nismo3366

Hey everyone...i notice that when i'm park or at a light with my heat on, the heat gets kinda cold, but when i give it car when parked, or start driving it heats up...you can tell a big diffrence...if i remember this means that my thermostat is sticking and i need to get a new one...can anyone confirm this plz...thanks!

nismo3366

^^^ Car should be Gas^^^ typo

Scope

iTrader: (5)

My car does the same after about 20 minutes of being warmed up it stops. Increased engine speed means that the heater core is relieving the engine of unneccessary heat. Most cars do this my sister's integra does the same except here car get's hotter after about 10 minutes from a dead start. Mine takes 20. Just allow your car some extra time to get warm then when it's time to drive you'll be nice and warm to notice a big difference. It could be much worst. Last year I had no heat and I change my heater core and t-stat in May.

nismo3366

but its not only happening at startup...i went out for a 40 min drive...and i got home and sat in the driveway to test it..and it got "cool" then i reved it up and it got so hot it made me sweat...not really but it was a huge diffrence

Scope

iTrader: (5)

Check your radiator and have it flushed properly and filled with the proper amount of coolant/water.

Does it take forever to warm the car up in the morning. Usual warm-up period is between 10-20 minutes depending on temperature for the winter time.

Time to diagnose some symptoms -
1) Now when the car is fully warmed up pop the hood and feel the engine and upper radiator hose.

2) If the hose is cool and the engine is hot then the t-stat is stuck closed. Replace it.

3) If the hose is hot and engine is warm then the t-stat is open.

4) If symptom 1 and 3 match then the t-stat is stuck open. Replace it.

Hoe this helps.

nismo3366

no it usally takes about 15 mins. to warm up...ill try the hose check tomorrow morning ...thanks

alpicone

When you are driving on the highway with the heat on do you lose heat after a while and Does the eingine start to get cold?

Scope

iTrader: (5)

I meant hope this helps. lol.

Mizeree_X

iTrader: (9)

Have you guys ever heard of editing your own posts instead of posting again to correct a 1 word mistake????

Scope

iTrader: (5)

I know but most people understand what I meant. I just kept it up there because it seemed funny at a second glance.

DanNY

iTrader: (14)

HTPerformance

iTrader: (6)

They just want the extra post Mike....

Brian

Aaron92SE

iTrader: (128)

If it takes 15 minutes to warm up, then definitely, you need a new Tstat. It should take a couple minutes to warm up. But, this probably won't fix your cold heater problem.

alpicone

Maybe in Florida but where he is it is winter now so it could take more than a few minutes to warm up. Just idling it could take almost 10 min or more. But driving it should take about 5 minutes when its really cold.

Aaron92SE

iTrader: (128)

My car never took 15 minutes to warm up at idle in 25 degree weather in NC. With a good Tstat, it might take 7 minutes. But cold weather will definitely lengthen the warm up time. I say the Tstat is one of his problems b/c they go bad so easily with an old car. It's cheap and easy to fix too.

alpicone

Ya it prob is his t-stat but when mine was stuck open I had the opposite symptoms. When I was in the city driving I never had a problem with the heat. It was only when I was driving on the highway that I would los heat.

alpicone

Also you can check to see if it is stuck open. When the car is start it and then open the open the cap from the radiator. If the t-stat is open you should see any movement because there is no flow through the radiator. But if it is open you will see the coolant moving.

Scope

iTrader: (5)

This morning in New England it was in thepper teens - lower 20's. If you car can be warm and give some good heat in 7 minutes then I'll be replacing a lot of crap. My mothers car (03 Alty), my fathers truck (94 Ram), and my sisters car (96 integra) does not do that. Your car will be at it's proper operating temp in lower than 10 minutes but look at your location Florida. I prefer to let my car heat up then drive it. I really hate driving when the steering wheel feels like ice and the heat won't be on for another 10 minutes. All I do is turn my car on, lock the doors (my keys can come out of the ignition without turning it off), then get ready for whatever I have to do. After twenty minutes all windows in my car are fogged and it feels like summer. Last year I can let my car idle for an hour and then drive it around for miles and still get no heat. Now after changing heater coils, t-stat, radiator, and a tranny (unrelated but heat came directly after I got it). I preferred to take the city bus and walk for five minutes. It was that bad.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

my commute to work is 3 minutes.
my gauge doesn't move before I get to work.
Remote start here I come (Again!!)

dewmax007

i to have experienced this low heat phenomenon while idling for ten+ minutes while waiting with the kid for the bus, little or no heat. when i leave directly for work (13 minute drive) i usually have some heat after 6 miles or just over 7 minutes, enough to clear most of the frost from the windshield. my '91 SE will not be acceptablly warm until about two minutes from work...at any outside temp below 20 degrees F. ya, living north of florida sucks. guess i'll have to add checking the thermostat to my list to things to check before winter. that and start plugging it in the night before. INSTANT HEAT every time!

Hectic

iTrader: (20)

bleed your cooling system, check for a leak in cooling system pressure, check for a faulty water pump. cold "heat" can be a symptom of a blown head gasket. with winter coming, it's not a bad idea to flush yer system and change anti-freeze anyway. i can hear coolant flowing behind my dash when starting my maxima after i wake up..i guess that's just the heater core, no cooling or heat problems so i don't stress it. maybe your heater core is semi blocked, not allowing enough coolent through at idle speed to produce hot air..

Scope

iTrader: (5)

Last year my car had a heater prob. What idiot would drive a car that doesn't blow heat when they know everyday that the city bus is a two minute walk and it's at the bus terminal from 7:20-7:30 every monday thru friday. then it's only a five minute walk to school. Now my car seems to be blowing hot after I gave about 1500 into it. Don't know what the problem was but it worked.

ForceFed

Okay, Everyone lets keep this stuff simple! Its not a blown head gasket! Its not clogged lines, you don't need to flush anything, you don't need to check the coolant hoses.....ect. I understand that you guys are trying to be helpful, but this is basic vehicle mechanics and troubleshooting. If his car is cooling off while driving on the highway, its because the t-stat is not closing and allowing the car to maintain constant tempature. If the car was overheating that would indicate that the t-stat was stuck closed and not allowing coolant to enter the motor to cool it down. I mean this isn't rocket science. Nismo3366 the thermostat is the culprit.....Just my 2 cents

nismo3366

thanks everyone...if it was a blown head gasket, coolent would be missing and the car temp would be jumping...my moms car had a blown head gasket...i think tonight i am going to flush the coolent and check the hoses...thanks again everyone for the help.