Chrysler Repair: 2005 town and country heater, gauge reading, temp gauge

Question
When I start the van and wait for the defrost to work I notice that when the temp gauge gets up to a reasonable level I still do not get heat.   When I race the engine in park I start to get heat.   When it idles, it is cold again.   After driving the van for a while it works normally outputing heat.

Answer
Hi Bill,
The temp gauge reading is based upon a sensor located in the block but the issue is whether the coolant is flowing freely to and thru the heater core and also whether the air circulating into the heater box is properly being directed over the heater core or rather being by-passed due to an improperly responding blend air door.
On the first point, I would wonder whether you might have air trapped in the line that flows to and through the heater core. When you believe the gauge to be reflecting a fully at operating temperature coolant, open the hood and compare the temperature of the two hoses that go thru the firewall to the heater core. They should be equally hot. If not, then the flow is partially impeded perhaps by air or perhaps by a less than optionally functioning water pump. The former could be corrected easily, not so the latter. Let me know what engine you have and I will see if there is special procedure for helping to remove the trapped air if it is there. The heater will always work better if the engine is being driven so that the water pump works faster. So I would recommend that you get under way as soon as you have good visibility. By the way, if your air conditioner is not working the defrost will not work well. The defrost actually depends upon blowing "dried" air on the glass and that requires the a/c compressor to be working to do that drying process. So that maybe why you are having to wait too long to get underway.
On the blend door not working properly, that can be considered once you satisfy yourself that the water is circulating well and that you aren't waiting too long to get the engine up to driving rpm.
Roland
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