OT Dodge Heater

super99 · Nov 22, 2010

I have a 97 Dakota, the heater doesn't work worth a ####. I've had the heater core and radiator flushed 2 times in the last 2 years, 195 thermostat put in and put a piece of cardboard in front of the radiator. Last winter I took the wife's meat thermometer and stuck it in the defroster vent while highway driving for an hour, best I could get was about 120 degrees coming out of the fan. This summer I bought Ram 150 off of a guy at work. He told me the heater doesn't work worth a ####. He had the radiator flushed and a 210 thermostat put in it. Said he had had it to several mechanics and no one could get it to work any better. He said that's why he always wore insulated coverals for his 30 mile drive to work. Anyone else have trouble with Dodge heaters and did you get them to work any better?? The Dakota is a V-6 and the Ram is a 318. Chris

C.R. · Nov 22, 2010

my ram used to heat great untill i made the mistake of putting in radiator stop leak stuff i think i fouled up the heater core maybe flush your heater core out

smallercrawler · Nov 22, 2010

Pure speculation - Dodge has had some problems with heat/cool blend doors in duct not operating correctly - might be a place to check if you haven't. Good luck with it.

MSM · Nov 22, 2010

Feel both of the heater hoses after the vehicle is warmed up.If they are both the same temp you have a blend door problem. Could be a broken door or actuator,could be a piece of trash or junk(old pencil or pen,nail etc) holding the door from closing, or a vacuum leak.
If there is a noticable difference in temperature the core is clogged.

ASEguy · Nov 22, 2010

If you are sure the engine is at operating temperature and you have proper coolant level then check your heater hoses for temperature. They should be very close to upper radiator temperature. If one is significantly hotter than the other then you have a restriction. If they are both cool at the firewall then take off both hoses and blow air(at reduced pressure) through the core and make it sneeze. We did this a lot on older Caravans to improve heater performance when I worked as a mechanic at a Dodge dealership. They are a continuous flow heater core. Hope this helps. Gerard

MSD · Nov 22, 2010

Smallercrawler is on the right track. My son has a 97 that we did everything to it also and still no heat. He finally figured out the heater door wasn't operating properly. He switched the vacuum hoses this fall and he gets heat in it now. He can still switch it to recirculate if he needs cooler air.

kyhayman · Nov 22, 2010

My Dodge with a 24v diesel was like that until I burped the head. Evidentally there was an air bubble trapped somewhere in the system.

JDseller · Nov 22, 2010

Dodge trucks have been known for having heater problems for years. Check and see if your coolant hoses go into the top of the heater core. If they are, then I would bet that the heater core is plugged. My Dad had a 1995 D150 with the slant six in it. He drove it for two winters with a little propane heater on the passenger floor board. I finally replaced the core for him. You had to remove the AC evaporator too. Dealer wanted $800 parts and labor. It would have took that too. I worked on it for a full day.

wilder11354 · Nov 22, 2010

there are vacuum check, directional valves in vacuum lines to the heater blend doors, they go bad a lot. carbon up, stick, etc. get new ones, replace them. I beleive ones blck/white body and one black/red body. Look on vac diagram under engine hood should show them in system.Get en from dodge they are orficed also. Yea i know they failed, but unless you can get all carbon out of engine, they always will.

Leon in Mn. · Nov 23, 2010

This might help. I had a similar problem with a 94 Dodge Van with the 3.0 V6. Not much for heat and poor coolant flow. I did EVERYTHING I knew of even flushed the engine and heater core, lines, new thermostat again. Then, I finally found the problem. On many Dodge built engines and Mitsubishi engines, like mine, the thermostat is round, but offset where it sits in the thermostat housing. The little air bleed valve on the thermostat MUST face the FRONT OF THE ENGINE. Not the front of the car which I had it. There is an baffle (casting)under the thermostat which the thermostat must be lined up with correctly or it will restrict coolant flow undeer the thermostat. The way I installed it correctly the last time it looked like the thermostat housing would crush the top of the thermostat when I tightened it down, but it didn"t and I got all kinds of heat now. I put it on wrong the first time because it "looked" like the right way it should fit in there. My mistake.
Hopefully it is your mistake too.
Leon in Mn.

Brad Buchanan · Nov 24, 2010

I had the same trouble with a Dodge 2500 4wd. I tried all the easy fixes and ended up replacing the heater core. Better plan on a full day or more to replace the core...I ended up sliding the new core in after removing enough dash assemblies to fill the bed.
Used rubber heater hose to do the hookup.
Hopes this gives you some help.
Brad

OT Dodge Heater

super99

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C.R.

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smallercrawler

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MSM

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ASEguy

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MSD

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kyhayman

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JDseller

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wilder11354

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Leon in Mn.

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Brad Buchanan

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