2003 Chevy Cavalier

STEVEB724

MEMBER
2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
45,000 MILES

I've noticed that on occasion that I don't have a whole lot of heat coming out of the dash board vents. My fan is working properly and the temp gage is showing around 194 degrees. Could this possibly be the thermostat? I'm not quite sure where this would be located. I have replaced them on a few older cars. Any help will be appreciated.

1 Reply

RENAUDTN

MECHANIC
636 POSTS

194 degrees is normal operating temperature. Is your car taking an unusually long time to warm up? If not, your thermostat is probably okay.

First, check your coolant level. If it's too low, your heater won't work well. Add coolant, and check for leaks.

Also, check your inlet and outlet heater hoses. With car at normal temp and heater turned to high, both hoses should feel very hot. If one hose (the outlet hose that is) is much cooler than the other one, or completely cold, your heater core is probably clogged. At this point you would need to either flush your heater core or replace it.
If both hoses feel very hot and your coolant level is normal, the problem would likely be a bad actuator or broken blend door.