My '92 Loyale doesn't put out much heat, even with everything cranked up. The thermostat is working fine, I just tested it. The engine is also warming up fine, and it warms up enough to kick the electric fan on when it's been idling for a long time. The hoses going to and from the heater core get hot when the car warms up, but there still just isn't enough heat coming through the vents.

 

My only theory is that the heater core is plugged/corroded solid on the inside. I'd rather not have to replace the heater core - is there any good way to clean out the heater core while it's still in the car? Anything I should try before I pull out the dash and dig down to the heater core?

You can try disconnecting the hoses from it and pushing some stiff wire through it, carefully.

you could try some of that chemical radiator flush stuff as well. Just follow the directions and don't let it sit in there for a couple weeks.

Stephen-

Have you checked to make sure that your fan is cranking it out? A fan jammed with squirrel's nest stuff is much less effective. Cleaning the fan out is easy compared to any heater core work.

The fan is pushing out plenty of air, it's just not that hot. It keeps the car warm in 30-40F weather, but at -40, it barely keeps the ice off the windshield.

 

All of my other wagons did much better for heat output.

sorry to put your idea down but this could severely damage the interior of the core, perhaps puncturing it and causing a leak.

 

You can try disconnecting the hoses from it and pushing some stiff wire through it, carefully.

 

Stephen, you could try disconnecting the heater hoses and rigging some sort of flush setup through just the heater core, but if you have enough corrosion in the core, it could end up washing out corrosion that is plugging a leak.

 

If you'll pardon a little opportunism from me, I had to tear apart a junkard car's heater to get one of the interior flaps, as I'm rebuilding my wagon's heater core. I bought that car's heater core as it appeared to be in great shape (fins are straight and soldering around inlet/outlet pipes is intact), and I have not listed it for sale yet, but it is my intention to do so for $25 + shipping. If you're interested let me know.

Regardless, good luck!

Andy

If you are going to do a flush of the system consider using vinegar instead of one of the flush products. I have had great results.

i've done this before, never needed to do anymore than pull the hoses to the heater core and hold the outdoor garden hose up to the pipes, blowing it out. done it a number of times, works great, easy to do and never had any problems. i wouldn't use high pressure. you could also try shop air if you'd like.

 

best advice i can give is do it before it gets any colder. you won't like doing this when it's 10 degrees outside...oh wait you guys do celsius...you know, really really cold.

Somewhere in the archives should be my post on doing the EA82 heatercore swap.You'll love it if you need it.You can do the whole deal in 4 hours if you follow my directions.I hope it's an easier fix than that but should you need the swap.......

 

 

If there's no leak,don't swap it,flush it.

I could be wrong on this.. But if both heater hoses get hot with the controls set to heat, I wouldn't think that the core is plugged. Makes me think that the coolant is flowing thru core, otherwise the return hose would be much cooler than the supply hose. Maybe one of the doors that directs the air flow is stuck or otherwise not moving.

what I've been wondering about a EA82 heater core is, does the input and output hoses connect to the heater core on the top of the core box? or are the necks in the middle? (talking top to bottom) I'm thinking that if the necks are on the top, that maybe the core is plugged from the bottom to the top, and now its just bypassing the core blowing from the input straight across the top of the core to the output?

 

make sense?

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

I'll try flushing the core out this next weekend here. I have one of my wrecks all ripped apart, so I already have a standby heater core, just in case.

 

I'll make sure to go over the heater core swap article, just in case...

Any luck with that heater core problem? I am having a similar problem and am at the end of my rope. Now it doesn't hit -40 here in maine often, -25 some, but -40 is extreme, but we are at like 30's and I'm getting warm air at best.

I still have this if anyone's interested..

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=46283