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View Full Version : I NEED HEAT, I'M FREEZING!!



Jeepinparrothead
12-11-2004, 09:10 PM
I know this is on NAGCA, the best guys don't post tech over there anymore. So please spare me!!


Ok, here is the deal. I have replaced; water pump, radiator, thermostat, hoses,and the entire climate control unit behind dash. Guess what, I don't have heat. I can't figure it out for the life of me. I put the heat on high, and while I am driving the heat will be, oh say, kinda warm. It never gets hot, EVER! This is with it all the way on hi heat. Now just to cover the newbie stuff, the thermostat that I replaced it with was OE and it goes with the long side, if you know what a thermostat looks like, down in the motor. I am pretty sure that is right. I have replaced it three times in this Jeep. Anyway, if that is right I have no idea what in the world can be wrong. FYI, I check the upper rad hose after a short drive from installing the newest thermostat, and it had no pressure in it. That is not normally to my knowledge. Please help the girlfriend is having a fit. Oh yeah and to top it all off, my rear defrost stopped working, now I have to figure that out.

5.2 motor. HD rad, Mopar water pump and everything. Any help would be appreciated.

gearhead313
12-11-2004, 09:14 PM
a: will it overheat at all if you run it long?

b: do u know that all the air has been bled from the system?

c: when at temperature, does the lower, upper and both heater hoses get hot?

d: have you replaced the heater core?

if so: refer to question b

OverkillZJ
12-11-2004, 09:27 PM
Are you positive you have no leaks? It sounds like the system isn't full for some reason. I know that's obvious, but I find myself checking obvious things last, and that being the problem.

Jeepinparrothead
12-11-2004, 10:00 PM
a. no it will not overheat

b. No I was told that the system "bleeds" itself Tell me how to do it and that might help, thanks

C. Yes the hoses are hot I will check again but I think so

D. No my fear is the heater core is gone. I hope not but that might be it.

Now Matt, yes I have a small leak from the timing chain cover. It has a very small crack in it. I don't think that will cause these problems but I don't know what do you think? It takes probably 4-6 months to leak enough for the sensor to come on, only a small drip noticeable "sometimes" under front end.

Thanks guys!

Jeepinparrothead
12-12-2004, 12:49 AM
Just a little update. I got it up to temp and check the warmth of hoses. The inlet to the heater core is hot and the oultet is cold. Allas a stopped up heater core. Do yall recommend backflushing? I have heard bad about it in the past. I think unless I hear a negaitve on that I am going to try that tomorrow. Thanks for the help.

OverkillZJ
12-12-2004, 01:38 AM
... that'd do it... I know nothing of backflushing...

But I do know that replacing a heater core is a BITCH!

JpRngr
12-12-2004, 03:32 AM
Do you have access to air? If so, my recommendation is to pull the heater hoses and blow air through the core. Be careful with how much pressure though. BTW, first should be through the outlet. Again, be careful with how much pressure you use. Or if you have no air, do it with a water hose.



Corey

BLACKZJ
12-12-2004, 11:43 AM
EXACTLY what i was gonna say. did the air thing to the wifes ford tortise afew years back and it worked. just make sure you keep the pressure down, i wouldn't shoot more than 30lbs of pressure. start wiht little pressure and let the core pressurized. when i did it i think she puked out the brown goo at around 25psi , i let it sit for about 30 seconds and bluuuaaa out spewed the goo. then flush her out real good. hope it works for ya. later

gearhead313
12-12-2004, 01:39 PM
:? u can do that, but if you screw the pressure up just a bit, the core will be junk...its only paper thin aluminum remember.

I would still plan a weekend, and change it. Its a pretty involved project, but in the end, you'll have a brand spanking, efficient system.



also....there is a chance you still have air in the core for some reason. find a way to get the front end way up in the air, or park it on a big hill.

