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2.3L ('83-'97) So.... Still Need Help..... Freezing My Thighs Off Every Time I Drive


DCman

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Alrighty guys, and suggestions as to why Rudy's heater decided to randomly desire to not work anymore?
I usually can laugh it off but this morning my thighs literally felt like some nice Round cuts of meat...
that just got pulled out of an ESKIMO'S DEEP FREEZER
....ughhhh.... please help me be warm in my beloved truck once again
If the coolant level is ok, try warming up your truck with the air selector in the recirculate mode...i.e., instead bringing fresh COLD air through the heater core and into the cab, you just recirculate the air that's already in the cab.
I had a similar problem with an '89 Mazda truck I used to own. I made a winter front for the radiator from a piece of cardboard covered in duct tape and left like 1/2" of the top exposed and it still took forever to warm up in the winter....any other time of the year, it was fine.
One day I was looking at the heater controls and noticed I had it in fresh air mode, so I moved it over to recirculate and tossed the winter front.
Solved that problem, right then and there.
 


racsan

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I did try putting the foam insulation over the heater hoses and it does help some.
 

scotts90ranger

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If the coolant level is ok, try warming up your truck with the air selector in the recirculate mode...i.e., instead bringing fresh COLD air through the heater core and into the cab, you just recirculate the air that's already in the cab.
I had a similar problem with an '89 Mazda truck I used to own. I made a winter front for the radiator from a piece of cardboard covered in duct tape and left like 1/2" of the top exposed and it still took forever to warm up in the winter....any other time of the year, it was fine.
One day I was looking at the heater controls and noticed I had it in fresh air mode, so I moved it over to recirculate and tossed the winter front.
Solved that problem, right then and there.
Problem is it's a Ford, and Ford doesn't believe in the need for the recirculate mode :). I have several, nothing has a recirculate...
 

massacre

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To the OP
Is the coolant temp gauge showing normal temps?
 

adsm08

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Problem is it's a Ford, and Ford doesn't believe in the need for the recirculate mode :). I have several, nothing has a recirculate...
No, it is there, you just have to know how to access it.

MAX AC on a full heat setting is functionally recirc heat.
 

DCman

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Thank you adsm. I never use that side of the dial.
Makes sense, if you think about it.
 

tomw

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racsan
I owned a Pinto with a 2.3 and lived in Cleveland for a couple years... I know winter and it got cold. The heater worked. If you are not getting enough heat, then something is wrong.

The most common thing is a clogged heater core, but you replaced yours. Is it possible the new core does not flow as it should? When the engine is warmed up, both hoses should be too hot to keep touching with bare hands. Neither should have any significant temperature difference.
The next possibility is an air bubble. The system must be bled of air, and it will easily trap air in the heater hoses. To bleed the system the hoses must be manipulated to let the air all get to the 'high point' in the system, and then allowed to be purged by opening the system at that point, until coolant flows out.
Adding an 'air dam' to block flow over the radiator is usually an indication of a thermostat that is not working as it should. Coolant will not flow through the radiator until the thermostat opens, well, it should not. You can feel the upper radiator hose when the engine is warming up, and it should stay COLD until all of a sudden the thermostat opens. If it warms up gradually, then the thermostat is allowing coolant flow prior to reaching temperature, and that is not correct.
tom
 

scotts90ranger

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No, it is there, you just have to know how to access it.

MAX AC on a full heat setting is functionally recirc heat.
Interesting, that's only an option on my F350 but it has blend door issues currently... my two explorers have the fancier vent system that doesn't give the operator control of such things, just fan speed, temperature and zones... Neither Ranger has A/C
 

JMF661

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2.3s have terrible heat to begin with. They are waaaay overbuilt and take forever to warm up so I'd be inclined to make sure that it's simply not a case of the engine not being hot enough to make heat before tearing too much into it.

Like unclegump said check coolant first. Then once the truck is hot, turn heat on full blast and feel the heater hoses. Both should be hot, if only one is hot the heater core may be plugged or the control valve may be stuck (if you have one).

Also could be the blend door, I'm not 100% sure if they used the electronic blend door in 97 but the 98-2011 rangers had a notorious problem for the blend door motors failing. No blend door means no heat.
I had blend door issues with my 97 ranger. Ended up having to replace it.
 

DCman

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Interesting, that's only an option on my F350 but it has blend door issues currently... my two explorers have the fancier vent system that doesn't give the operator control of such things, just fan speed, temperature and zones... Neither Ranger has A/C
My Ranger doesn't have AC either, but it does have that option on the heater controls.....

54728


...its like adsm says. It's just Ford's way of labeling the "recirculate air" feature on the Ranger in those years.
 

tomw

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My ranger(85) came without A/C. But it did/does have a flap internal that would close off outside air. When it closed, it could open to re-circ mode if the plastic had been cut. I cut the plastic, so it can draw internal air, recirc mode, when the flap is set to the non-vent position. Did that when I added A/C, but never had the need for recirculation for heating purposes.
tom
 

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