Weak Heat?

[Mojavekid18]

Hi everyone i've been a member on the forum for over a year now and like to read through but never really needed to post anything until now.

I have a 1996 2.3 ranger 2wd 5sp. The heat has never really worked great since i got it from Florida almost 2 years ago and it takes FOREVER to warm the engine up to temp. Like over 25 minutes at idle during the summer or a solid 10 minutes of driving, and it still registers low(ish) on the temp gauge. My grandpa (who i got it from) said he had a friend do the waterpump ~3-4 years ago now. When i first got the truck the rad fluid was a rust color, so i flushed with as much water as i could and refilled it with distilled and new antifreeze before i started driving it.

Well now a year later the heat still has never worked good. So i took off each heater hose and blew them out with air and the hose, everything was clear. I ended up breaking the A/C vaccum operated switch valve that was on the heater hoses so i replaced that, flushed my system again, went through the trouble of putting a 195 thermostat in it (already had a 195 in it though) and the truck has even WEAKER heat now and runs ever cooler (barley makes it past the first mark on the gauge after running down the highway) . The hoses do get "warm" but not hot.

I don't know what would cause the truck to take so long to warm up? the only 3 things i that i could think of being bad are

1. Heater core -This is my first guess because i found a cab leak about a month ago that was at the very front corner of the pass floorboard. I sealed it up, and now i still get a little stream of water on the pass side floor. Also i hear a gurgling sound when i shut the truck off, i read that is a possible sign

2.Rad Cap - covered in rust, but idk if that causes the engine to run cool

3. Draft doors. -if they were sticking open could it cause the engine to always run cool?

But i really do not like just shotgunning parts on stuff, is there anyway to check this stuff without replacing it? and could any of it even cause those issues?

 

[wildbill23c]

Replace the radiator cap, and the heater core they're pretty cheap. The blend door could be stuck in an intermediate position. Does the A/C work in your truck or is it somewhat warm as well? If it is then the blend door could be your problem as well.

However if its taking the truck 25 minutes to heat up to luke warm heat then there's something that's not flowing right, either through the heater core, or the radiator. however if the truck itself isn't overheating then the radiator is most likely fine.

If the heater core is leaking that could very well be your problem. My 1984 Ford Bronco 2 was taking forever to heat up, and found out on my way home from work one night when I turned on the Defroster why it wasn't heating up right, as it blew coolant all over my windshield. That was a cold ass drive home with the windows down to keep the windshield clear enough to see though.

 

[Ford Doctor]

The heat entering you heater core is just a by-product of the cooling system. If the cooling system is not reaching full operating temperature, your heater core or any of the heater system components is not the cause. The thermostat is the only component in the cooling system that regulates the system temperature. Was there any rust damage to the thermostat sealing area that would allow coolant to bypass it? Also, was the rubber ring around the thermostat when it was installed? If was not then coolant could be bypassing there as well.

 

[koda6966]

Thermostats are cheap as hell, I'd pick one of those up to start with.

Then check your heater box to see if mice have set up shop. I changed the heater core that was leaking in one of my trucks only to find a giant mouse nest filling the heater box. Needless to say, I returned the blower motor that I bought to fix my "no air flow" problem with my heater.

 

[70roadrunner]

check the clutch on the fan. if it is seized, it will draw more air than needed through the radiator, not allowing it to warm up at idle.

the poor mans way of testing it is to grip it with a pair of pliers with the engine off. have an assistant start the engine. you should be able to hold the fan still when the engine is cold, but feel it "tugging" on the pliers.
the pliers are to keep your fingers, should the clutch be siezed

 

[LearjetMinako]

check the clutch on the fan. if it is seized, it will draw more air than needed through the radiator, not allowing it to warm up at idle.

the poor mans way of testing it is to grip it with a pair of pliers with the engine off. have an assistant start the engine. you should be able to hold the fan still when the engine is cold, but feel it "tugging" on the pliers.
the pliers are to keep your fingers, should the clutch be siezed

I don't recommend testing the fan clutch by that method. Thou the point of the fan clutch overcooling can be true.

You'll know when the fan clutch is engaged. You'll lose quite a bit of power and you'll be able to hear the fan pull air every time you accelerate.

 

[Mojavekid18]

Thanks for the replies everyone. When I flushed the system a week ago the fluid was still pretty bad from the PO not using distilled. The thermostat and housing looked in good condition though and I cleaned them up before I put it back together. I did make sure the rubber seal was on the thermostat when I put it in and that it seated properly. I will probably grab a new rad cap asap just because the one on it looks bad but I don't think it will fix the problem. I really think its the heater core but I'm just having a hard time grasping why it would cause the rest of the cooling system to run so cool. The clutch fan is a good idea and I will check it, but I have a sticky fan on my ram sometimes and can definitely tell when it happens. I dont seem to get any of the signs of that on the ranger.



