Ford Expedition No Heat From Vents
Reader Question: My 1997 Ford Expedition is not blowing heat through the AC. It is ice cold. I was told it might be the Thermostat.
Where do I go from here? What is your take on it? The care has actually been riding fine. Even I had been on a 400-mile trip to New Orleans without fail.
Byron
Hey Byron,
Did you read my “heater not hot” article already? See if this helps you narrow things down. If you still have problems, let me know and I will try to assist further.
Always check the coolant level INSIDE the radiator first, if its low the heater will not get hot.
I would first start with feeling your two heater hoses under the hood. If only one is hot then you have either a heater control valve problem or a restriction in the heater core itself.
If both hoses are cold, then you might have a bad thermostat or some other circulation problem in the system like a restriction in the radiator or a water pump that is not working properly, which is rare, but can happen.
If only one RADIATOR hose is hot, you could have a restriction in your radiator. With the engine HOT, run your hand down the top center of the radiator towards the bottom. If you feel a definite temperature change on the radiator, you might have a restriction in the radiator itself.
If both HEATER hoses are hot, you probably have a control problem inside the dashboard somewhere or with the dash switch.
Blessings,
Austin Davis
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I have heating problems in a 2000 Ford Expedition (like a million other people, it seems). When I switch to hot on the dash, I get warm air for a few seconds, and then it blows barely room-temperature air.
I’ve torn the dash apart, and verified (a) that the blend door is working fine (Expeditions have a blend door, rather than a heater control valve, and they’re prone to breaking), and (b) that the heater core is hot to the touch. Also, I’ve checked the hoses feeding the heater core and those, too, are both hot to the touch.
I thought initially that my problem would be the heater core, and I’d need to replace that. But I’ve seen a bunch of posts from people who did replace it, and still had problems. So now, because it’s hot to the touch, and because both inlet/outlet hoses are warm, I’m thinking it must be something else. I suspect that my inital warm air blast is because the heater core heats the air, but then quickly cools with the constant airflow over it. Any thoughts much appreciated.
I kinda have a gut feeling your heater hoses are not hot enough, it should HURT when you try to hold one with the engine completely warm .
Probable causes
1. Low coolant levels
2. Restriction in cooling system not allowing coolant to flow through system
3. Thermostat not working or not the proper temperature, should be 210 degree Fahrenheit.
4. Blend door is not moving although the actuator is….seen the door itself break off from actuator rod and stay closed. Listen under dash for door open and closing, and you should hear and feel air volume change in vents when door moves.