Can't Get Any Heat

[Telecomtom]

I have a 97 Ranger 4x4 that doesn't get driven all the time. I took the truck in to have the air serviced in the summer. When winter came found I didn't have any heat and the place I had the air serviced at said it was not any thing they did, but they could fix it for $1000.00. Well I can't say here what I told them. But I have yet to be able to figure out what they did to my heater system. The fan works fine, the vacuum doors all work fine, however the vacuum valve on the heater core line does not seem to open and close. Now of cores the air also does not work but the heat is more important in the winter. But even when I have opened the core lines there is no heat in the truck.

 

[Dopler174]

It could be a blend door issue.

 

[Glen4X4]

Welcome To The Forum!

 

[Explorer Buff]

mine was the blend door actuator motor, check the blend door fix's on here, and if that doesn't fix it check the motor.

 

[codeman200]

i'm no expert, but have you checked your thermostat?

 

[harlyrider66]

No heat

I have 97 ranger and it's the blend door. Open glove box and push on sides so glove box hangs all the way down and you can see heater core. Cut a square big enough out of heater core plastic so you can put your hand in there.You reach around to the back and you'll feel the blend door, pull it shut and you'll have heat.Push it shut and you'll have cold air.It's fairly easy job and easier than
replacing heater core.It took me 25 mins to fix

 

[winsorcoke]

I have 97 ranger and it's the blend door. Open glove box and push on sides so glove box hangs all the way down and you can see heater core. Cut a square big enough out of heater core plastic so you can put your hand in there.You reach around to the back and you'll feel the blend door, pull it shut and you'll have heat.Push it shut and you'll have cold air.It's fairly easy job and easier than
replacing heater core.It took me 25 mins to fix

Pushing it one way or the other is hardly a fix. This is what you should do. Fold down the glove box. Then unhook the wire harness from the white square plastic box (the actuator). Then take a screwdriver and pry the actuator off it's mounting posts. This will allow you to take a mirror and look down the hole that the post on the bottom of the actuator came out of. You should be able to see if the top of the plastic blend door is broken or not. If it is, go to autozone.com and order a repair kit. Do a search for blend door fix and you will find one that shows how to go through the bottom of the box instead of pulling the whole dash. The blend door is a very common problem.

Also, when you have the actuator out, connect the harness back up and test it by moving the temp control knob. You should see the actuator move with the knob.

If your heater core is not getting hot like you say, I doubt the problem is the blend door. I assume when you say you opened the core lines your saying their was no hot cooland flowing into the core? If so, check the thermostat which was suggested earlier.

 

[harlyrider66]

All I know is I had the same problem and I did exactly what I told you to do. I got this imformation from a friend who has been an auto mechanic for 15yrs and it worked great and was a fast inexpensive fix and it didn't require me to go to auto zone or even leave my drive way. You can fix it anyway you like but from doing it first hand I KNOW it works

 

[harlyrider66]

I know it works

 

[winsorcoke]

Yes, but does your temp control knob actually control the heat, or do you have to stick your hand in a hole every time you want to change it? In reality, you didn't "fix" anything. All you did was give yourself the ability to go from hot to cold. The original problem is there. If that's good enough for you great, but that might not be good enough for other people. That's why I wouldn't call your method a "fix".