no heat

[wtfdissux]

ok to save some time both hoses from the heater core get hot blend door works fine recurculate door works fine blower and ducts also good no coolant leaks or contamination just blows **** warm at best and its 40 degrees today on christmas had to take kids to see grandma with no heat and damn it was cold am going nuts with it taking an hour to clear the fog from the windows before I go to work in the morning with gas prices this high am almost ready to take all the windows out and wear goggles to see while driving

 

[4X4RedNeck]

So it blows heat it just takes a long time to do so?

 

[miesk5]

ok to save some time both hoses from the heater core get hot blend door works fine recurculate door works fine blower and ducts also good no coolant leaks or contamination just blows **** warm at best and its 40 degrees today on christmas had to take kids to see grandma with no heat and damn it was cold am going nuts with it taking an hour to clear the fog from the windows before I go to work in the morning with gas prices this high am almost ready to take all the windows out and wear goggles to see while driving

yo... been there and know how it w/the children in it!

!st - heater core is clogged...feel heater hoses after engine is @ norm op temp,; one should be HOT and other cool(er); if so, core is clogged; some remove it and try to flush it with a hose; buy a NAPA type if it needs to be replaced.

2nd heater passageway is clogged w/leaves:

by our pal here, Seabronco; "...There is a rubber bladder at the bottom on each side of the cowl vent intake, not sure why, to keep the leaves and crap from getting out I guess . I removed the cowl piece and used a piece of stiff wire to loosen the junk up and then vacuumed it out with my shop vac. I think I'm going to put some screening under the intake grill and remove the bladders when I replace the front fenders next year..."

Leaf & Debris Build-Up, Drain Location pics in a 90 Source: by My90Bronco

Leaf & Debris Build-Up Location in 80-96 Blower Motors/Ducts Source: by Steve83

the drains are ez to find under front fenders, near doors

 

[wtfdissux]

yo... been there and know how it w/the children in it!
!st - heater core is clogged...feel heater hoses after engine is @ norm op temp,; one should be HOT and other cool(er); if so, core is clogged; some remove it and try to flush it with a hose; buy a NAPA type if it needs to be replaced.

2nd heater passageway is clogged w/leaves:

by our pal here, Seabronco; "...There is a rubber bladder at the bottom on each side of the cowl vent intake, not sure why, to keep the leaves and crap from getting out I guess . I removed the cowl piece and used a piece of stiff wire to loosen the junk up and then vacuumed it out with my shop vac. I think I'm going to put some screening under the intake grill and remove the bladders when I replace the front fenders next year..."

Leaf & Debris Build-Up, Drain Location pics in a 90 Source: by My90Bronco

Leaf & Debris Build-Up Location in 80-96 Blower Motors/Ducts Source: by Steve83

the drains are ez to find under front fenders, near doors

regularly clean the box out after hearing about fires in them from the resistor and the core is not plugged and yes I do get heat its just never more than **** warm and then only on a warmer day but when the temp is around 30 or less like when i go to and from work even after running for an hour before I pull out and driving for 20 mins still NO heat just blows Ice cold air

the truck did have factory air in it but the lines are all cut and removed along with the compresor so no it is not going to AC either

 

[4X4RedNeck]

Check your coolant level and for any coolant leaks. Maybe a block heater would be nice too.

 

[Broncobill78]

See if maybe these help narrow it down.

 

[wtfdissux]

ok had a few to look over the pics and still come to the same problem ther isn't one but still no heat I even reduced the freeze point of the anti freeze from -30 to about -10 and no differance thinking this is turning into one of those "there's yer sign" moments and since I am thinking of getting a f-150 for me and a *gulp* mini van for the kids so at least the parts will swap over to it and cutting bait but it kinda sucks cuz I love my truck even if it looks like crap and sounds worse can still lay rubber from the stock tires whenever I want to put them on and get some good fun in the summer with the top off at the beaches across the water in Canada picking up my step kids

 

[Broncobill78]

Well, fact is we're not the end-all-be-all of Bronco's. While there are a *couple* professional mechanics here most of us just **** around with our trucks and can really only offer advise as to what we've seen & done before. I've suggested it before & I'll dust it off again, there are times when I'm not so proud that I won't take my truck to a trusted shop or even the dealership to get a diagnostic. Generally speaking most places will diagnose a problem for free & then charge you up the WaHoo to fix it (they like to pay their mechanics $12/hr & charge $45/hr for service, awfully capitalistic of them ain't it ?). But still, nothing says I can't "take it home & talk to the wife" while I go to NAPA & buy what I need to fix it. Perhaps not the most altruistic thing to do but hey, it IS your wallet & *I* certainly find no shame in it (from time to time at least). If nothing else it's an option.

