slow heating?

[louie1086]

Hello everyone. I was wondering if any of you have the problem of not getting heat fast enough just after starting your car. It takes me a good 10 minutes of mild driving before i start feeling heating blowing with the knob turned all the way to red. If any one has experienced this problem and has a solution, please advise. Thanks a bunch.

[J_Phu]

sounds like you have a clogged heater core

[Black95Cam]

gotta let the car/heater core warm up..

[louie1086]

how do i unclog the heater core?

[J_Phu]

well the easiest way is to disconnect the two heater hose and blast water into one of the hose. Do it until the water comes out the other hose clear.

[Kep]

I think more often it is a bad (open) thermostat. Is your engine temperature gauge also slow to get into the operating range? If so you can pull the thermostat out and check it a lot easier than fooling with the heater core. On the other hand, if the temp gauge is showing at the operating temperature then it could well be your heater core. But I'd sure check the thermostat first.

Kep

[Dave's]

T-stat may be the easy fruit but that's where I'd start. Of course it could be normal. 10 minutes until warm-up could be within a reasonable time.

[Mike Gerber]

What does the gage on the dash show during this 10 minute period? Is the gage going to about the halfway point of the temperature scale in about 5 minutes or is it staying toward the cool side of the scale? If it is warming to the halfway point and you are getting very little heat, then it could be a clogged heater core. If on the other hand, the gage indicates the car is slow to warm up to operating temperature, then you most likely have a thermostat that is stuck in the open position.

Mike

[louie1086]

the temperature gage goes up as it normally should. after the wait time, the needle is at the middle of the gage, and the heat flows normally.

i was hoping to find a way to get heat faster, but removing the heater core involves draining the coolant; a task which i am not going to do in the cold (i do not have access to a garage).

[camryvibe]

Originally Posted by louie1086

the temperature gage goes up as it normally should. after the wait time, the needle is at the middle of the gage, and the heat flows normally.

If you're getting good warm air from the heater as soon as the temperature gauge shows that the engine has warmed up, then it sounds like your heater core is working fine. That leaves two possibilities:
1) the warmup time is normal given your driving situation and the outside temperature - in this case there's not much you can do except let the car warm up a little longer; and
2) something is wrong that's resulting in a slower than normal warmup.
In case 2) the most likely suspect is still your thermostat. If it's staying partly open even when cold then some water will be flowing through the radiator and cooling off even when the engine is still cold. Another possibility is that the switch controlling the radiator fan is broken and making the fan run whenever the car is turned on. That's easy to check - next time your car has been sitting for awhile (i.e. cold engine), turn the key to 'ON' and see if the fans are spinning. They shouldn't turn on until the engine gets pretty warm.

[Kep]

If the heat comes on at about the same time that the temp gauge shows operating temp (about mid range of the gauge) then it is most likely not your heater core. It is quite likely your t-stat. Take the t-stat out of the housing and check it for proper operation. If it doesn't close completely when cold or if it opens too soon replace it and enjoy quicker heat. If you just have the one car to shag parts with, don't forget the gaskets.

Kep

[dc_98_cam]

Think it would be a good idea, as camryvibe suggested, to check your radiator fan.
There is a temp controlled fan switch in the radiator, which when defective, will cause the fans to run continuously. Also, it good maintenance practice to replace the thermostat and gasket every few years.