heat only blow hot for a sec in my 2000 taurus

hello. im new to this forum. im trying to get some help on my 2000 taurus. it has the 3.0 12v. when i first turn my heat on after the car reaches norm. temp. the heat only blows hot for about 5-10 seconds. then it starts cooling down. ive checked everything i know to check , thermostat,hoses,heater core, temp. select switch, and now im stuck. ive almost got the dash out of the car. the temp. blend door seems to be working fine but i was going to check the actual door inside the heater box. i dont know what else to check. im stuck :banghead: if anybody has experienced this problem and can help i would greatly appreciate. i also forgot to ask about the gas mileage. it seems pretty low, about 12 mpg. has new air and fuel filter, plugs, and wires. thanks

Two things can cause this.

A clogged or restricted heater core.

A worn out water pump.

Welcome aboard mazdarado, nice to have you join us. Recently had the same heater question here and turned out to be blades on the water pump worn off, but first I'd make sure the heater core isn't plugged up.
Review these threads and you'll see a similar problem and the fix.
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=639470
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=632797
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=621562

With the engine hot & heater on feel the heater hoses and if they're not hot then the water isnt circulating. If the hose from top the engine to the radiator isn't hot the thermostat could be stuck open. What does the heat gage on the dash tell you.

"i also forgot to ask about the gas mileage. it seems pretty low, about 12 mpg." I have a 2003 with the Vulcan engine like yours 45.5K mi on it and gets 21 mpg around town. They make injector cleaner called Sea Foam available at some parts stores so use a can of that, it's not cheap but don't use the cheap stuff. http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUp.htm One round can is all you need.

Please tell us *how many miles on yours* and maintenace history. Has it ever been tuned up, plugs changed, air filter changed, transmision serviced, oil changes, mass air flow sensor, (MAFS), cleaned, etc. 12 mpg is not good and something needs fixing or cleaning.

Thread about poor gas mileage: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=642122

Please tell us *how many miles on yours* and maintenace history.
Yes and which heater system you have, the manual (3 dials) or the automatic (all buttons).

hey ppl thanks for all the info. the car has 138,000 miles on it. i had heard about seafoam and was going to check into that. i have changed the plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, transmission filter, and coolant. i havent cleaned the mafs though. im really going :banghead: if its just the water pump after taking the whole dash out. it has the three knobs for heat control. yeah thats really bad gas mileage. it seems to be lacking in power too. a while back the check engine came on and the code said excessive exhaust gas flow. i took that to mean the egr valve stuck open. when i took it to the garage last week to have wheel bearings put on the front i told them to clean the injectors, throttle body, and egr valve, but i believe i will check it myself. if anybody can think of anything else dont hesitate to tell me because i'm running out of ideas. thanks again.

i had heard about seafoam and was going to check into that.
Just bought some today. Hope it works as good as everyone says :)

i havent cleaned the mafs though.
NEVER touch the wires, and never clean with anything that leaves a residue.

but i believe i will check it myself.
Always best to check things yourself :) By the way, WELCOME to the forum :p I've got the actual Ford service manual for your car coming my way. As soon as I get it (hopefully soon) and if you haven't found a solution by then - then I'll look to see what it says for you :)

so what should i use to clean the mafs, electronic contact cleaner? i was also curious about something else. my car is rusted almost through around the driver side back wheel. i didnt find out ford had a warranty on this until it had 102,000 miles on it, 2,000 miles after the warranty ran out. if i changed the speedometer cluster to one with say, 85-95k on it would they be able to find out the real mileage. i just think its crappy a 2000 model car is rusting out.

To clean the mafs get a can of electric parts cleaner that leaves NO residue, I got mine at Advance Auto. Now I'm sort'a stumped from here 'caus I don't know where your MAFS is on 2K but I imagine somewhere in the intake hose. DO NOT TOUCH THE TINY WIRES in the MAFS but take the electric cleaner and spray them good, let it dry a few minutes then do it again.

I have to go to town now but will get with you when I get back. Don't wory, there's a lot of good tech here and we'll help you as much as we possibly can. For what it's worth, you chanced upon one of the best, (if not THE best), Taurus auto forums on the web. :wink:

so what should i use to clean the mafs, electronic contact cleaner?
Not all electronic contact cleaner will work. For example, Radio Shacks will not. Most car parts places sell contact cleaner that doesn't leave a residue. Make SURE it says "Leaves no residue" on the can. As far as your rust problem, it all depends on if Ford has a record of your mileage. Like Clint Eastwood once said "...so do you feel lucky? Well do ya?" :p

Many times the factory warranties are for "rust through" so if the metal is just almost through, a warranty won't cover it.

Since you have a 2000, I'd suspect that the rusting panel(s) were damaged and repaired once, or there was a paint chip through the primer that was not addressed. The repair was probably not done very well, somewhere a seam wasn't sealed or the proper method of paint preparation was not followed. Are you the original owner of the car? If not, was there a damage disclosure on the car when you bought it?