 

[wtfdissux]

I deleted this post because after reading it I came off as a real a@# **%$ and would have gotten offended if a person replied to me that way so to any that read it I am sorry

 

[Broncobill78]

Man, I think it's criminal what Tech's get paid compared to what shops charge. It's getting to the point where if you fix anything or work with your hands you're looked at as second class. You're absolutely right, I don't know HOW many folks I've met who think you guys rule the roost just because the shop charges $45/hr. I don't really care about the shop I bring my truck too, what I DO care about is the guy who's turning the wrench. I'll pay what the shop wants if I can get HIM to work on my truck, or better still, to talk to me about what the problem is, explain it to me and then NOT treat me like an ATM. You find a shop like that & you pay what they ask.

I agree that a *good* tech won't rob you, but #1, how many of THEM are out there and #2, how many of them OWN the shop & determine the shop rate ? Plenty of hammer mechanics out there & guys who just work for The Man. It's like finding a Good Woman thru an online ad, they're out there but the percentages are against you.

I dunno man, I've seen my share of heater probs in New England but nothing like what you're discribing. I *hate* to take the shotgun approach but it almost sounds like time to start methodically replacing one componant after another, and NOBODY likes doing that.

 

[wtfdissux]

am going to check out the thermostat when I get the time holiday weeks **** at work since its a paid day you cant clock over 32 hours so its day on day off day ....well you get the idea at any rate I remember once being told that in this area to run a hotter thermostat in the winter so the engine has to warm up more to open it and I found out today that the block temp is not as high as I would like for fuel mileage since it doesn't fully warm up until I am already at work

 

[Broncobill78]

Yeah, been there done that & still have friends & family in the business. sucks until you own a shop & then the overhead kills ya. I worked/lived in Mass which can't be far away and would usually just thow part of a cardboard beer case (back when you could buy *actual* cases instead of freaking suitcases) in front of the radiator to help it warm up. A rack of Bud & some duck tape worked wonders for 4 months a year, probably NOT your problem though (although the beer never hurts). It'd be super-cool if the T-stat was your problem but I'm guessing we both know different, but hey, every now & then the thermostat fairy DOES come by & fix your problems. Wish I had a clue man, I've just never seen what you're dealing with.

 

[BroncoJoe19]

yo... been there and know how it w/the children in it!
!st - heater core is clogged...feel heater hoses after engine is @ norm op temp,; one should be HOT and other cool(er); if so, core is clogged; some remove it and try to flush it with a hose; buy a NAPA type if it needs to be replaced.

2nd heater passageway is clogged w/leaves:

by our pal here, Seabronco; "...There is a rubber bladder ...

Gentlemen:

This was an excelelnt response, except for the typo. It should read... one should be HOT and other cool(er); if NOT, the core is clogged;

I had a '67 cougar with the same propblem. I put in a hotter thermostat one year during the winter, and a cooler one in the summer. It helped somewhat but was not really a good fix. The next year, I tried flushing the heater core with a garden hose, that also helped, but was not really satisfactory. Replacing the heater core was not a difficult job in that car, didn't cost much, and really did the trick.

Goodluck

 

[wtfdissux]

think I may have an idea about a cause and the thermostat is what made me think of it I have already found out that my coolant tester was way off and is actual good for -40 so is pretty much straight antifreeze also the thermostat is stuck open at least I think it is since the system gets pressure at start-up and both rad hoses heat up at the same rate

so with a storm coming up for new years will try to do it tomorrow or at work Monday and then run a flush thru the whole system and also "air flushing" the core

since I probobly wont have this truck next winter I really dont want to change the core if it gets that far will pick up a 12V heater and plug it into the truck now I know what I hardwired those power ports in for.

