One more Problem (no Heat)

I’m not getting alot of heat.
Where’s the Thermostat and is it hard to replace.
I think it’s at the end of the top hose.
Can anyone give me some advice on replacing it.

Thanks
Carmen

How do you know that your thermostat is bad? There are several causes of insuffecient heat. The most common are a bad thermostat, plugged heater core, and an air pocket in the heater core. If your temp gauge reads one line left of center, I'd look else where for the problem. If it reads a 1/4 or less, then it's probably the thermostat.



The thermostat is easy to replace. The thermostat is located in the housing (goose neck) where the upper radiator enters the engine. Just remove the two bolts and it's sitting right there. You'll want to start by draining about a gallon of coolant, so that it doesn't make a mess when you pull the housing. It's best to replace it with a 192/195 degree thermostat. When you buy the thermostat make sure it comes with a new gasket. If not, you'll need to buy one seperate. This link shows how to drain the coolant:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=498467



Here's a good method for eliminating air pockets:
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=469926



Normally, a good flush will unclog the heater core. You can do a flush at home better than most shops will do. This is the procedure that I recommend:

For normal maintenance:

Buy the following:
2 gallons of distilled water $1
2 gallons of antifreeze $20
Prestone Flush 'N Fill kit $3
Prestone Radiator "Flush" $3

Turn your heater on and leave it on for the entire process

Drain the antifreeze from the system.

Install the "T" from the Flush 'N Fill kit and follow the directions that came with it.

Disconnect the water hose, close all the drains, add the Prestone Flush, fill with water, get engine up to operating temperature and run for 20 minutes, allow to cool then, drain the system.

Connect your water hose to the Flush 'N Fill "T" and flush one more time. Drain.

Fill the system with a 50/50 mix* of antifreeze and distilled water. Continue to fill the system over the next few days as the air is worked out of the system.




For clogged, neglicted, or extremely dirty systems:

Buy the following:

2 gallons of distilled water $1
2 gallons of antifreeze $20
Prestone Flush 'N Fill kit $3
Prestone Radiator "cleaner" not "flush" $4

*NOTE - If you can find them, the two part acid flush and neutralizer kits work much better than the Prestone Cleaner. Substitute for the Prestone Cleaner and follow the instructions on the package.*

Turn your heater on and leave it on for the entire process

Drain the antifreeze from the system.

Install the "T" from the Flush 'N Fill kit and follow the directions that came with it.

Disconnect the water hose, close all the drains, add the Prestone Cleaner, fill with water, run the engine 3-6 hours (you can leave it in for a few days if neccessary), drain the system.

Connect your water hose to the Flush 'N Fill "T" and flush one more time. Drain.

Fill the system with a 50/50 mix* of antifreeze and distilled water. Continue to fill the system over the next few days as the air is worked out of the system.


*When you do your final drain and fill....not all the water will come out so to get the proper 50/50 mix you should add the right amount of straight antifreeze then top off with the distilled water.

I have that very same issue. I can barley get the gauge to read (I belive it's 170) Thank god it's been a mild winter here (in Illinois)

When it does warm up enough I am going to flush and change the Therm.

Thanks This site is amazing

Carmen