heater problem
10-05-2011, 06:14 AM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Va
Posts: 95
heater problem
2007 V6
Coolant level ok.
My heater won't blow hot air until the car gets to normal operating temp. This morning the paper was late and I sat in my car with the engine running for 40+ minutes and still the heater was blowing cold air. It wasn't until I got on the way to work, that the car reached normal operating temp. and the heater started blowing hot air. It was a cool morning so I left the heater going full blast and noticed that it would cool down briefly and then heat back up. It was like a safety issue and it didn't want to overheat. With winter in the near future, if this is normal, I can't wait 40+ minutes to get my windshield clear enough to drive. I don't want to install remote start unless I have to, even then, I'll have to let the car run for 40+ minutes and burn gas. This is my 7th mustang and never had this problem. My last would be blowing hot after 2-3 minutes. Anyone with similiar problems or suggestions?
Coolant level ok.
My heater won't blow hot air until the car gets to normal operating temp. This morning the paper was late and I sat in my car with the engine running for 40+ minutes and still the heater was blowing cold air. It wasn't until I got on the way to work, that the car reached normal operating temp. and the heater started blowing hot air. It was a cool morning so I left the heater going full blast and noticed that it would cool down briefly and then heat back up. It was like a safety issue and it didn't want to overheat. With winter in the near future, if this is normal, I can't wait 40+ minutes to get my windshield clear enough to drive. I don't want to install remote start unless I have to, even then, I'll have to let the car run for 40+ minutes and burn gas. This is my 7th mustang and never had this problem. My last would be blowing hot after 2-3 minutes. Anyone with similiar problems or suggestions?
10-05-2011, 01:02 PM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: CA
Posts: 217
2007 V6
Coolant level ok.
My heater won't blow hot air until the car gets to normal operating temp. This morning the paper was late and I sat in my car with the engine running for 40+ minutes and still the heater was blowing cold air. It wasn't until I got on the way to work, that the car reached normal operating temp. and the heater started blowing hot air. It was a cool morning so I left the heater going full blast and noticed that it would cool down briefly and then heat back up. It was like a safety issue and it didn't want to overheat. With winter in the near future, if this is normal, I can't wait 40+ minutes to get my windshield clear enough to drive. I don't want to install remote start unless I have to, even then, I'll have to let the car run for 40+ minutes and burn gas. This is my 7th mustang and never had this problem. My last would be blowing hot after 2-3 minutes. Anyone with similiar problems or suggestions?
Coolant level ok.
My heater won't blow hot air until the car gets to normal operating temp. This morning the paper was late and I sat in my car with the engine running for 40+ minutes and still the heater was blowing cold air. It wasn't until I got on the way to work, that the car reached normal operating temp. and the heater started blowing hot air. It was a cool morning so I left the heater going full blast and noticed that it would cool down briefly and then heat back up. It was like a safety issue and it didn't want to overheat. With winter in the near future, if this is normal, I can't wait 40+ minutes to get my windshield clear enough to drive. I don't want to install remote start unless I have to, even then, I'll have to let the car run for 40+ minutes and burn gas. This is my 7th mustang and never had this problem. My last would be blowing hot after 2-3 minutes. Anyone with similiar problems or suggestions?
something's wrong for sure.
fortunately i did not have this issue yet, so unfortunately i did not research it for THIS particular car and can only pass on some general ideas.
- just in general, no car these days and for a long time back "needs" to be "warmed up" before use, if there is ice there are ice scratchers (or credit cards), rear window defroster, if there is haze inside switch on the ac + hot, water leaks??. so basically it may be a matter of convenience and you WILL burn gas for no good reason.
- first you want to make sure (whatever the proper procedure may be) that you have sufficient coolant in there.
- how is the reading on the water temp gauge? cold all the time? overheating?
- is that a "new" problem, meaning all was good before or did just now try it?
- "and it didn't want to overheat" , thats a different issue, not necessariry directly related to the heating system, IF your car overheats AND heater not working properly i would assume you're missing fluids, that ain't good!
