[scottkornhaus]

I was just curious if anyone has the same problem I do, with my 180 T-stat.

About a year ago, I installed a 180 T-stat. Well, ever since I installed this thing, my car seems to take abouty 30-35 minutes to produce heat. Put it this way, I drive 30-45 minutes to work everyday, and it doesn't get hot the entire way their (thank god I have a garage). I am not sure if this is the heater core going bad, or if the 180 t-stat is just screwed up.

Also, my engine temp almost never goes above the "C". I thought I read on here somewhere, that running TOO cold will harm the vehicle. I am wondering if I maybe ruined something by running TOO cold.

Questions:

1. What are the signs of a bad Heater Core?
2. What are the signs of a bad T-Stat?

-Kornhaus

 

[Al_Florida]

Questions:

1. What are the signs of a bad Heater Core?
2. What are the signs of a bad T-Stat?

-Kornhaus

No heat if clogged or water on your passenger side floor if busted.

Car takes a real long time to heat up (sticking/stuck open) or overheats very easily (sticking/stuck closed)

 

[Traveler]

Probably not what your problem is, but it does remind me of something happened to my ex some time ago. She blew the engine in her daytona by overheating. When I asked her if she noticed it getting hot she said the temp gauge never showed hot. She also said the heater wasn't working. I thought they were unrelated until I realized that both the temp gauge and the heater rely on coolant to operate! She had run it so dry that the sending unit wasn't getting a reading, and the heater core was dry!

 

[Al_Florida]

wow

 

[scottkornhaus]

No heat if clogged or water on your passenger side floor if busted.

Car takes a real long time to heat up (sticking/stuck open) or overheats very easily (sticking/stuck closed)

Looks like I will be running to AutoZone this week and picking up a stock T-stat. I am stick of not having heat within 10 minutes.

I believe that the heat doesn't work, because the T-stat. It stopped working as soon as I installed the 180. Since there isn't any water/anti-freeze on the passenger side floor, I guess I can rule out that the heater core it bad!

-Kornhaus

 

[johnaec]

'Souns like the thermostat is stuck open. I'd install a stock one and see what happens.

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Or take your T-stat out, place it in a pan of water...set on store with high heat, and see if it opens...then turn the heat off and see if it closes...If not, then bad T-stat.

Other things to check:

All temp sensors...I had "warm" heat for the longest tume until I realized that the temp sensor for the heating system was disconnected.

Flush your heater core to verify it isn't clogged.

Just my .02... If nothing else, at least do the "hot water T-stat check" to verify that is/isn't the problem...

Hope that helps ya.

Shane

 

[scottkornhaus]

Or take your T-stat out, place it in a pan of water...set on store with high heat, and see if it opens...then turn the heat off and see if it closes...If not, then bad T-stat.

Other things to check:

All temp sensors...I had "warm" heat for the longest tume until I realized that the temp sensor for the heating system was disconnected.

Flush your heater core to verify it isn't clogged.

Just my .02... If nothing else, at least do the "hot water T-stat check" to verify that is/isn't the problem...

Hope that helps ya.

Shane

Shane,

I am confused about the test. So am I supposed to remove the entire T-stat from the vehicle, and put it in a pan of water? After that, heat the water to 180 degrees and see if it opens? If that is correct, are you talking about heating it with a stove top or what?

How does one flush the heater core? Is that a pain in the arse?

Well, the air/heat coming out of the vents seems more of a cold-warm than a hot-warm. Either way, as soon as I crack a window, the air turns cold.

-Kornhaus

 

[Kodiak Kid]

Scott,

Yea, just the T-stat... Place it in a pan of water (something the same size you would use to cook Mac 7 cheese in)...Place it on the stove and let it heat up...unless you have a thermonmeter, you can pretty much tell when it is over 180-212. You should be able to watch it open...if not, once it is obviously over 212, use a fork or something to pull it out, and see if you can watch it close (although I have never done the "pull out" method, you should still be able to see it close). If you can see it open WHILE in the water, turn the heat off and leave it in the water...then after 5 mins or so, go back and check it and it should be closed.

The way you explain it "its more of a cold-warm than a hot-warn" makes me think its either the heater core or a temp senosr unplugged/loose wire fitting.