It didn't even break the bottom marker on the gauge today on my 18 mile commute to work, and it was a nice warm ride at 17 degrees out :/





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[Mojavekid18]

Replace the radiator cap, and the heater core they're pretty cheap. The blend door could be stuck in an intermediate position. Does the A/C work in your truck or is it somewhat warm as well? If it is then the blend door could be your problem as well.

I forgot to mention that i did have the A/c working for a couple weeks this summer and it blew pretty cold before all the r134 leaked out.


Also i took note of some things on the way home today;
I got out and felt the radiator, cap, and upper rad hose after i got home from work (with the truck still running) and all were cold. I even got ballzy enough to take the cap off with it running and sure enough there was absolutely NO pressure. Nothing was even warm. Could a heater core with a hole in it cause this?

 

[Dprocks100]

Had this same problem a month ago with my 91 ranger. Flushed the system, changed thermostat, waterpump, all the hoses etc and nothing worked. Read somewhere that there could be a airbubble in one of the coolent lines, sounds weird i know, but desperate I did this and it worked for me.

Park your truck so that either the drivers side or passanger is higher up than the other by about 6 inches or more. I used the curb outside my house. Take the radiator cap off. Then go to the side thats taller and push it up and down so it bounces on the suspention. Do it for a little while and watch your fluid level in the radiator. If it goes down, prob solved. Cap it and see if its fixed.

Hope this helps!

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[Mojavekid18]

Had this same problem a month ago with my 91 ranger. Flushed the system, changed thermostat, waterpump, all the hoses etc and nothing worked. Read somewhere that there could be a airbubble in one of the coolent lines, sounds weird i know, but desperate I did this and it worked for me.

Park your truck so that either the drivers side or passanger is higher up than the other by about 6 inches or more. I used the curb outside my house. Take the radiator cap off. Then go to the side thats taller and push it up and down so it bounces on the suspention. Do it for a little while and watch your fluid level in the radiator. If it goes down, prob solved. Cap it and see if its fixed.

Hope this helps!

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Thanks alot! I didn't even think of their being an air pocket in there. Unfortunately i just went out there and gave it hell and it didn't fix it . I have a pretty steep hill right behind the garage and i parked it across there, bounced until my hands went numb, and the most i got was one tiny gurgle. Tried to put some fluid in but it didn't really take any. Drove it around some and its about the same. Ah well, one more plausibility to cross off the list

 

[70roadrunner]

put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to block about 2/3 of the radiator and see if it warms up. if it does, I would bet its a bad thermostat. over the years ive gotten a few bad ones. even had a couple that seemed to work properly when tested on the stove

 

[koda6966]

If it was a bubble you'd know pretty quick, right about when the engine shuts down from overheating. (Air bubble = no flow!)

Since your A/C worked great, then it's not going to be something to do with the blower motor or the vents being plugged up. 90% chance it's that thermostat.

Seriously, go buy one and put it in. Even if it's not the thermostat you're still helping your ride by "upgrading" your cooling system.

I just looked up your ranger on Advance Auto, a new thermostat is $9.99 and a felpro gasket (if it doesn't already come with one, many do!) is $2.29. Lets say $15 out the door, you don't have much to lose.

 

[Mojavekid18]

If it was a bubble you'd know pretty quick, right about when the engine shuts down from overheating. (Air bubble = no flow!)

Since your A/C worked great, then it's not going to be something to do with the blower motor or the vents being plugged up. 90% chance it's that thermostat.

Seriously, go buy one and put it in. Even if it's not the thermostat you're still helping your ride by "upgrading" your cooling system.

I just looked up your ranger on Advance Auto, a new thermostat is $9.99 and a felpro gasket (if it doesn't already come with one, many do!) is $2.29. Lets say $15 out the door, you don't have much to lose.

I already did put one in, that was in the first post. I know i COULD have gotten a bad one, but i have a receipt for one about a year before i got the truck, and this one is doing the same thing so i don't think that is the issue. But i guess its really the only thing that could cause it before i yank out the heater core. I will try the cardboard first i guess.

 

[Mojavekid18]

put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator to block about 2/3 of the radiator and see if it warms up. if it does, I would bet its a bad thermostat. over the years ive gotten a few bad ones. even had a couple that seemed to work properly when tested on the stove

I guess I will try this to see if you and koda are right. Thanks guys

 

[Mojavekid18]

So I replaced the radiator cap and I have pressure now. It does seem to heat up quicker, but still not as hot as it should read, and the heat is still weak. I still have to try the cardboard later today so we will see how that goes







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