 

[Seabronc]

yo... been there and know how it w/the children in it!
by our pal here, Seabronco; "...There is a rubber bladder at the bottom on each side of the cowl vent intake, not sure why, to keep the leaves and crap from getting out I guess . I removed the cowl piece and used a piece of stiff wire to loosen the junk up and then vacuumed it out with my shop vac. I think I'm going to put some screening under the intake grill and remove the bladders when I replace the front fenders next year..."

Update.

Instead of putting some screening under the cowling, I did one better when I did the front end this Summer. I put an 87 cowling on it which solves the leaf an Maple tree seed junk problem.

>-

Sorry this doesn't help you any wtfdissux

Since you use to have A/C then the controls still act the same as far as the air output is concerned. When you move the control from OFF to VENT to FLOOR to DEFROSTER does the air go where it is supposed to? Or does it stay at the DEFROSTER? Or where does it get directed in each position?

 

[BroncoJoe19]

since I probobly wont have this truck next winter I really dont want to change the core if it gets that far will pick up a 12V heater and plug it into the truck now I know what I hardwired those power ports in for.

Those 12v units really do not throw enough BTUs to heat the cab. I just Googled bronco heater core and found that they can be obtained for about $32.

DO yourself a favor, pick one up and put in a couple of hours of labor. You will be amazed at the amount of heat that they throw.

The heater core gets fed from the bottom so that hose should be hot. You said that it is. The HOT water gets pushed through it IF IT IS NOT CLOGGED, and air gets pushed accross the heater core, picking up BTUs from the HOT water within it. Therefore the hose on top, should be cooler due to the lost thermal energy. IF it is not cooler, one of two things are happening.

1. air is not going accross the heater core, and is not picking up BTUs
   
2. air is going accross the heater core and picks up whatever BTUs are available, but there is no water movement through the heater core, therefore the air blows at a very low temperature.
   

You said that the plenums and baffles are working normally, therefore the only solution is number 2 above.

The reason why both hoses are hot is because there is no movement through the core, and the heat backs up from the engine to the core, it is a matter of physics... high energy will replace low energy.

I hope this helps, cause we are just at the beginning of winter.

Good luck

joe

 

[Tennessee Jed]

Man, I think it's criminal what Tech's get paid compared to what shops charge. It's getting to the point where if you fix anything or work with your hands you're looked at as second class....

You sure said something there Broncobill!! I am yet to understand why the world wants to starve a craftsman.

wtfdissux: I would try an intensive flush of the heater core before I went to the trouble of removing it for replacement if it don't already leak. I mean if you have hot water in the engine and air flow across the core you should be able to get heat.

To do it I would cut the hoses (both of them about 12" away from the firewall) plug the bottom one with a bolt and hose clamp stick a funnel in the top hose add a can of Prestone flush and boiling hot water and let it set a couple hours. Remove the bottom plug and pour boiling hot water in the funnel and look at the discharge for chunks of rusty sediment, perhaps do it a couple of times and attach the garden hose and do some blasting too. Then after a good rinse plug it again add boiling hot water till it was full and run the blower and see if the air feels hotter. If it feels better and the core ain't leaking after blasting the rust that had the pin holes plugged. I would patch the hoses using two flush connector "T's" for later access to do a super garden hose flush of the system whenever you wanted.

 

[CSM_Bronco]

im not 100% sure as i did not read the previous comments merely skimmed through.......i just ran into that problem myself. i converted my bronco to carb from mpfi. vaccume hoses my friend. i do believe thats it. there are a few hoses on the passenger side and they do control that kinda stuff. i had heat, just not strong, hoses were hot, so was the core. it blew semi hot heat constantly. my advice, check over all vaccume lines to heater.

 

[Broncobill78]

Those 12v units really do not throw enough BTUs to heat the cab. I just Googled bronco heater core and found that they can be obtained for about $32.DO yourself a favor, pick one up and put in a couple of hours of labor. You will be amazed at the amount of heat that they throw.

Not to dismiss the idea, but anyone who's ever replaced a Bronco heater core can tell you it's a bit *more* than a couple hours work. I honestly can't think of a single thing that's harder to get to & replace, personally, I'd rather change a transmission. But sometimes it does need to be done which if nothing else is an excellent testament to everyone else to flush the damn things every season.

By the way, did you ever get to the bottom of this problem ? I have to agree that most of those cheapie 12V heaters just won't cut it for the cubic footage that the Bronco's have. They may be just dandy in an F-truck cab but NOT a Bronco.