bluexpy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- September 11, 2007
- Messages
- 182
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- Year, Model & Trim Level
- Explorer-less
I can’t figure this one out. BEFORE I did any work on the cooling system, the heater was blowing warm air, but not as hot as it should. Lukewarm air is more like but, but it would heat the interior sufficiently given time. Now it doesn’t AFTER rehabbing the cooling system? How come?
The before: Rusty brown coolant, engine not getting hot all over, heater working, temp gauge inoperable.
What I did:
Completely drain the old coolant, used a Prestone flush kit (hooked it up to the inlet hose going into the heater core) then filled with water, let it drain. Whew, that was a lot of crud! Then poured a bottle of Zerex coolant cleaner, ran it for 10 minutes.That was when I found the thermostat was no good – I suspect it was stuck closed as the radiator hoses were cool; the upper hose never get pressurized. So I have been running the radiator cleaner partially through the system. Great. What a waste.Then I drained the water with the cleaner and replaced the thermostat. Flushed it again to get all of the old coolant and the cleaner out.
After:
Filled the radiator with the new coolant, then started ‘er up. The engine was getting hot everywhere, so I thought the new thermostat must be doing its job already (I verified the new thermostat in a pot of boiling water beforehand, so I know it works) and proceed to feel the hoses. They all were equally hot. When I went in the cab, I saw the temp gauge was functional! It was sitting dead center, where previously, it barely registered anything. I at that time thought everything was well. Turned on the heater, and…nothing. Cold air. I checked the heater hoses, and they were good.
How did this happen?
The before: Rusty brown coolant, engine not getting hot all over, heater working, temp gauge inoperable.
What I did:
Completely drain the old coolant, used a Prestone flush kit (hooked it up to the inlet hose going into the heater core) then filled with water, let it drain. Whew, that was a lot of crud! Then poured a bottle of Zerex coolant cleaner, ran it for 10 minutes.That was when I found the thermostat was no good – I suspect it was stuck closed as the radiator hoses were cool; the upper hose never get pressurized. So I have been running the radiator cleaner partially through the system. Great. What a waste.Then I drained the water with the cleaner and replaced the thermostat. Flushed it again to get all of the old coolant and the cleaner out.
After:
Filled the radiator with the new coolant, then started ‘er up. The engine was getting hot everywhere, so I thought the new thermostat must be doing its job already (I verified the new thermostat in a pot of boiling water beforehand, so I know it works) and proceed to feel the hoses. They all were equally hot. When I went in the cab, I saw the temp gauge was functional! It was sitting dead center, where previously, it barely registered anything. I at that time thought everything was well. Turned on the heater, and…nothing. Cold air. I checked the heater hoses, and they were good.
How did this happen?
