MrJ

previously, I had thought that the core was getting hot, but the heat was never reaching me, maybe because the heater door behind the dash wasn't opening. That's not the case. I removed the lower panel that covers the core, and with the car idling at 220 degrees and warmed up, the core was completely cold. Coolant is not reaching the core. So I go out and replace the heater control valve on the passenger side valve cover. No difference. So now I'm thinking that there mush be air in the lines, so I release the pressure release lever on my radiator cap... I guess there was a ton of air in the lines, because the coolant in the overflow tank rose all the way to the top, bubbling the entire time. After about 5 minutes it dropped back down. I started the car again... STILL NO HEAT. I don't know what the problem is, I'm stumped.

89convertRS

I just went throught heater core hell and have a couple suggestions
Have you checked that you are actually getting vacuum to the heater control valve? Another thought might be to check to see if you are getting flow from the intake manifold to the valve. Also I believe that your car should be idiling at 180 - 195 deg 220 seems a little hot.

MrJ

The car is off the road for the winter and is sitting in a garage... I have no coolant temperature issues, I just let it sit for half an hour with no airflow to the radiator due to that fact that it's parked. Now that you mention vaccum to the heater control valve... I did test that, I didn't really feel anything... so there is a good chance that there is no vacuum getting to the valve. I can't seem to find where the vacuum hose connects to the interior heater switches, though... does anyone know?

89convertRS

Keep us posted on what you find

Jim85IROC

iTrader: (2)

I have a technique that may help.

Eliminate the heater control valve and plumb the core directly to the radiator and the throttle body. This is how I have mine and I've NEVER managed to get the core airbound. Just to be sure, take both hoses after you connect them to the core, hold one up high and the other one about level with the heater core. Pour coolant into the high one until it comes out of the other one, then raise the other one again and repeat. This should make sure that the core has at least enough fluid so that it won't get air bound. Now hook the hoses directly to the throttle body and the radiator and see if you've got heat. If so, either leave it that way (it makes no difference in the summer) or hook it back up the old way. At least now you'll have water in the heater core.

Ward

iTrader: (1)

The only problem with removing the heater control valve is that the car will run hotter. Down here in Texas, thats not a good thing. My car did not originally have a heater control valve, so I added one that you can open/close by hand. In the summer, I close it and the temp drops about 20*.

Without a heater control valve, you give the colling system a full time radiator bypass. So when the heater is off, your dumping hot coolant right back into the intake from the pump.