The Oldsmobile Connection

88delta88 · Joined: 09 Jun 2003 Posts: 2409 Location: Canada

The heater in my delta really doesnt put out much heat at all. The car can be running for hours, even on a road trip, but if its cold out, the heater CANT keep up with the cold. If you turn the air to VENT, and put your hand right in front of it, it feels COLD, with no hint of warmth. But if you turn it to floor, it feels slightly warm.

I've thought of a couple things it could be, maybe you guys could help me?

Thermostat - The auto parts store said the factory thermostat is the warmer of the two available, so I dont think its that. But for how cheap they are, maybe I'll give it a try.

Heater Core valve - On one of my older cars, there was a vacuum valve that would cut off circulation to the core when the control was off, i beleive, is there one on these cars? I couldnt find one.

Heater Core Plugged - Could there be something plugging the core?

Cold/Hot Flapper valve - This might not be sealing off cold air properly?

Any help would be greatly appreciated, because as it gets colder, I would really appreciate being warm! I know last years winter was terribly cold with it!

85cieraholiday · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 11:56 am Post subject:

My 85 Ciera does the same thing. You could leave the heat on for 1/2 hr and its still cold inside, the heaters in these cars must be wimpy.

86Delta · Joined: 06 Nov 2003 Posts: 281 Location: NJ, USA

hey 88. these cars don't have a heater control valve.

possible reasons for no heat:

1.low coolant - if the coolant is really low there will not be enough to circulate through the heater.

2.thermostat - could be stuck open or opening too soon.

3.heater core clogged - it gets clogged with crud over the years if the cooling system hasn't been maintained as much as it should have been. i just flushed 2 heater cores this week at work (chevy astro and a ford taurus). a sign of this is if the heat gets warmer while driving and then when coming to a stop sign or light it gets cold. to cure this you have to disconnect the heater hoses, hook up a garden hose to the heater core and flush it out (not at full blast). switch the hose to the other side and flush it backwards too. if that doesn't work (if the core is really clogged) the core must be replaced (not an easy job on our cars).

4.air directors - if the air is coming out the bottom when it is on heat, that isn't the problem.

73Delta88 · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:33 pm Post subject:

do you have a temp guage? does it show normal temp?

85cieraholiday · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 6:38 pm Post subject:

Almost no air comes through the heater vents,in the dash, 90% of the heat i can get comes from the floor vents or the defroster.

86Delta · Joined: 06 Nov 2003 Posts: 281 Location: NJ, USA

hey 85, if you have your climate control set to heat, 100% of the air should be coming out of the floor vents, with the exception of the side window defrosters (not sure if your car has them or not).

Brando · Joined: 06 Jun 2003 Posts: 3069 Location: Michigan, USA

85cieraholiday wrote: Almost no air comes through the heater vents,in the dash, 90% of the heat i can get comes from the floor vents or the defroster.

That's the way it works.....I think...correct me if I am wrong, but those are just for A/C and Vent. That's the way it is for me too, heat comes from defroster and the floor (Heat Rises).

TOC Admin
Brando

Cutlass95Ciera · Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Posts: 433 Location: Portage, Michigan

85cieraholiday wrote: the heaters in these cars must be wimpy.
It must be something with just your car. Mine will get so hot that you will have trouble breathing after a while!
Brando wrote: That's the way it works.....I think...correct me if I am wrong, but those are just for A/C and Vent. That's the way it is for me too, heat comes from defroster and the floor (Heat Rises).
Once again, my car is set up so you turn it on hot, and put it on vent, and it's HOT. Just as hot as the defroster or the floor. That's just what my car does, and my mom's and grandfathers....they both have the same car :D

Brando · Joined: 06 Jun 2003 Posts: 3069 Location: Michigan, USA

Cutlass95Ciera wrote: 85cieraholiday wrote: the heaters in these cars must be wimpy.
It must be something with just your car. Mine will get so hot that you will have trouble breathing after a while!
Brando wrote: That's the way it works.....I think...correct me if I am wrong, but those are just for A/C and Vent. That's the way it is for me too, heat comes from defroster and the floor (Heat Rises).
Once again, my car is set up so you turn it on hot, and put it on vent, and it's HOT. Just as hot as the defroster or the floor. That's just what my car does, and my mom's and grandfathers....they both have the same car :D

Hmm...I'll have to try that...I forgot about that method....
The 81' Regal we have (at my grandpa's, "Limited Edition"), my brother installed a new heater core on it a while back....let it heat up for a couple minutes, turn it to heat for a while, than turn it to vent...and holy shit my brother surprised me when he did that...it was like being in a sauna! :shock:

TOC Admin
Brando

Cutlass95Ciera · Joined: 27 Jun 2003 Posts: 433 Location: Portage, Michigan

Brando wrote:
holy shit my brother surprised me when he did that...it was like being in a sauna! :shock:

TOC Admin
Brando
My brother and grandfather will leave it on vent and full blast the entire time they drive. It can be a little anoying :lol:

88delta88 · Joined: 09 Jun 2003 Posts: 2409 Location: Canada

Well...

I've had a revelation. I should check the computer, and see exactly what the temperature is. I do not have a temp guage, just a dummy light. But I hadn't thought to check the actual temperature of the engine, on the computer. Will find out what this problem is sooner or later...

What should a healthy temperature be, I've heard 195F ? I want the hotter of the two available thermostats.

And I'll flush the core out with water too. See how that goes, thanks 86delta.

86Delta · Joined: 06 Nov 2003 Posts: 281 Location: NJ, USA

the thermostat i just put in my car was a 195. i imagine your computer reads info from the PCM just like my Snap-on scan tool does, so don't be alarmed if the temp reads around 230 when the thermostat opens (when the upper hose gets hot), i think this is because the temp sender gets hotter faster than the thermostat. that is what my car did with the old and the new thermostat. once the thermostat is open and the car is warm it should stay around 190-200.

i wouldn't bother flushing it if you don't have a problem, check the temperature first.

speedy266 · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 347 Location: Ontario, Canada

i have an 85 ciera and it heats up fine.

First of all wats your temp gauge reading after about 10 minutes of driving? is should be just under the middle mark..100C not sure in F. If its inbetween 40C and 70C ALL the time, then ur thermostat is probably stuck open. If the temp gauge shows it heating up well than there could be a problem with the heater core, maybe its plugged, or maybe there is a leak in one of the lines, Hows ur coolant level? Do you know of any leaks? Also the heat in these cars was only made to come from the floor. Newer cars u can make it come from all different angles, but like posted, its logical...heat rises. Also is your fan blowing at all speeds? (gets louder as u up the speed)

85cieraholiday · Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 12:54 pm Post subject:

I dont have a temp gauge , just a idiot light(2 idiot lights :stupid: ):( , but I can hear the fan going at all speeds. The heat does caome out, but it seems to take forever for the car to feel even the least bit warm.

88delta88 · Joined: 09 Jun 2003 Posts: 2409 Location: Canada

I got my computer going yesterday, to look at a different problem I was having, but just for fun, I watched my temperature reading. As it heated up, it got up to 189.0 just before the thermostat opened, and returned it to 173 before closing again.

Theres the problem!!!! I need to get the 195 thermostat. Strange that it had the 185 in it...

I love my car computer!!! \:D/