-Rod

im not the original owner of the car. i dont know if im second or third, i have owned it since 2002 and it had 64,000 miles on it when i bought it. i didnt know if there was some way they could check the ecu and find out the real miles since its electric and doesnt have a speedo cable. one of my buddies says it just counts the miles and doesnt keep record of them but i just wanted to be sure. i guess the heat problem has to be the water pump, i havent pulled it yet but all the doors and actuators seem to be working fine in the heat box. im going to change the heater core while i have the dash out though because knowing my luck it will go out in a month if i dont.

"im not the original owner of the car. i dont know if im second or third,"

Never, ever buy a car without getting a CARFAX report on it! Takes about five minutes to get it on your computer and best $20. you'll ever spend. YOU get it on YOUR computer because someone who is good with a computer can alter the report. It will give you complete history on the vehicle, how many owners and where they lived, flooded, wrecked, lemon buy-back, all kinds of good info plus it gives the speedometer readings.

I mean, really, think about it: You're spending thousands of dollars for a vehicle you know from diddley-squat about and won't throw down $20. for a CARFAX? Then too, some unscrupulious dealer could tell you anything and you wouldn't know if they were lying or being truthful with you. No Sir Buddy! LET THE BUYER BEWARE! Unless you know the previous owner, in my opinion, if you buy a used vehicle and don't run a CARFAX you are really hanging yourself out, and I'll let it go at that. LET A WORD TO THE WISE BE SUFFICENT.

If the anti-freeze is flushed and drained per the Ford service recommendations, it is doubtful you would ever have problems with the heater core leaking or stopping up. I drain, flush and replace the anti freeze every three years around Christmas because I figure in three years it has built up enough acid and crud to justify expense for a gal of Prestone and I do it myself in about an hour.

i didnt know if there was some way they could check the ecu and find out the real miles
Now that you mention it I think they DO keep a second hidden record of the actual miles. It's never to late to buy a carfax :grinyes: I just bought a 2004 Taurus SEL and one of the things that I absolutely wouldn't budge from was that they HAD to include a carfax of the car. One reason is that where I'm from we are hearing a LOT of people are getting scammed from people selling cars that were involved in the New Orleans flood. There are no laws to protect a consumer if they buy one of these cars so you're basically screwed if you buy one. I wanted to make sure that I didn't buy one :p It will have every major thing about the car on there. One car that I looked at was in a small accident, and it showed up. I told the dealer bye-bye :grinyes: It's well worth the 20.00. Also I don't see how it could be your water pump, because then doesn't that mean that your temperature gauge is not working?

If the impeller on the water pump is worn, coolant maybe circulating enough to keep the motor cool, but not enough to keep hot coolant in the heater core.

I'll take your word for it, but I find it hard to believe that since the water has only one way to travel, that it would 'suddenly' cool down so quickly and so drastically only a foot away from its source. If anything that should overheat the engine over time. Something to do more with the heater core makes more logic. But cars sometimes have their own way of doing things, so it will be interesting to learn exactly what the problem was :p

i think that its probably the water pump and the bypass hose between the heater hoses is the least resistive path of travel so its not getting much hot coolant to the core. idk. i wonder how i could find out for sure about the odometer reading. it would be kind of embarassing for the dealer to tell me, "huh, your car really has 138,000 miles on it, but the odometer reads 85,000. hmmm" :eek: :uhoh: :grinno: "i guess we dont have to fix this rust after all :evillol: "
is there a way to post pics on here? if there is i'll take some of the rust.

I recently went on a trip to Ohio in our 2001 Taurus and had the same problem. This may sound stupid, but I was under the impression that when coolant levels went down as in my 95 tracer a light would let you know. Thanks to my son in Ohio which directed me to the coolant level which I found to about 1 gal low. After refilling I was able to get the heater to work right. Hope your problems is as simple.

I recently went on a trip to Ohio in our 2001 Taurus and had the same problem. This may sound stupid, but I was under the impression that when coolant levels went down as in my 95 tracer a light would let you know. Thanks to my son in Ohio which directed me to the coolant level which I found to about 1 gal low. After refilling I was able to get the heater to work right. Hope your problems is as simple.

"is there a way to post pics on here? if there is i'll take some of the rust."

Yes there is, but idk, (I don't know), how. You folks up North get roads salted but down South we very seldom do. I live on an island surrounded by salt water & marshes 15 miles from the ocean and hardly ever see cars rust here. I use to fly and aluminum corrosion on aircraft is a big problem on the coast because of the "salt" air. What I'm getting at is, I wonder if there weren't cracks in the paint on your car that let the salt or whatever corrosive thing get to the metal and rust.

"is there a way to post pics on here? if there is i'll take some of the rust."
When you're making a post click on the 'insert image' button. You'll need to upload the picture to a server because for some reason they don't allow direct posting of pictures. Hope that helps.