1997 Ford Escort heater blows not much heat

201,000 MILES • 4 CYL • 2WD • MANUAL
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NATERE2
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Hello all.

I imagine this is asked for every month or so but what are some cheap remedy's for poor heating?

The AC works fine, and both blow normal, so that is not a problem. I know the temp knob in the middle leading to , what I assume is the rheostat, is broken but cant i change the setting on the rheostat but turning it clockwise with my hand?

What are the common trouble shooting steps for this problem?

I thought about flushing the coolant system as that has not been done in quite some time.

When I start the car up I get the "white smoke" for about a minute then it stops. Is this a head gasket (oh god no) problem? It doesn't do that all the time just when I crank up and then stops after a few minutes...=)

Actually I just cranked her up and nothing out the pipe, not sure maybe just the cold?
Jan 13, 2010 at 5:50 AM
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RASMATAZ
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 75,988 POSTS
Check the heater core if its clogged-up if not replace the thermostat and check coolant level and see what happens
Jan 13, 2010 at 6:06 AM
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