QuestionWhen I go to "warm up" my truck, it takes up to a half hour for the heater to actually blow hot air (no matter how hot/cold it is outside....one of my friends told me that it was the "heater core." Would my problem be solved by replacing it? And, how difficult is this for someone to do?
AnswerHeater cores RARELY plug up with debris. The most common faults are:
1. A stuck OPEN thermostat.
2. A faulty mechanical clutch fan for the radiator.
3. A faulty or incorrectly operating ELECTRIC cooling fan at the radiator.
Most vehicles have MECHANICAL and some have an ELECTRIC cooling fan at the radiator.
In over 25 years I may have seen a handful of plugged up radiators but these were on vehicles with over 15 or 20 years of age.
QUESTION: Does the engine temperature gage on the dash heat up to normal operating temperature in the same amount of time as it always had or is it taking LONGER for it to reach normal operating temperature ?.
If the temp gage IS reading normal operating temperature in the same amout of time as it has always done, Once it reaches normal operating temperature, Feel BOTH heater hoses when you have the interior heater controls set to HOT and feel if BOTH heater hoses are HOT to the touch.
If they ARE BOTH HOT then your problem is most likely with the heater core DAMPER DOOR CONTROLLER of which is opened and closed by a small electric motor of which is part of your A/C-HEATER CONTROL MODULE.
You will need professional diagnostics for the damper door controller if you check and confirm that ALL of the above are operating correctly.
NOTE: are you SURE there is sufficient anti-freeze in the radiator and in the plastic over flow container ?.
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