My car heater is not working why?

Tiny
JGONZO2398
  • MEMBER
  • 357 POSTS
That makes sense, so since the thermostat is stuck on one setting, it means it’s only cooling thus why my car hasn’t overheated but it isn’t heating inside the cabin, right?
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JGONZO2398
  • MEMBER
  • 357 POSTS
So I went ahead and bought a new thermostat, thermostat housing and new gasket and gasket silicone sealant, cleaned everything as best as I could, put everything back together, put new antifreeze in the radiator. Still no heat?
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
GLENN STINNETT
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 107,000 MILES
Replaced heater core, thermostat still no heat.
Vents are blowing air and it will change positions as selected, engine temperature is good 178 degrees out of thermostat hose 140 off each side of heater core, blend door actuator working as it should. This is where I am lost.
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,797 POSTS
Good morning.

The first thing I would check is the hoses. Make sure you have hot hoses at the heater core.

A common issue for this is the water pump. The fins in the back rot out over time and produce very little circulation.

Roy

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,755 POSTS
Hi,

Are the heater hoses under the hood getting hot? If you start the engine, turn the heater on high and allow the engine to reach operating temperature, do both heater core hoses get hot? If they do, then heat is getting into the vehicle but not distributed.

That goes back to the blend air door actuator. What I suggest is this. Remove the actuator and confirm it is properly attached and operating. Here is a link that shows in general how one is replaced:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

Here are the directions specific to your vehicle. The attached pics correlate with the directions.

_________________________________

2002 Ford Taurus V6-3.0L DOHC VIN S
Temperature Blend Door Actuator
Vehicle Heating and Air Conditioning Air Door Actuator / Motor Service and Repair Procedures Temperature Blend Door Actuator
TEMPERATURE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR
REMOVAL
1. Remove the integrated control panel.

pic 1

2. Remove the right-side lower instrument panel insulator and glove box.

VEHICLES WITH EATC

3. Remove the 2 remote climate control module screws and position the module aside.

pic 2

4. Remove the temperature blend door linkage shield.

pic 3

5. Remove the temperature blend door actuator.
1 Disconnect the electrical connector.
2 Remove the screws.
3 Remove the temperature blend door actuator.

INSTALLATION
1. To install, reverse the removal procedure.

_______________________

Let us know what you find or if you have other questions.

Take care,
Joe
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JGONZO2398
  • MEMBER
  • 357 POSTS
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • 3.0L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • 119,522 MILES
This is basically an update on my previous/current problem with no heat in my car. So I went ahead and replaced the thermostat, brand new thermostat and gasket. Bought a brand new heater core and installed it, also went ahead and bought a new blend door actuator for the heck of it. All brand new parts, correctly installed, I still have not a bit of heat coming out of my vents. What is wrong with it?
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HARRY P
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,292 POSTS
I would probe the connector for the blend door actuator and make sure that it gets power to it when you turn the temperature up and down. No power means either a problem in the wiring or more likely the control unit itself is bad. That is just my $0.02

This guide can help us fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Also, you might as well check the temperature of the heater core hoses after the engine is fully warmed up and the heat is switched on. One of those hoses might be clogged. It is a little bit of a long shot.
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JGONZO2398
  • MEMBER
  • 357 POSTS
That is what I was thinking, but I got down there and watched as I turned the knob from hot to cold and the lever with the spring moved in correlation to the knob/temperature being moved. So my guess is that the blend door is working?
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HARRY P
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,292 POSTS
Hmm, could be that the door itself is broken. You would have to pull the HVAC box out and inspect it.
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JGONZO2398
  • MEMBER
  • 357 POSTS
I know I’m late, but here is a video I took of my blend door actuator, whenever I turn the temp to the hot side, it makes that clunk type sound as you can hear and also see, what do you think that is? Can that be causing no heat?
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HARRY P
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,292 POSTS
I'm betting that is the sound of the blend door slipping instead of moving. Either a chewed up gear or busted door itself would cause this, and it would definitely cause a no heat or no air situation (depending on where it was stuck). I'm not familiar with the HVAC box of an 02 Taurus, but I'd bet there's a way to open it up and look at the door. But it'll be a pain to physically do it. So I'd go ahead and gather up replacement parts, then do whatever needed to be done to check the door, and then replace as necessary. Return or resell whatever parts you don't use.
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JGONZO2398
  • MEMBER
  • 357 POSTS
Found it, but that price? It was the blend door that was broken it took a while but I fixed it.
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JASON FESSENDEN
  • MEMBER
  • 31 POSTS
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 160,000 MILES
So I have this issue with my car I started to notice last winter where when I try to adjust my temperature in it, it has one of those automatic temperature adjusters goes from like 60° to 90° in that works for hot or cold. As last winter halfway through I noticed that even if I turn it all the way to 90° it would never get super hot. During the summer I had A/C for most of the summer, but that started giving the point where it wouldn't get as cold either. Being winter's coming upon us I thought I would try the heat again and I know it's that it's not blowing really any heat at all. I was curious what this could be I was wondering if it was possible that it was the resistor. Now I know normally the resistor basically just uses the blower fan but the price difference between a regular resistor and one for automatic temperature control is a big difference in price so I was curious if that would be the reason why I wouldn't be getting Heat or coolness. Or could it be something else? Thank you.
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,755 POSTS
Welcome to 2CarPros.

