Ford Repair: Heat not working in 2000 Ford Taurus, ford taurus, local joe

Question
Hi,

Around a month ago the heat stopped working in my 2000 Ford Taurus.  I talked to the dealer about fixing it, but just having it looked at would be expensive so I thought I'd check with an expert first.  Here's what I know so far:

-Temperature gauge is working normally
-When turning on heat air blows but it's just cold.  Front de-frost still seems to work
-Anti-freeze level in resevoir is normal
-No anti-freeze smell or signs of anti-freeze inside the car (dealer said that rules out heater core)

If you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know.

Thank you,
Kevin

Answer
This is a very common problem but will take a little help from you to properly diagnose, are you familiar with your heating system at all ?? o.k. start the engine and allow it to warm up. open the hood. looking at the engine to the left side closest to the vehicle you will see 2 hoses about 5/8" in diameter going from the engine through and into the pass compartment. careful grab a hold of one, it should be hot. ( be careful though ) !. the one directly next to it should be about the same temp give or take 20-30  degrees. if it is cold then the problem is that your heater core is plugged. be that the case, your local " joe's mobile " can flush it out. It is not a permanent fix as replacing the core is the correct fix but will get you by for quite a while. Should you need a visual on the hoses, you can go to youtube and type " how to change the heater core on my 2000 taurus. hope this helps. take care and please write back should you need.  -b-