Not heat when using the heater.

Hello Guys,

I am new to the Forum I need some help. When I turn on th heater on my

minivan it does not heat at all. My car is fully heated because the temp

gauge is half way up. The heater will kick in like 15 - 20 miles then it will

gradually start to heat up.

Also my radiator water in the Radiator is full, but the reservoir water is

empty. I keep on filling the reservoir ( not all the time just once a year or

when I remember) its always empty, but when I open the Radiator the

coolant is full all the way up.

Any suggestions as to why is not heating?

Thanks,

John

What year, engine?

manual temp control or climate control?

My car is 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager 3.3L V6...Its Manual control on the heater and A/C mine is not digital at all.

Also yesterday My reservoir was way below minimum I filled it up wih some water and within 3 miles drive the heater was warming up. Is that normal?

When the engine is STONE COLD open the rediator cap and check the waterlevel. It should be at the very top of the rediator cap. If not fill with 50/50 mix. Then fill the reservoir to the cold mark.
That radiator would have to be VERY LOW for the heater NOT to heat. I would think that the temp would run above normal if your radiator was that low.
Search this forum for the HVAC test that you can run. It might be of help.

When the engine is STONE COLD open the rediator cap and check the waterlevel. It should be at the very top of the rediator cap. If not fill with 50/50 mix. Then fill the reservoir to the cold mark.
That radiator would have to be VERY LOW for the heater NOT to heat. I would think that the temp would run above normal if your radiator was that low.
Search this forum for the HVAC test that you can run. It might be of help.

Do like Robert says but also leave the radiator cap off and run the engine with the heater fan full speed and heater set to the floor mode at highest temp on knob to normal operating temperature and watch for air bubbles in the system. Once to normal temp and air is apparentally all out of system put radiator cap back on and fill reservoir to max level. Air from heater should be very warm. Reservoir level may go down after the engine has had several cold and normal operating temps cycles.

You may also want to do a cooling system pressure test. Autozone will rent these tester's, you will need to make a deposit on it but it will be returned when tool is returned.

Hope this helps

You didn't say if your blower fan was even working. You should be able to hear it.

Posts: 3

Re: 01 grand caravan little heat
have an 2002 that seemed to have the same problem - in my case the fan worked but no heat, after two dealer thermostats (ouch) the problem turned out to be the water pump / after replacement it worked fine. good luck...

I want to say that yes the blower is working fine I can hear it and in fact the more I raised the knob the higher the air that will come out. I did filled he reservoir again and this time it takes about 5 minutes and the heater will work. Also just this weeked I notice that I filled up the Reservoir past the Max line and now its back down between the Max and the Min line again. I am not sure where is it leaking it from. I do not see any leaks or anything on the floor.

I look at the radiator and the water looks nice a light green.

Any suggestions?

If you are losing antifreeze and there are no leaks, this would indicate intake gasket or possibly head gasket. First thing to do is check your oil, sometimes antifreeze will leak into the crankcase (but not always). If your crankcase has oil present, it will be overfull and be milky. MOST of the time the antfreeze is leaked into the combustion chamber and is burnt off, thereby leaving no evidence. With the vehicle running check the odor of the exhaust at the tailpipe, it probably has the sweet smell of antifreeze.

You should probably have your system pressure checked. That involves pumping up the system with a pessure gauge attached and see if the pressure drops after being pressurized for a while, indicating a leak. The 3.8L does have a history of head gasket failure. The intake gasket would be a cheaper repair, but I would bet on the head gasket.

Good luck to you,

T

I have checked the oil and the oil looks fine. I have even changed the oil to get a better look and no bubbles or milky lookin oil. Just Black. I will check the tail pipe odor. Also its not instant that I loose the water It takes like a week or so for me to see change. Of course I do not drive my minivan all the time I drive it sometimes in the afternoon and also on the weekends..

i would agree w/ tbuckit1, sounds like a head gasket to me. have you looked on the ground to see any drips, towards the end of finally finding what the real problem with my GC was there were small drips of fluid on the ground and i just did not notice. it finally turned out to be the water pump......

Well when I use the heater I do not see anything leaking, but when I use the A/c it dripps a lot. i think that is normal right?

If you will notice, when using the A/C, your van will ALWAYS drip. This is because the A/C unit condenses moisture out of the air while running. It's dripping is normal. If you were to taste the water, it should be ONLY water and not sweet as if antifreeze were present. The plentum of the heat/A/C unit has a drain in the bottom just for the purpose of expelling this water. It should be dripping on the passenger side, probably just behind and inside of the right front wheel.

The A/C unit is, in effect, a dehumidifier.

Regards,

T

Do note that antifreeze is poisonous and could make you deathly sick if you "taste" it!