This morning, after a couple of days of not getting any heat at all, I got a LITTLE bit of warm air mixed with the cold this morning. What might this indicate? Is SOME hot air an indicator that the core is okay but that the door or actuator switch might be bad, or can a bad core still put out heat sometimes?

That reminds me - as I was driving home from Chattanooga Saturday morning, I had hot air but then couldn't make it go cold until I turned the system off and then started it again. Does that shed any light?


Thanks,

Tracey

 

Did you get the warm air when the rpms were up?
Sometimes heat and sometimes not, could be sign that air is in the coolant system, meaning your coolant is low.

This usually shows with heat at high rpm and no heat at idle.

If your coolant level is up to par, I'd suspect the blend door.

I'd tend to blame the core last because it's the most expensive and I'm an optimist.

 

Once the engine warmed up and the warm air showed up, it didn't seem to depend on the RPMs.



Tracey

 

So, you have checked the coolant level, it's full and stays full?
The system is tight?
No stains where you park?

 

I've checked the coolant, and it appears to be fine and not leaking.

The verdict from the Ford dealership: broken blend door and motor. Estimate: $805. I've gotten estimates from a few other places, and they're pretty consistent.

I will, of course, get the heater core replaced while all that's being done.



Tracey