QuestionQUESTION: 1986 New Yorker 2.2 liter Turbo engine. Uses all electronic digital temperature scale from 65 to 85 to request cooling/heating. No heat from vents but will blow some lukewarm air when radiator fan turns on. Blower working only at highest setting but that has been current for over a year, but if you know how to to get the other blower speeds working that would be great.
Main concern is no heat which began about a week ago which also coincides with a strange violent vibration when I started the car one afternoon for about 5 minutes before quieting down. Since then no heat at the vents just blowing cool air.
Both hoses to the heater core are very hot, top radiator hose is very hot and the bottom radiator hose is fairly hot as well. The coolant overflow bottle is dry/empty and the radiator seems to be low, I added some to it this morning just a little though. But I see no leaks under the car, at any hose or inside the car.
unfortunately the engine temperature digital gauge in the dash is not working so unable to tell you if the car is too cool or hot. But it does not seem to be overheating and seems to get fairly warm after running. Coolant seems to be running throughout the system including the core but just no heat at the vents.
When I press on the brakes I hear a hissing and also not certain but I hear a hissing inside the engine bay but unsure if that was not always there though.
please help.
ANSWER: Hi Red,
I am not too certain what is causing a lack of heat, but the history of some sort of "strange violent vibration" and the apparent disappearance of coolant from the system makes me think you may have a blown head gasket. Coolant leaking/leaked into one or more cylinders and subsequently blown out the tailpipe as white (steam) smoke upon startup is the sign to look for if that is the case. Also the moisture that might condense on you hand held near the exhaust would smell of anitfreeze would also be corrobolative. With 4 cyl engines, any loss of coolant that brought the level down to that of the thermostat housing can result in a bubble in the system that causes poor flow into the heater core, and poor function of the thermostat (but which you wouldn't notice without a working temp gauge). So rather than a heater problem per se I would evaluate whether there is not such a headgasket/internal cooling system leak going on here.
The blower motor speed issue with ATC type unit needs some self-diagnostics, as would the temp problem if you don't have an issue with the head gasket. I can xerox copy and postal mail you the pages from the '86 manual about that system. It costs me 10 cents per side (probably 15 sides w/wiring diagrams) plus the postage which you can reimburse me with 42-cent stamps after you get them. Use the 'thank/rate' tab below if you want me to do that, entering a postal mailing address in the comments section.
Roland
Hi Red,
The pages went out in the afternoon mail today. I got them copied at a less expensive place so four 42-cent stamps will suffice.
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Roland:
Thanks so very much for the data. I just mailed out the stamps for the copies.
No coolant leaks, no air bubble in cooling system and engine compression is OK. I replaced the heater control valve and thermostat just on the off chance but no heat still nor any cooling either with AC. I just noticed that too.
I ran the ATC diagnostic and it gave me an error code of 1. I may need more copies on how to remove the the blower, glove box and duct system to get to the areas listed by error code 1 that need to be checked. any suggestions?
Thanks for all you help and as a side benefit of running the ATC diagnostic, the blower is now working at all speeds...go figure that. Also whenever the radiator fan comes on the air from the car vent is noticeable warmer then goes cooler when the radiator fan shuts off...any suggestion why that happens or is that a clue as to what the issue is?
Red
AnswerHi Red,
Thanks for sending the stamps. While I don't have any experience with the early ATC units, the computer aided diagnositics on p.69 would be what to follow "(codes 1, 2, 4)". I would check out the blend door actuator and door lever which appear to be accessible without removing much of anything, and of course the electrical tests,etc. listed there.
Roland
