1984 Pickup, 22R...how hot does your heater get?

dribble of warm air with the valve all the

ing up enough, or something else. =A0The heater

e reads a little below the halfway mark, and

takes about 10 minutes of driving before there is

is 42 deg when I leave home, it will be inching

driving (no stop lights) down a canyon at

ke I should be warming up a bit more than that.

If the water temperature is OK, the problem could be insufficient outside air passing through the heater core. There could be blockage due to leaves/debris or the duct could be bad or the air intake valve could be bad. When the air intake system is OK, there should be considerably greater air flow when the air intake valve is turned to admit outside air as opposed to when it is positioned to circulate inside air. Good luck. Al

Check your hoses going to the heater core under the hood. Both hoses should be warm/hot with the engine warmed up. If one is warm and the other is cold you may have a plugged heater core. Make sure the heater valve is OK. If the heater core is plugged you should be able to remove both hoses and flush it with a garden hose, being sure to back flush it as well.

That's a good idea...there is very little difference between inner and outer air flow. Some difference, but just barely noticiable without the fan blowing. Where are the ducts that get plugged up, and are they easy to access?

jc

dribble of warm air with the valve all the

up enough, or something else. The heater

reads a little below the halfway mark, and

about 10 minutes of driving before there is

driving (no stop lights) down a canyon at

I should be warming up a bit more than that.

If the water temperature is OK, the problem could be insufficient outside air passing through the heater core. There could be blockage due to leaves/debris or the duct could be bad or the air intake valve could be bad. When the air intake system is OK, there should be considerably greater air flow when the air intake valve is turned to admit outside air as opposed to when it is positioned to circulate inside air. Good luck. Al

If the water temperature is OK, the problem could be insufficient outside air passing through the heater core. There could be blockage due to leaves/debris or the duct could be bad or the air intake valve could be bad. When the air intake system is OK, there should be considerably greater air flow when the air intake valve is turned to admit outside air as opposed to when it is positioned to circulate inside air. Good luck. Al

The heater core itself can be clogged too. Is the radiator fluid clean, or is it rusted? If there is rust in the overflow bottle, there is likely to be rust in the heater core too.

You can disconnect the heater hose from the engine block, or both hose if you can get to them easily, and connect the garden hose and run water through until the water runs out clear. There are two heater hoses, the water flows FROM the heater back to the block through the hose that is connected at the thermostat housing, or nearby. So, if you connect the garden hose here, then you will push water backwards through the heater core in relation to the direction coolant normally flows. This will collect any blockage and push it back where it came from, instead of pushing it further into the heater core.

You (the OP) didn't say, but do you notice the fan speed change as you change the setting of the fan switch? If there is little change, or no change, then you have a failed resistor pack or a worn out fan motor.

lowest one feeds water into the heater, the highest one (where low and high are in reference to where they connect to the block)

this because my heater doesn't seem to produce much more than a

rmal, or a sign that my engine isn't warming

ldn't be a problem. My temperature gauge

iator is new, as is the water pump. It takes

es a difference. If the cabin temperature is

s, and maybe 54 deg after 20 minutes. This is

Unfortunately, the ducts and associated plumbing are all buried under the dash. You have to access the heater unit to get to them. If there's no center console maybe you can get to it all but working under a dash is the pits. Trace the cable from the air control level back to the heater to locate the air control valve. Good luck. Al