2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission heat woes --need heater guru

[bucket1]

2001 4x4 qc 140,000 mostly stock --ok have had the old girl 7 years this winter not much heat. So checked theremostat ok replaced any way running around 190. flushed heater core good flow(always change anti freeze with distilled water) dropped blower vacumed nothing in there. truck is mantained very well and i didnt expect any thing in there. changed blend door acuator and coupler it worked the same as the old one. it moves through the ranges ok. So when i had it out i lubed the door and manually moved it . you could here it shut each way or i thought it did. only thing is there was a little slop in the shaft. i read on one thread that when the actuator feels pressure it stops . i was wondering if a little binding was making it stop. drive 160 mile a day so no air in the system. I m going to drop the blower this weekend and stick the digital camera up the hvac rectum and try and take some pictures of the door and coils to see if any fod is lodged in there. I realy didnt like the price of a new heater controll from the ******* . So any one with ideas let me know. i think if the blend door is broken then i will do some bombing with dremel and roto zipp cause there is no way i am going to tear the dash off to fixed that little plastic sob. that some overpaid enginer developed to save money. Also pondering why none of the big three put an access door in the truck bed to get to the fuel pump in the tank?

 

[georgej]

B1

Have you checked the vacuum lines in the engine compartment, especially on the passenger side near the turbo & exhaust manifold? Some have reported the plastic coonectors have melted. Good luck!

 

[JPS]

I'm not sure on the heater control knob on your year truck, I have a '95. The heater knob cracks and is hard to see, control okay, just not turning. New control knob all it needed. Hope it's that simple for your fix. jps

 

[WrenchRat]

When I changed my evaporator core a while back, I changed the heater core at the same time and was surprised to find A LOT of debris around both cores. And my '99 has been garaged the last five years.



If you don't have vacuum or actuation issues, your 'borescope' review with the camera might give you an indication. If you do have to take the dash apart, it seems like a big chore, but it's not too awful bad. If you do take it apart and pull the HVAC box out, you may want to consider just replacing both cores while your there. If you have not replaced your evaporator core yet, you will. This appears to be another Chrysler flaw. The owner of a local AC shop told me he regularly replaces Chrysler evaporators and not other makes. BTW, he gets around $700 for labor to do the job!



For a guide on R&R, See issue #46, pp 12-15. No need to pull the whole dash completely out as the Service Manual says. I set the left side on the lowered steering column/seat and hung the right side with bungees and snaked the HVAC box out. It's a bit of a 'gumby' operation. :-laf It will take you the better part of a day, depending on how much time you take to clean out the HVAC box. Be sure to get the GOOD A/C O-rings from the dealer and use only A/C lube for lubing the O-rings.



Good luck.