As far as the heater not working properly, confirm the engine coolant is clean and full first. If it is, I need you to check something for me. Because of the mileage on the vehicle, the heater core may be plugging. To check, allow the engine to warm up to operating temp with the heater on high. Then, feel both of the heater core hoses. Both should be hot. One will be hotter than the other because one is the supply and the other is the return. If both hoses are hot, then the core is allowing coolant to flow. That leads me to the next possibility, the blend air door actuator.

The blend air door actuator is what determines the air temp entering the vehicle. If the heater core is good, this would be my next suspect. It is located under the dash on the HVAC system. Here are the directions for replacement. What I would do is access the actuator and see if it is functioning.

Before the directions, take a look through these links and see if they help in any way.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

Here are the directions. The attached pics correlate with these directions.

______________________

2002 Ford Taurus V6-3.0L VIN U
Temperature Blend Door Actuator
Vehicle Heating and Air Conditioning Air Door Actuator / Motor Service and Repair Procedures Temperature Blend Door Actuator
TEMPERATURE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR
REMOVAL
1. Remove the integrated control panel.

pic 1

2. Remove the right-side lower instrument panel insulator and glove box.

VEHICLES WITH EATC

3. Remove the 2 remote climate control module screws and position the module aside.

pic 2

4. Remove the temperature blend door linkage shield.

pic 3

5. Remove the temperature blend door actuator.
1 Disconnect the electrical connector.
2 Remove the screws.
3 Remove the temperature blend door actuator.

INSTALLATION
1. To install, reverse the removal procedure.

_____________________________________________________________

Let me know if any of this helps or if you have questions.

Take care,
Joe
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:26 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DAVE CLANCY
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 FORD TAURUS
In sept I noticed I had no heat coming out of vents.I changed the thermostat with no results. I took it to the ford dealer and they said my heater core was plugged. I took it to a local auto repair near my home and $500 dollars later I have a new heater core, radiator flush and new antifreeze. Problem fixed."WRONG". Two days later I have no heat again. Took it back to repair shop and they said my heater core was clogged again. They flushed it again and said it was working. By the time I got home I had no heat. Took it back again and they said it plugged up again. They flushed radiator and put new antifreeze in again. Still no heat two days later. I put in another new thermostat with no results. The car does not over heat. The temp guage goes in the middle. All hoses in car heat up except one top hose going to heater core seems cold. All together I have about $600 invested and still no heat. All control knobs in car work. The blend door works. Water pump works. But no heat. Is there a place in the macomb county mich area that could help me with this problem before we are at 10 below zero
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:29 AM (Merged)
Tiny
BMRFIXIT
  • MECHANIC
  • 19,053 POSTS
It sounds like the blend door actuator is not working but to be sure check out this guide.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Please run down this guide and report back.
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:29 AM (Merged)
Tiny
MIKE H R
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,094 POSTS
Disconnect the hoses and put a short piece of hose on each end. Flush it back and forth until it cleans out. Something tells me that the hose are put on the wrong connection. The intake hose for the heater core should be on the bottom. That way the antifreeze will fill the heater core until it is full before returning to the engine. If hooked up the other way the antifreeze will just go through the heater core and not give out any heat.. .
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:29 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 47,643 POSTS
Hello Dave and others that have this problem,

What happens is the heater core gets filled with air or exhaust gases from slightly a blown headgasket.

Here to two guides that will fix the problem for you.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Though it sounds like Shadowrose has has a blend door actuator that is unplugged therefor the temperature door will not swing to the heat side.

Here is a guide to help you with that.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

Please let us know happens so it will help others.

Best, Ken
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Tuesday, June 22nd, 2021 AT 11:29 AM (Merged)

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