If you can, have it up to temp then put the nose way up however u can, then leave it cool down. After a while lettign it cool, pop the cap and check the level. If it needs some, then add some. If not, then start it back up with the cap off and let it idle for a few seconds. After things start circulating, rev it up around 2k rpm or so and hold it there until the temp starts to come up. One of 2 things usually happens, it will start pushing the air to the top (which is the rad cap now its on an incline), or it will start circulating and blow a lot of coolant out. If it does that, let off the throttle and let it normalize. Keep it idling till the thermostat opens and your around the normal operating temp.

If it sucks the coolant down when you throttle it, keep it reved until its up to temp. It will probably bubble a bit and start steeming a bit. Once the thermostat opens, if there was air in it, the level should be down. Fill it up and it should help push any extra air out.

If you want while your reving it up, stop and check all the hoses to see what is getting hot again and what may not. I've had big problems with having air in heater cores, so it takes some efforts if there really is air in it.


anyway, i'd do that first, b/c if you pop the hoses off, and blow that air through it, you'll never get it out. Let us know whats up

Jeepinparrothead
12-12-2004, 04:20 PM
Ok here is the deal I get up this morning and I want to check the warmth of the hoses again. Well I get it up to operating temp, and then go back to my garage. I pop the hood to look and the the upper rad hose is completly sucked in. It has nothing running through it. I think I have air in the system. What do yall think. I am going to try the hill thing. Now it is off to find a hill. Think about it now, and see what you think. I really appreciate the help. I hope the hill thing helps.

Jeepinparrothead
12-12-2004, 08:00 PM
gearhead, your method got the air 100% warmer than it was. It is still not as warm as it is suppose to be. Thier were a lot of air pockets in it though due to the amount of bubbles that came to the top going through the hill method. I think that I will let someone that will be responsible for damages if it occurs blow out the heater core. That way if they mess something up they can fix it. If I do it, it will cost a lot more. Plus the chance of it them messing it up is far less than the chance of me messing it up. So, now that I think I have gotten all of the air out, and it is still not as cold as it should be it is a clogged or faulty hearter core?

gearhead313
12-13-2004, 01:04 PM
it definitly could be the heater core, but glad to hear you got it a little better.

I would still take it out and hammer on it. the high rpm's + positive G force will help push fluid through the core and push air out. Make sure hte over flow is full too.

Jeepinparrothead
12-13-2004, 06:49 PM
Ok...

This just gets more complecated as I go. Here is the deal I now have a code show up on the climate control screen (the thing that says what temp). Well not a code it just says Er when I turn on the jeep. Is there anyway to find out what that means? I really don't want to send it to the dealer. Like I said before the entire door system and levers were replaced before summer so I know that is not the problem. Maybe the switch is not going all the way cold. Someone said that I and didn't pay it any attention then but good call it might be. Anybody know how to check and see what the Er means?

OverkillZJ
12-13-2004, 09:18 PM
If that upper hose had a vacume in it to suck down like that, I think you might have something bigger going on than the heater core. That shouldn't be able to happen nomatter what condition the heater core is in. That sysm needs more fluid, and it's gotta be going somehwere...

The air should work itself out of the sytem as the system heats up and cools (pulling coolant from the overflow bottle as it cools as needed) but something's causing that not to work...

Jeepinparrothead
12-13-2004, 09:31 PM
Well the as soon as I posted about the code thing, I went out there and started it to go and get something to eat and the doors that I just had replaced at the stealer, in the tune of $900 are not working again. It has been maybe 10 months since they were replaced. So, it is going to the stealer again, becuase I am tired of playing with it and my machainc cannot do the door thing. So that is the only place that it can go. The low tonight is 17 so I will not be going out tonight :? oh well such is the life of a Jeep owner. I can't wait to get the bill from the stealer. If anyone has anymore ideas I will be glad to hear them until Thursday, at which case if you just then have read this and know exactly what the problem is, please call me instead so that I can have the dealer stop what ever they say it is and I will fix it......oh yea....256-759-9683

OverkillZJ
12-13-2004, 11:09 PM
Put a lil' space heater in it for now ;)