So its back to cold weather here, and it just seems like my G is not heating up like it should. It is sitting outside for the first time because my Garage is being occupied by my Mustang project. So, I got out and start the car about 15 minutes before I leave. The engine is almost to operating temp when I go to leave. I stop at Granny's to drop my dog off each morning, it runs for another 5 minutes or so then... Engine is at temp, blower is on High and 90 degrees and its still cold inside the car. I drive about 40 minutes to work and its not getting more than warm until the last 10 minutes.

I don't notice much of any difference between it being on Recirculate or Fresh air.

Anyone have any ideas??? The fan blower is defiantly running...

 

Check your your radiator and reserve tank. If they are low on coolant the heater will not get very out because the thermastat will keep circulating the water keeping it cool. The hotter the coolant is in the car the hotter your heater will be, also if the thermastat is stuck open it will keep the coolant from getting hot, and also if you did a radiator flush and didn't get all the air out the system it will keep it from getting hot. It would go from hot to cold to hot because of the air pocket in the system, But I would check to see if its low on coolant first the best way is to let the car cool down for a few hours and check the coolant in the radiator and reserve tank.

 

Good thoughts... I checked a couple weeks ago and the Rad is full, can't remember on the overflow, but i will check it on my lunch break. What about the coolant... I tested it and its good to something like 10 degrees... But its the OEM coolant(to my knowledge)... I am not 100% sure, but if its still green and tests to a low temp there is no point to flush it and change it is there??

 

You can buy a coolant tester at the parts store to check the coolant but its recommened to flush it every three years, but if the radiator is full of coolant it will not affect the heater unless its low, even if its bad the coolant will not affect the heater even if it was just water in the radiator as long as the radiator is completely full. If everything is full of coolant the next thing to check would be the thermastat.

 

ok... correct me if I am wrong... If the thermostat is bad it will stick open or stick closed, right?? Sticking open it would take forever for the engine to warm up to temp. 15 degrees out and its at temp in 15-20 minutes of idling. If it sticks closed the engine would over heat, correct?? Neither of those I am suffering from.

 

Thats correct but if I'm not mistaken all new cars have the stuck open feature so if the thermastat does go bad it will stay open to prevent over heating, but it could also just be partially stuck open. The thermastat is recommended to be changed at 60,000 miles or 90,000 miles not sure which one. It also depends if the coolant has been changed every 30,000 miles or three years. To prevent containaments from building up.

 

hummmmm, I did not know that... As soon as I can get the rear end of the mustang back together and get it out of my garage I am planning to change tranny, rear diff and power steering fluid... Looks like I will be doing coolant as well...