98 LS1 Heater Problems/ Rear Defroster

The heater in my camaro isn't working worth a crap. It blows air, but barely gets warm and never gets hot like it should. I have flushed the entire cooling system (everything looked pretty clean coming out). I also installed a factory thermostat (186.5 degrees if I remember right). The engine warms up just like it should, but the heater never gets hot. And yes, it is full of fluids. Is there a heater core bypass valve hidden somewhere on these? I have looked, but haven't been able to find anything yet. It gets pretty cold on Kansas and it would be very nice to have a decent working heater.

Also, the rear window heater barely works. I have to run it through its cycle three to four times just to melt off frost, not snow or ice, just frost. It is absolutely worthless when it comes to snow and ice. Is there any way to "bump" up the heat so to speak?

So, basically my car sucks in the winter time! But I didn't have either problem last winter.

Thanks for the help!

No help?

Heater core might be the culpret on both occasions, are you sure the "frost" on the back window isn't inside?

I'm sure the frost isn't on the inside of the back window, and when I flushed the cooling system out, the water flowed right through the heater core with no problem. That is why I was thinking there must be a bypass valve somewhere, keeping the warm coolant from flowing through the heater core.

Ok, I give up. I will go buy a little heater to run off of the cigarette lighter plug in. Winter is almost over anyway.

I don't if 4th gens use them or not, but later model 3rd gens started using a control valve. :dunno:

my rear defrost doesn't work either. but that's what ice scrapers are for.