heater doesnt get hot

[Wish2345]

i have a 94 ranger with 2.3l with over 200k and the heater doesnt seem to get really hot. The water temp gauge doesnt really show that the engine is to warm either but been told that is pretty much a dummy gauge. I changed the temp sensor but that didnt help much. Could it be my heater core needs to be replaced ?

[Bob Ayers]

Try changing the thermostat first. Use the OEM (195F) thermostat.

[BlackBII]

Are the heater hoses getting hott??
The ones going from your motor into the firewall?

[therieldeal]

i had this problem, and only one heater hose was getting warm. threw in a new heater core ($23, took less than an hour) and im nice and toasty warm now.

[Wish2345]

i havnt checked the hoses but i will def try that out. im thinking its either the thermostat or the heater core

[1983Ranger2wd]

im having hs same problem i changed the thermostat, checked the heater core and its not plugged, i also took both hoses for the heater core off to see if it was pumping fluid and nither of them did,:dunno:

[tworanger]

My 1991 with the 2.3 had this same problem. I flushed the system a couple times, removed the heater core and flushed it with a hose(no devris came out), put it back together and it works great now. I have no idea what caused the lack of heat but i am warm now. I love how easy it was to remove the heater core, 5 min!

[shadetree]

Make sure the coolant is not low. Also, the gauge is not a dummy, it is a real gauge. The oil pressure gauge is the dummy.:)shady

[Timo99]

Make sure the coolant is not low. Also, the gauge is not a dummy, it is a real gauge. The oil pressure gauge is the dummy.:)shady

+1 on the oil pressure gauge. It's next to useless.

[therieldeal]

i was able to pass water through my clogged core with a hose, but it still did not produce any heat.

[Mark_88]

If nothing else works, try covering half the rad with cardboard and see if it makes any difference...some people are more sensitive to cold than others...or they drive with the windows open and wonder why it's so cold...(I do this, btw to keep the smoke out of my eyes)...

Plus, driving faster in cold weather makes it feel colder...wind chill is a factor there...I've had to pull off the highway a few times to warm up the Zuki...it's a convertible (no, the top was ON)...and the roof leaks...plus there is more glass area and that makes it even colder than other vehicles with less glass...

[cocoasranger]

I think I read in the Chiltons manual that there is a certain direction the thermostat must be rotated to when installed in order for the coolant to flow properly. You may want to check that as a possible cause.

[MAKG]

If nothing else works, try covering half the rad with cardboard and see if it makes any difference...some people are more sensitive to cold than others...or they drive with the windows open and wonder why it's so cold...(I do this, btw to keep the smoke out of my eyes)...

Plus, driving faster in cold weather makes it feel colder...wind chill is a factor there...I've had to pull off the highway a few times to warm up the Zuki...it's a convertible (no, the top was ON)...and the roof leaks...plus there is more glass area and that makes it even colder than other vehicles with less glass...

Wind chill is utterly irrelevant for a radiator (unless it's raining or foggy). They are dry.

Airspeed will make little difference if it's very cold out; once the underhood air is close to ambient, you're not going to make it any different by blowing it faster through the radiator.

Unless it's PAINFULLY cold out (at least subzero), a working RBV heater is completely adequate. These are very powerful heaters. If it's not warming up, several possibilities come to mind:

1. Blocked heater core or ductwork
2. Nonfunctional or mistuned temperature door
3. Low coolant and/or low coolant pressure (leaks)
4. Blown water jacket
5. Stuck-open or missing thermostat

[Mark_88]

Wind chill is utterly irrelevant for a radiator (unless it's raining or foggy). They are dry.

Airspeed will make little difference if it's very cold out; once the underhood air is close to ambient, you're not going to make it any different by blowing it faster through the radiator.

Unless it's PAINFULLY cold out (at least subzero), a working RBV heater is completely adequate. These are very powerful heaters. If it's not warming up, several possibilities come to mind:

1. Blocked heater core or ductwork
2. Nonfunctional or mistuned temperature door
3. Low coolant and/or low coolant pressure (leaks)
4. Blown water jacket
5. Stuck-open or missing thermostat

Hmmmm...not according to what I've read...passing cold air over a radiator will cool it faster, and wind chill is a factor if the radiator is wamer than the ambient air...which is usually the case.

Getting cold air coming in from the vent could be a factor in my vehicle also, since if I open the glove box it feels like there is a draft coming in...but, as I said, if the other things don't seem to help...covering the rad means the heat is not blown away quite as fast as it would be if the rad is fully exposed...