That's a recirculation door...? There's a spring, and a single vacuum line going to it. When should it be open, when should it be closed, and could that have an effect on my heat?
thanks!
-Bernard
I recently bought a 1989 colony park.
It seemed to have heat, when it was mild, on the day I bought it. Now that it's truly brisk it becomes evident that it does not.
I figured a heater core was a good bet. It was clogged on my 1990; it's common. In any case, whatever else the cause, might be discovered behind the dash, and I liked the idea of a clean slate.
So I went on a dashboard R&R adventure tonight and did the heater core.
I ALSO discovered, with the dash out, that the temp blend door was binding! Fixed that asap with some penetrating oil and a few gentle wiggles to get the oil into there. The temp blend door now operates perfectly; with the dash hanging down, I could see it close completely in the full heat position.
And by the way, all coolant hoses are now new, as is the thermostat, as is, now, the heater core. I checked the thermostat too; the upper radiator hose gets too hot to grip for any length of time, so it's getting hot.
So it's not the thermostat, heater core, or temp blend door.
I drove 5 miles home just now on the highway. By the end, I essentially still did not have heat. I tried both "vent" and "floor" positions with full heat. It was... barely perceptively warmer than the outside air. Very, very little.
The same drive in my 1990 gets toasty by the end of it... BUT I drive my 1990 much more aggressively.
option a) patience-- drive 10, 15 miles and see what happens? After all, this test drive was a tame one.
option b) patience-- maybe the air just needs to burp out of the core? Is there any convenient way to speed up the process, or, just drive the car and let nature take its course?
option c) what is that blend door just behind the glove box, to the far right? That's a recirculation door...? There's a spring, and a single vacuum line going to it. When should it be open, when should it be closed, and could that have an effect on my heat?
thanks!
-Bernard
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