Question-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I saw that you answered a similar question for a different car but there are a few differences. Here is my situation. Last winter my heat worked perfectly fine. I went to use the defrost and noticed it wasn't working now. I checked the heat and nothing. The fan blows but absolutely no heat comes out at all. I had the antifreeze tested and was told that I was protected to below 0 degrees and that wasn't the problem. So, I had the thermostat changed. No luck with that either. My question is this, Is there a fuse that the heater uses that could be out? I pray it isn't the control panel but that is the next thing to check if there isn't a fuse to check right? It is a four cylinder 2.4L engine if that makes a difference. Thanks.
Answer -
Hi Nicole,
Just to be sure there is not a misunderstanding, have you tried the regular heat setting in addition to the defrost?
I ask because you may not be aware that the defroster actually uses cooled air to do its task. So ambient air is passed over the AC coils and cooled which dries the moisture out of the air and then that dried air can take up more moisture from the inside of the windshield then if the air were warmed.
I assume that you don't have a digital temperature readout type of control panel, is that correct?
Let me know the answer to those 2 questions before I launch into the rest of the suggestions on what to do.
We have to ascertain first whether the hot engine coolant is flowing thru the radiator core, and if it is then we have to investigate whether the intake air is being directed to flow past the heater core where is it to be warmed. That is the job of the blend air which could be mechanically restricted from doing its job. But I'll give you the details after you get bact to me with that information I need.
Roland
Okay, I have tried the heat settings as well as the defrost. Not one iota of heat comes out at all. I do not have the digital control panel either. I can't locate the heater core by just standing over my car and looking either lol. I was going to feel both of the hoses as I have read to do but can't seem to see it visually becasue honestly I don't know where it is. Thanks for your response and hopefully these answers will help me closer to a conclusion.
Nicole
AnswerHi Nicole,
I received a suggestion from another Cirrus 2000 owner about how he found the answer to his no heat problem. I'll copy it in here:
"Nicole asked about her 2000 Cirrus on 10/25 that had no heat. I had
similar problems with 2 of my 2000 Dodge Stratus'. Both had same problem,
the plastic arm to open/close flow through the heating core broke at the
point of attachment for the cable to the temperature selector on the
climate control module. Since the cable was not moving the actuator arm
to the heat position, no heat. On one car, arm was stuck in the open
positon only hot air; other in closed position-no heat. By removing the
radio/contorl module bezel and the radio, you can visualize the arm and
cable to see if connected."
If you still don't have heat let me know and I can xerox a couple of pages from the manual that show how to deal with the cable for the temperature door.
Roland
Hi Nicole,
Lets verify the heater flow first. The two heater hose lines are about 7/8" in outer diameter and they reach the heater core (located in the cabin under the dash inside the AC-heater housing) by going from the engine to the firewall where they attach to two nipples that extend thru the firewall and into the engine compartment, side-by-side, behind the engine about mid-line of the car. One hose is a return line to the engine, the other is the inlet line from the engine.
The return line is found running across the lower front of the engine (facing the front of the car) where it joins with the very large lower radiator outlet hose and enters the water pump near the drive belts. So look for a manifold below the 2nd cylinder spark plug which has the large bottom radiator hose and a branch-off smaller hose, then trace that smaller hose back to the fire wall. The inlet heater hose branches off the top side of the engine near the coolant filler cap, and similarly runs to the fire wall where it joins the return hose, the two attached side by side at the fire wall. So once you find the two hoses at the firewall, warm up the engine and turn on the heater system, and after a few minutes compare the temperature by feel of those two same size hoses at the fire wall. If they are about the same warm temperaure then the heated coolant is flowing thru the heater core and we need to check the air control doors on the unit in the cabin. If the return line (the one that goes around to the front of the engine) is significantly cooler than the inlet line, then there is some blockage of the flow thru the heater core. It probably will be cured by back flushing the heater core using a garden hose.
Let me know what you find out.
Roland
