1998 Taurus Heater Issue - works 50%?

[meangene1973]

The heater in my new wife's taurus works when driving, cools off completely when stopped. She swears this is a new development and it used to always blow hot air when she was at a light.

Please help me appease her! Thanks.

[99 Neon R/T]

Fluid level?Thats seems like a likely place to start.Check it by letting it cool completely and removing the radiator cap and starting the car.Let it get to operating temp and see if the level goes down.If it does then add a 50/50 mix till the rad. is full.Try giving it a little gas when you do this,dont tach it out just a few rpms is enough to get the coolant flowing.Hope it helps and dont forget the overflow resivior

[seasonalskier2006]

but be very careful when you turn it on without the radiator cap, if you arnt careful you might spray shit all over

[99 Neon R/T]

Originally Posted by seasonalskier2006

but be very careful when you turn it on without the radiator cap, if you arnt careful you might spray shit all over

It shouldnt spray if the engine is cold.To be safe lay a rag over the rad opening that slould limit any spray that you might get.

[IHI]

Wifes sable experienced the same thing more/less. Took it into radiator shop and had them back flush the system and it's good as new...told me these model cars are noroious for clogging heater cores and back flushing should be an annually scheduled maintenance procedure. Got to see all the crap that caem out of it, lots of little white flakes.

For only $54 I'll have it done to ensure the wife/kid have heat when it gets cool outside.

[way2old]

If the cooling system flush does not fix it, you may need to replace the water pump. These are bad about the impellers corroding off due to cavitation and therefore cannot push the water at idle. At higher rpms, the heat will come back because the pump is spinning faster and can flow more coolant. When she comes in with it warm and not blowing warm air, rev the engine while in park to about 2000 rpm and see if the heat comes up. If it does, my money is on a water pump.

[dmac1054]

My son is having the same problem with his 98 taurus.
I flush out the system, replaced thermostat. Since that didn't make any difference I disconnected the hoses to the heater core and flushed it in both directions till clean. Maybe its the water pump.
Is the purpose of the bypass hose on the wheater core in case the core blocks? Someone installed one of those flushout T's in the center of the bypass hose and I wondered if the was something there before such as some kind of regulator.