No Heat

[Ratdaddy]

I just bought a '96 Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition. I can't get the heater to blow hot air. I replaced the thermostat, flushed the heater core numerous times, cheaked under the console and dash to make sure everything was working and it was, the thing in the heater hoses under the hood is opening and closing. Is there a trick to this. It will work good one minute and blow ice cold air the next. Thank God the temperature setting doesn't go below 60 degrees...because it seems to at least keep it that warm inside all the time anyhow. Help me before I freeze to death in this thing. If something don't change...i am going back to a Chevy. I really like the Explorer so I dont want to do that either.

 

[blue_97_v8]

uh-oh not a good thing..i will let someone else tell you about it..

 

[Ratdaddy]

so, what do you think? Something bad? I read in another forum that a guy had the same problem with the same model Explorer. he said he turned on the a/c then switched to heat and it worked. I don't see how that would make a difference. If it had climate cntrol.... would that have anything to do with it? i bought it used and didn't get an owners manual or anything with it. So i dont know what all options it has. i had one before but it was a '91 model, but it had the slide temperature setting. this one is push button.

 

[Howard]

Sounds like the infamous blend door problem.

 

[Ratdaddy]

Where is that located? I looked under the dash from the driver side and I saw 2nthings that opened and closed by vacuum. they were working ok. Is there something else I need to look for? If so, where?

 

[Howard]

The blend door is part of the heater. You can just see it behind the glove box inside. at the top.

 

[Ratdaddy]

Checked it. it opens when I turn on the a/c and closes when I turn on the heat. This has me baffled man

 

[Howard]

Cooling system clogged?
You can't actually see the blend door move as it is inside the housing. Only see the arm move and the arm breaks away from the door.

Check out this link Dead Link Removed

 

[Ratdaddy]

I took the glove compartment out... I can see a door opening and closing. I can also hear the difference in how the fan blows, so i am guessing that it's working. I flussed everything out a few times as fas as the heater core. I was always a Chevy man. My dad is a ford person. He told me that they were bad for the heater cores to clog. I have the heater hoses reversed trying an old trick I learned from a '79 Ford truck. It fixed it. I am going to put the hoses back in order tomorrow in hopes of hot air. If it has climate control or what ever it is called....WQould that have anything to do with the air not being hot. It blew hot air one night...It was cold that night...it was actually the coldest night we have had this winter. Lately the temperature outside hasn't gone below 45 or 50 degrees. Also...Would you know how to make the thing up top tell the outside temperature? It's in front of the moonroof. It says what direction I am going but now instead of telling the outside temperature, it just has the letters "OC" and tells if i am going north, south, ect.

 

[Howard]

You could be right and it may be linked with the lack of temperature display. Have you tried all the settings by pressing the mode button?

 

[Ratdaddy]

yup, I tinkered with the mode button for an hour the other night. All it done was recalibrate the compass. that is the only thing I can think of right now. It was working when i bought it, But I reset the computer by taking the battery terminal off one day and that was the last time it told the outside temp. All I can get the mode button to do is turn that thing off and reset the compass. I dont really know what i am doing up there. It would have helped if I had the owners manual. i have a neighbor that bought a '99 Mercury that is something like the explorer. I read it and done what it said to do with the mode button and it still didnt fix it. But the Mercury and the Explorer may be different on the programming. Oh well...Thanks Howard...It's almost 4 AM here...I'll try it again tomorrow. If you think of something. I apreciate any feedback you can give.

 

[Howard]

I would try to reset the computer again. Leave the battery off for at least twenty mins. See if that returns the readout.

 

[Robb]

Pull off the little round "vent" cover just to the right of the radio bezel. Clean the sensor inside there well with rubbing alcohol and a q-tip. See if that helps.

The door you saw moving is the "recirculate door", not the blend door. The blend door is inside the plenum. With the glove box out, you should be able to hear the blend door move tho (at least, I can hear mine). If I listen real close around the plenum when switching from cooling temp to a heating temp, I can hear a little "thump".

 

[BensBud]

Thermostat? I seem to recall my thermostat going on my old '93 XLT, and it wouldn't circulate coolant (hot radiator fluid) through the ****pit's heat exchanger. I was frozen until they replaced the thermostat. I think it was a pretty cheap fix too - but it was a long time ago...

I see in your original post that you replaced the thermostat. Is it possible it's not connected properly?...

 

[RiverRat]

Originally posted by Ratdaddy
IIt's in front of the moonroof. It says what direction I am going but now instead of telling the outside temperature, it just has the letters "OC" and tells if i am going north, south, ect.

IIRC that means open circut. Such as if the ambient temp sensor is disconnected or malfunctioning.

Do you have EATC (climate control) or manual a/c system? If it's EATC then you can self test the control head.

 

[Ratdaddy]

I am more than sure it has climate control. It seems to have every option except a back scratcher. But then again...that's what the ole lady is for.I left the battery terminal off over night and still no changes as far as it telling the temperature outside. The heater & a/c is all push button and digital controls. I got it to blow some hot air today after turning it from heat to a/c and the temp from 60 to 90 degrees. So I think (or hope) that i am close to solving the heat problem. I wouldn't worry about it if the ole lady kept me warmer...Hard enough to get a back scratching. So the Ford has to take up the slack