I flushed mine, and I didn't think it was hard at all...just a little messy. If you have the time and the car is cold...disconnect the two heater core hoses, and use a garden hose to flush it out doing so in the "reverse" flow path then the engine uses., use a bucket as a catch can (if possible). Once you are done, re-assemble, and verify your coolant/water mix is corrent by using an anti-freeze/coolant checker. (can't think of the proper name). You need to do this since you are replacing the present coolant in the heater core with pure water, which in turn, lowers the coolant % .

Hope that helps...This is the way I have done things with good results, if there is mis-information, then 1) I apologize 2) I haven't had any problems

Shane

 

[Al_Florida]

Once you are done, re-assemble, and verify your coolant/water mix is corrent by using an anti-freeze/coolant checker. (can't think of the proper name).

Hydrometers and refractometers. Of the two, a refractometer is more accurate.

If anyone is really bored and wants to know about the topic of checking coolant. http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/feb2001/mech.cfm

 

[The Great Obucina]

i run the Lightning tstat and the gauge registers very low. Datalogged the car and it stayed consistantly at 189-190 degrees. my gauges are teh suk.

 

[Hollywood Ed]

As far as I know there are 3 coolant temp sensors on your car. #1 is in the intake manifold on the driver's side. It sends readings to the computer. #2 is also located in the intake manifold on the passenger's side. It sends readings to the gauge located in the instrument cluster. #3 is located in the heater hose line coming from the water pump to the heater core, tight to the firewall. It tells the interior heater fan to not turn on until the water temp is at least 120 degrees. If you did the PI Intake mod then this sensor has to be grounded to work right. After driving your car 30 miles, not 10, I can assure you the engine coolant temp is at least 200 degrees if the outside temp is 70 degrees or plus, 180 if the the temps are lower. If the the heater fan comes on and the sensor is grounded, then the engine coolant temp is at least 120 deg. Stuck open Thermo, but if out side temps are higher than 70 deg., engine coolant temps will still reach 200 deg., just because the engine fan won't come on till about 200 deg.

 

[ShadowDragon]

You can also just use a lighter on the Tstat.

 

[dwinthrup]

you are over cooling you mortor basicly i put a 180 in my bird and it wont warm up on cold days either 180 will make your car run cold and the factory one is 197 i was told at bumper to bumper if you put in a higher temp t stat your problems will go away. your 180 wont let the car get warm enough i would try a higher temp t stat

 

[warmaster259]

I have a 180 degree t-stat in mine and i get heat just as fast as the stock t-stat, maybe a little slower but still about the same. The only difference i have noticed has been it takes alot longer for the temp gauge to get to normal.

 

[Warped]

My bird has a 180* thermostat and it still makes heat within 2 miles of leaving the house. Within 5 miles I have to crack the windows or be roasted alive.

 

[Casper]

As far as I know there are 3 coolant temp sensors on your car. #1 is in the intake manifold on the driver's side. It sends readings to the computer. #2 is also located in the intake manifold on the passenger's side. It sends readings to the gauge located in the instrument cluster. #3 is located in the heater hose line coming from the water pump to the heater core, tight to the firewall. It tells the interior heater fan to not turn on until the water temp is at least 120 degrees. If you did the PI Intake mod then this sensor has to be grounded to work right.

any info on the grounding of the sensor? i have pi intake mod and 180 thermostat. the car has heat but not much.

 

[bowez]

Scott, my 96 takes about 10-15mins to heat up with the 180*, so I'd be most inclined to say your T-stat is stuck open.
As for the gauge reading I barely ever get much above the blue section so I doubt its a sensor.
Check/replace the T-stat first for those ECT sensors are about $20-25 each.

 

[SilverLx]

same problem here with the 180* thermostat. Infact. The first thing I thought was "oh **** the heater core is gone". I'm still a little bit concerned because even after 20-25 mins of driving it puts out that "cold-heat". I'll be reinstalling the stock thermostat for the winter and swap in a 180* again when it warms.

 

[Hollywood Ed]

The temp at the sensor is taken in the intake manifold which will be higher than the temps at the thermostat only because the radiator cools the fluid. Location of sending unit dictates the reading at the gauge. A 180 deg. thermostat is going to let the fluid into to engine @ full flow @ 180 deg., if it works right. If this reading is taken in the upper radiator hose, then 0-180 deg. will show on the gauge if the radiator is doing its job. Then you can increase the the size of the radiator if temps increase in the summer. Summer is where the problem exists. Ideally the sending unit should be in the cylinder head, but ours is the intake manifold. Still much better than in the radiator hose because if the water pump takes a dump or if the thermostat sticks closed, you would not know untill the AL heads say "I quit".