Hey guys I'm back, its been a while but Im stumped. My heat seems to take a really long time to get going and when the air stops blowing cold its not very warm. This just happened 2 days ago, prior to that my AC/Heat worked fine. You think its the thermostat or has my Heater core gone bad? Anyone else have this happen? It started the same day it got really cold. I'm taking it to the shop Thursday if i cant figure it out tomorrow. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

This may sound crazy, but check your coolant level. The coolant is what runs through the lines and through the heater core. Does the temp. fluctuate, or does it just never warm up?

 

+2 on low coolant level. Next, replace the thermostat. Quick, easy and inexpensive. Not like paying a mechanic an arm & leg to do something so simple.

 

X3 on the coolant level.

Check the level and look for green spots where you park, and then look for a leak.

Had this problem with my Explorer, and found low coolant. All because of a loose hose clamp.

Hope you find the problem, being cold isn't fun

 

What does the engine temp guage show? If it's cold up there, it will take longer for the engine to reach a tempurature that opens the thermostate. Engine cold, no heat.

 

It was the coolant.... Ive checked everywhere and can't find a leak. No signs on the driveway or at work in the lot. But the coolant was a little low... Added some coolant/water mix drove around a few minutes and it was good to go again. THe coolant looked pretty dirty so im going to get a flush and fill and i think it will be good again. Thanks for the advice!

 

Keep a close eye on the coolant level.
I had a 3.0 taurus that had a VERY slow head gasket leak. Hardly noticeable. When I had no heat, in WI, wintertime is when I found out. Replacing the thermostat and flushing the cooling system gives you a fresh start. My Taurus never overheated or showed high temperatures, although the gauge is a good place to monitor.
Good luck.

When you do have it flushed, have it done by a mechanic and have them "pressure test" your cooling system. A drop in pressure when testing will tell him there is a leak and then help you find it.

 

Glad it was right! I've only had my truck for about three weeks, so I don't know common leak places for our trucks. If the radiator has a plastic piece along one side, it may be where the metal meets the plastic. Jeeps have that problem.

 

glad you figured yours out. I have some VERY weak heat also. I checked the antifreeze and the T-stat, both good. I don't want to even think that I might have a heatercore issue but what else could it be?? Anyone got some ideas for me. Mine will warm very slowly and if I coast on the highways at all it will drop the coolant temp gauge, not much but it does move back to the cold side a bit (the with of the needle in the gauge). anyone

 

If its the heater core you should be able to smell the coolant, and the windshield will fog up.