Heater doesn't work

It sounds like the blend door actuator isn't working right. If you feel comfortable enough and have a digital multi meter I can walk you throught the tests to make sure. Let me know what you would like to do and we will go from there.

I do have a digital multimeter, so lets go from there
Thanks
Dennis

So I need to know if you have automatic a/c heating or manual. Meaning do you have climate control or not. Your radiator is full right? Get back to me so I can get the correct procedures for testing. Thanks.

I have manual HVAC, yes the radiator is full.
Thanks
Dennis

Ok first you need to check the temperature door cable to make sure it is connected and not bend or bound up here is a pic of the heater system hope this helps let me know what you find and we go to the next step. The cable is number 7

The temp door cable is secure and doesn't appear to be bent or bound up

Hi,
I tried to send you guys a reply yesterday, but I'm not sure it went thru. Anyway, the temp door cable seems to be secured and not bent or bound up.
Thanks
Dennis

Is the door closing all the way? If so then you will need to let the car get to operating temp and then feel the heater hoses are they the same temp? If not the heater core may be pluged.

Hi Guys,
I ran it up to oper. temp I checked all the hose I could find and none of them were even warm. I also noticed that there is maybe a plastic duct ( "V" shaped") going thru the fire wall, but it isn't hooked up to anything on the engine side, isn't that where the hot air is supposed to go?
Dennis

Ok how a heater system works is the engine gets hot (operating temp) and so the coolant gets hot this makes the heater core hot and the blend door directs the air through the heater core warming the air. So if the hoses to the core are not getting warm then make sure the coolant in the radiator is full and do me one more favor after the car is warmed up the upper radiator hose should be hot and the lower hose should be cooler by about 30 deg. Let me know what you find so I can try to point you in the right direction. If you have any pic you would like to include that might help or are just in question feel free to add them. Thanks.

Hi Guys,
Correction...I re-checked the heater hoses and found them both to be the same warmth after getting up to op. temp. Sorry for the mix-up. Also the radiator hoses seem to be ok as the top one is about 30 degrees warmer than the bottom hose.
Thanks
Dennis

Then it should be a blend door problem in some way. Either it is not shutting all the way and directing the air the through the heater core or maybe something fell down the vent like a pen or something and is stopping the door from closing. Is there an access to the blend door area so you can look to see if anything is in it?

Hi Guys,
Can you tell me how to check to see if the blend door is operating properly?
Thanks
Dennis

Ok if you refer back to were the pic is you will see number 4 this is the blower motor. It looks rather easy to remove so unplug it and remove it now the door should be cable operated so there is no need to have the car runnig. Reach up in the hole and make sure nothing is in there that may have dropped down through the vents and then use the temp control and move it from cool to warm and see if the door opens and shuts all the way. Let me know what you find and we will go from there.

Hi Guys,
I unpluged and took off what I thought was the blower, but it turned out to be an air intake which went from the front of the car thru an empty box with a paper filter thru a plastic hose to the top of the engine, There does seem to be what looks like a blower motor adjacent and to the right of this thing, at the front of the engine. It has two elec wires attached. Is this what I'm looking for?
Sorry to be so ummechanical
Thanks
Dennis

Ok if I understand you correctly you just romoved the air filter for the engine. The heater box is inside the car behind the glove box. So if you look under the dash behind the glove box you should see the blower motor looking down at you. If you look at the pic I send and will include again it is number 4. Let me know how it goes.

Hi Guys,
O.K. back on track...I unplugged the blwr mtr and removed it. reached up into the space and didn't find anything blocking. However, I moved the temp control knob back and forth and didn't see any difference up into the void. Although, sometimes when I move the temp knob I hear a faint thud in that area, but not all the time.
Look forward to hearing back from you guys
Dennis

Ok that thud is the door shutting now you need to look at the cable and such as you move the temp control and see if anything is binding as you move it. When you do not hear that thud means that the door didn't move now the question is why. From what I can find on your system is sounds like the temp control module is not working correctly. This module controls the operation of the temp the door and such. Now when you put it to heat and you hear that thud then start the car and let get to operating temp does it blow warm or hot air then? If so then the Module is you problem. Get back to me with what you find.

Hi Guys,
I turned the temp control knob, heard the thud, then started the car to op. temp. It still blew cool air.
Thanks
Dennis

Do you have a fresh air option? If so if you go to recirculate will that change?

Hi Guys,
I do have fresh air optiion, I've tried it with outside air and recirculating air and it always blows cold air, no heat.
Thanks
Dennis

Ok so we need to see what the recirculation system is doing. If you start the car and turn on the heater and switch from inside to outside air do you hear the door move? If not then I would like you to call around to your local parts stores and find one that will do a free scan and have a scan ran to see if the heater is giving off any codes. Let me know what you find.

Hi Guys,
I'm back. Took the SUV in, a mechanic said the heater hose(top one) was warm but the bottom one wasn't, He wants to replace the thermostat for $300. He didn't have a heater codes diagnostic tool. That didn't help I then replaced the temperature blend door actuator and it works great now. sorry for the run around I should have just done that to begin with.

Thanks 2Carpros I LOVE THIS SITE.

No heat what so ever. Just blows cold air. We are getting snow in New York.

So when the engine warms up is both heater hoses getting too hot to hold?

heat that blows is warm not hot. the vehicle is not maintained as it should be. The air conditioner was blowing warm air until some refrigerant was added in the summertime.I was wondering if the problem is the thermostat or the heater core.I wanted to try the thermostat first for financial reasons but do not know if it is easier to change.

Which engine do you have?also when the engine is at normal operating temperature is both heater hoses too hot to hold going into the heater core?

I have a brown sludge in my antifreeze and the car is overheating and has no hot air when the heater is on. Ive changed the waterpump and thermostat and no change. its the 3.0L v6 and theres no water in my oil but im thinking that a head gasket may be screwed up if so how hard is that to do by yourself.

the sludge is a result of lack of maintenance on the cooling system, it has clogged up the radiator and the heater core, and yes, i believe you have damaged the head gaskets.

i do not reccomend you try this yourself. it is very involved job.

Roy

Could be automatic transmission fluid in the coolant due to a leaking cooler in the radiator. Check the condition of that fluid. The cooling system will remain under higher pressure right after the hot engine is stopped so coolant will sneak into the transmission fluid.

it figures ive had nothing but trouble with this thing since it was bought. theres been electrical problems left and right now this crap. ive tried to flush the system out but it does no good at all the sludge just comes back. ive had the trans checked and it was fine. I changing the radiator and heater core this afternoon. the car was working just fine until thursday then all of a sudden it started overheating 10 mins from home and i cheacked everything the sludge was in the resivor guess the dealership didnt do a full check on the car before they sold it to me.

Happy to hear about the transmission but sorry for all the other problems. Don't be too hard on the dealer. People trade cars in without telling them about existing problems in the misguided thinking they will get more dollars for their trade. The dealers also often buy cars from auctions and they don't know about existing problems unless they show up on test drives which aren't very long. That's why they often give 30 day 50 / 50 warranties. They will take care of the things that show up later. They don't make any money on those repairs but they don't lose money either. It's a better deal for you than buying a car "as is".