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Better heat

3K views 34 replies 13 participants last post by  Cantflysolo 
#1 ·
My heat has kind of been lacking since I got my truck 3 years ago. It doesn't get super hot or really pump out a lot of heat, does anyone have any ideas on how to fix this? Could it be a bad blower motor? It still heats up the truck enough to be comfortable while driving but if I crack the window I'm screwed for the next 10 minutes til it warms back up
Thanks
Kyle


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#2 ·
Not the same year but I had a blend door break on my bronco which made it so the cool air was always coming in, might be worth checking. I would think you could tell on the blower motor, does it work at all the speeds?
 
#4 ·
Possibly. The heater core is nothing but a mini-radiator and if it is corroded or partially blocked you will get a lot less heat out of it, just like a radiator that is going bad (leaking or not) will not cool the motor as it should.
When you do it flush it good and look at the crap that may well come out of it. It may then work better.
 
#7 ·
yo
Here is an excerpt from TSB 93-24-08 for 84-94 Bronco, F Series, Aerostar, Econoline & many others
Poor heater/defroster performance Coolant level Check level in radiator and coolant recovery reservoir.
Leakage Check for leaks using pressure test.
Thermostat operation Check Thermostat. Refer to "Thermostat Diagnosis" procedure.
Blend door operation Check blend door for binding and proper operation.
Mode door operation Check mode door for binding and proper operation.
Blower fan operation Check blower fan for proper operation and control.
Heater core plugged Flush cooling system.

Thermostat.
FEEL heater water hoses. If the heater water hoses are too hot to hold, the thermostat is OK. If the heater water hoses do not get too hot to hold, REPLACE the thermostat. If only one heater water hose gets hot while the other remains cool, a plugged heater water hose or heater core is indicated.
Heater water hoses.
CHECK condition and routing of hoses.
 
#12 ·
yo KYLE, Again, try this simple test.
With Engine at normal operating temp. Be careful when touching HOT hoses and beware of fan.
FEEL heater water hoses. If the heater water hoses are too hot to hold, the thermostat is OK. If the heater water hoses do not get too hot to hold, REPLACE the thermostat. If only one heater water hose gets hot while the other remains cool, a plugged heater water hose or heater core is indicated.
 
#14 · (Edited)
There should be a line coming off the thermostat housing going into the heater core. That line carries water into the heater. The other carries it out. There should only be two water lines coming out of your heater. If both lines are hot, your heater core is good. If the line coming off the thermostat is hot, or at least significatly hotter than the other line, then your heater core is blocked.

Better yet, just go to your parts store, buy a new thermostat, thermostat housing gasket, and high temp gasket silicone and replace the thermostat. Make sure you buy the high temp thermostat. The 195* degree one I believe.

PS, drain the water out of your radiator using the pet-cock on the bottom of it before you take the thermostat housing off. And make sure you drain it into a clean tub so you can reuse it. You may want to get some rubber hose to fit on the pet-cock so you can avoid a mess. Do NOT USE allow oil to mix with your coolant if you plan on reusing it.
 
#16 ·
Its a 302. they dont generally have a cooling problem in these trucks cause they get a great radiator. try putting a T fitting in the heater hose and hook your garden hose to that to do your flush. Dont take it to Jiffy Lube. They do not do a proper flush. They put a vacume on the system till it sucks all the old coolant out then switch over and the vacume in the system draws in the new fluid. That is not a flush. Try what miesk5 was saying, to the letter. The man is a walking encylopidia.
 
#18 ·
does the engine reach proper operating temperature? seeing as NEITHER hose gets hot, leads me to believe the engine isn't getting warm enough in the first place.

And it's a 195* thermostat.
 
#19 ·
I feel ya man, my Broncos heater used to be okay before the heater core died, had it replaced but have never been happy with the heater since. I feel like the air doesn't blow hard enough to heat up that huge interior, and even on the hottest setting it takes FOREVER for the truck to be comfortable.
 
#23 ·
That sounds like the blend door is operating at least somewhat. the airflow should change slightly when you go from cold to hot.

however, your heater hoses being "hot enough to hold" means they are NOT hot enough. They should be so hot you can't keep a hand on them.

Where does your coolant temperature sit under normal conditions?
 
#25 ·
:banghead fix that!
 
#27 ·
Thermostat is like $5-6 and I like to replace them are part of normal maintenance every 5 years or so. If you don't remember having replaced it, I would do that next. I put a 165 degree in a Ranchero because I read in a book somewhere that was good for some horsepower and that thing never got warm. I finally replaced it with the correct one and the heater works great. I might add that we also started noticing some slugging on the rocker arms which is odd since we change its oil regularly if not more often than necessary. My brother is a mechanic and a good friend of ours works as a mechanic at the local Ford stealership and he said that running so cold can cause the sludging. So moral of the story, replace your thermostat.
 
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