- all cooling/heating systems have one or the other way to limit/bypass the heating system as long as the engine/coolant is still cool. not sure how that is managed in the mustang, in my 90 crown vic there was an electric sensor screwed in the water lines that did go bad on me twice in several years. that caused the heater to not work on that car. older cars used to manage that by routing the coolant through the heater lines before the thermostat.
i'm sure there are plenty other possible points of failure, sensors, fan (all on or all off), vacuum issues, etc, but i would definetely start with the basics, defining the problem more accurate (overheat? cold?) and check fluid.
beyond that, first thing i do for any vehicle "new to me" is going on ebay etc, getting genuine service manuals, worked well for me over the years.
10-06-2011, 05:26 AM
#5
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Va
Posts: 95
Sorry, my bad. Still getting use to the old girl, new to me, my 007. I double checked overflow and found I had stains on the inside of my tank. Also, I didn't realize the cold mark is almost to the top of the tank. I was low and so far I have put in about a gallon and a half. I don't appear to have a leak, so I'm not sure why it was so low, unless the dealer made the same mistake I did. I'll be watching it for the next week or so to make sure it stays corrected. This morning I was nice and toasty on the way to work. Thanks for all your help and suggestions.
10-06-2011, 11:24 AM
#6
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: CA
Posts: 217
good for now i guess. but keep an eye on things.
the coolant must have gone somewhere!
i assume the system has not been drained for any reason (engine work, etc) and not refilled properly...
- look around the engine etc for water leaks when you start it cold, BEFORE the thermostat is open, thats when there is the most pressure in the coolant system, and when you shut it off hot.
- keep an eye on the water temp gauge, if it overheats for any reason (faulty thermostat, radiator fan, radiator cap, etc) it may press out coolant through the overflow.
- hopefully its not going into an internal leak, i. e. headgasket or worse.
the coolant must have gone somewhere!
i assume the system has not been drained for any reason (engine work, etc) and not refilled properly...
- look around the engine etc for water leaks when you start it cold, BEFORE the thermostat is open, thats when there is the most pressure in the coolant system, and when you shut it off hot.
- keep an eye on the water temp gauge, if it overheats for any reason (faulty thermostat, radiator fan, radiator cap, etc) it may press out coolant through the overflow.
- hopefully its not going into an internal leak, i. e. headgasket or worse.
10-18-2011, 03:58 PM
#7
~Natasha
12-20-2011, 12:10 PM
#8
Sorry about posting on this kind of old thread, but I have an 07 V6 and mine did the exact same thing. Except, I filled the coolant up and two days later it was leaking and empty again. It looks like there is a crack in the housing, so I ordered the the whole housing and gaskets.
I started installing it last night. I installed the bottom, put the hoses back on, thermostat in, then o-ring on top of the thermostat. Now this is where the trouble starts..
When I was bolting down the top of the housing, on of the edges cracked. It has three bolts and I was tightening them evenly. As I was tightening one of the bolts, that whole corner cracked. Would it be possible that the thermostat was stuck open preventing the top of the housing to be bolted down all of the way? Any other suggestions?
I started installing it last night. I installed the bottom, put the hoses back on, thermostat in, then o-ring on top of the thermostat. Now this is where the trouble starts..
When I was bolting down the top of the housing, on of the edges cracked. It has three bolts and I was tightening them evenly. As I was tightening one of the bolts, that whole corner cracked. Would it be possible that the thermostat was stuck open preventing the top of the housing to be bolted down all of the way? Any other suggestions?
12-21-2011, 05:04 AM
#9
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Va
Posts: 95
sorry I forgot
I took mine to the dealer and they found a crack in the thermostat housing. Because its an 07, they replaced the thermostat and the housing. Also, since I had added the dreaded non-Motorcraft Premium Gold, they drained my system and refilled with Premium Gold. No problems since.
Good luck with yours.
bigrich
Good luck with yours.
bigrich
12-21-2011, 05:07 AM
#10
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Va
Posts: 95
P.S.- I have not installed tstats in years, but if I understand you to say you are recracking your new housings, I assume there is a correct way for the tstat to go in, like bottom up or top up. Again thats an assumption.
bigrich
bigrich