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1998 Ford Taurus No heat

Tiny
JACOBDERANGER
  • MEMBER
  • 1998 FORD TAURUS
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 162,000 MILES
I had my heater core replaced a few months ago. I then discovered the problem was the blend door actuator. I've had low heat ever since. After that I got low heat and it would take a while to heat up. So I decided to flush out all the lines to the coolant reservoir with an air compressor then I put a new coolant reservoir on it and put a new gallon of antifreeze in it.
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Thursday, October 23rd, 2014 AT 11:08 AM

16 Replies

Tiny
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With the engine running at operating temp and the heater on high, do both heater core hoses get hot?
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Thursday, October 23rd, 2014 AT 5:47 PM
Tiny
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Heater core inlet is hot, outlet isn't hot at all. Is there anything I could do, or is it just plugged completely?
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Friday, October 24th, 2014 AT 7:46 AM
Tiny
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It sounds plugged. However, you can try flushing it in both directions. Basically, remove the heater hoses and using a garden hose, force water through it in both directions. You may get lucky and remove the corrosion causing the problem.
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Friday, October 24th, 2014 AT 8:44 AM
Tiny
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That's exactly what I'm doing now. I'm hoping it works. Like I said, I just replaced it a few months ago. It's just I didn't think to replace the coolant reservoir and flush all the lines and I guess it just sent it back through.
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Friday, October 24th, 2014 AT 9:11 AM
Tiny
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If it is new, it's odd that you are having this problem. However, I replaced a rear heater core in a new Durango a month ago because it was plugged. The car had 3K miles on it. Try the flush in both directions. Let me know what you find.
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Friday, October 24th, 2014 AT 10:52 AM
Tiny
JACOBDERANGER
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Whenever I have the time I will get down to the heater hoses from the firewall. I flushed everywhere besides the hoses to the heater core. I've just been flushing from the reservoir and bypass hoses. And for now, I've still got nothing. And it's very irritating because I get nothing but cold AC no matter where how hot or cold I try to set it. If my heater core is plugged, I'm gonna attempt to do it myself. I've seen a few videos and done lots and lots of research on it, but is there any tips you could give me if I have to resort to it?
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Wednesday, October 29th, 2014 AT 9:45 AM
Tiny
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You need to flush the heater core itself. You know, this sounds odd. You have a new heater core, you only get cold air regardless of temp selection, but you say the heater core intake is hot but the outlet is cold.

This is odd because it sounds like a plugged heater core since only one hose gets hot. However, it sounds like a blend air door because the core is new and nothing changes the temp even the slightest bit. Are you certain both heater core hoses don't get hot?
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Wednesday, October 29th, 2014 AT 6:58 PM
Tiny
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Positive. And the heater core has about 2-3 months on it. But there was so much junk in the lines I'm guessing it plugged again. That is the only thing I can think of. When I flushed the lines with water and then used an air compressor there was so much dirt and rust that blew out. And I replaced the blend door actuator about a month ago so I'm certain it's not that. We weren't able to figure out it was the blend door actuator until about a month and a half after the heater core was changed. I don't understand either. I'm going to flush heater core hoses tomorrow when I have the chance.
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Wednesday, October 29th, 2014 AT 7:06 PM
Tiny
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Make sure to flush the heater core in both directions.
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Thursday, October 30th, 2014 AT 8:49 AM
Tiny
JACOBDERANGER
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Pulled heater core hoses, flushed everything, heater core is not plugged because compressed air was able to travel through inlet and exit the outlet, vice versa. So it's not the heater core. I checked the blend door actuator, it's fine, moving like it should. I still don't understand. The only thing I can think of is this coolant reservoir not the right one and not letting the antifreeze travel like it should but that doesn't make sense either. I'm at a really big loss here.
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Sunday, November 2nd, 2014 AT 6:12 PM
Tiny
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Both heater core hoses hot also.
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Sunday, November 2nd, 2014 AT 6:27 PM
Tiny
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If both heater core hoses are hot, the ONLY thing it can relate to is a bad blend air door. Air from the fan blows across the heater core. If both hoses are hot, then the core is hot. Thus, it has to blow hot air into the car unless the blend door is in the wrong position and is blocking the heater core and allowing air to move via a different direction. There is nothing else. As far as the overflow, as long as the coolant is full, the bottle doesn't matter. If both heater core hoses are hot, the coolant is flowing.
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Monday, November 3rd, 2014 AT 8:32 AM
Tiny
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Checked blend door and it was fine. Could a vacuum leak be related? I've had a check engine light for it. But then I've read a vacuum leak is completely unrelated, so I'm not sure.
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Monday, November 3rd, 2014 AT 8:37 AM
Tiny
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This is very odd to me. I've been driving with thermostat on hot to see if the heat will kick on, no luck. Had to take the interstate, got up to 60, heat kicked on hot as could be. Got off on an exit, went back to AC. So thats good news, but I'm still at a loss here.
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Monday, November 3rd, 2014 AT 5:32 PM
Tiny
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The blend door is electrically actuated, so vacuum doesn't play a role with it. Other vent doors on your vehicle do, but they wouldn't cause this problem.

Listen, my guess is if you retrieve the trouble code that is causing the check engine light to be on, you will find B1249. That is a code for the blend door actuator. I am very confident that either the actuator is bad, there is a poor connection to it, or there is no power getting to it.

When you say you checked the door, did you actually observe it moving when you changed from AC to heat?
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Monday, November 3rd, 2014 AT 6:47 PM
Tiny
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Yes, it works completely fine, I watched it move correctly. I will have someone read the code and get it to be able to tell you. But I just replaced the actuator not too long ago. It works perfectly fine. I had heat not too long ago with the same actuator. And if the actuator was bad I would be able to tell so I know what to look for since I've had to replace it. The old ones gears went bad.
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Monday, November 3rd, 2014 AT 6:55 PM

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