heater takes forever to get warm

In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour. It could be
normal but that seems unlikely.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing, add a zero and remove the last word.

Tom Del Rosso wrote:
> In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour. It could be
> normal but that seems unlikely.
>
>

bad thermostat, plugged heater core, Blend doors stuck closed



--
Steve W.

On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:36:00 -0500, "Steve W." >
wrote:

>Tom Del Rosso wrote:
>> In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour. It could be
>> normal but that seems unlikely.
>>
>>
>
>bad thermostat, plugged heater core, Blend doors stuck closed

The thermostat should turn the CEL on, though, right?

On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 07:43:24 -0800, Bill Vanek >
wrote:

>On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:36:00 -0500, "Steve W." >
>wrote:
>
>>Tom Del Rosso wrote:
>>> In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour. It could be
>>> normal but that seems unlikely.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>bad thermostat, plugged heater core, Blend doors stuck closed
>
>The thermostat should turn the CEL on, though, right?

Assuming that the lights works...

Bill Vanek wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 07:43:24 -0800, Bill Vanek >
> wrote:
>
> > On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:36:00 -0500, "Steve W." >
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Tom Del Rosso wrote:
> > > > In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour.
> > > > It could be normal but that seems unlikely.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > bad thermostat, plugged heater core, Blend doors stuck closed
> >
> > The thermostat should turn the CEL on, though, right?
>
> Assuming that the lights works...

Data display shows coolant temp between 175 and 220 depending on airflow due
to speed.


--

Reply in group, but if emailing, add a zero and remove the last word.

On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 11:48:55 -0500, "Tom Del Rosso"
> wrote:

>
>Bill Vanek wrote:
>> On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 07:43:24 -0800, Bill Vanek >
>> wrote:
>>
>> > On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:36:00 -0500, "Steve W." >
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> > > Tom Del Rosso wrote:
>> > > > In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour.
>> > > > It could be normal but that seems unlikely.
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > > bad thermostat, plugged heater core, Blend doors stuck closed
>> >
>> > The thermostat should turn the CEL on, though, right?
>>
>> Assuming that the lights works...
>
>Data display shows coolant temp between 175 and 220 depending on airflow due
>to speed.

Probably the mixer door isn't working properly.

Tom Del Rosso > wrote:
>
>In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour. It could be
>normal but that seems unlikely.

What happens when you bleed the cooling system? Lots of air in there? Is
the coolant nice and clean or is it cloudy and brown? Have you been changing
the coolant every year?

Find the coolant valve....when you turn the heat on and off, is it making
a clunking noise or not? If the system is gunked up, it may be sticking,
even if the core isn't clogged up yet.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Bill Vanek wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:36:00 -0500, "Steve W." >
> wrote:
>
>> Tom Del Rosso wrote:
>>> In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour. It could be
>>> normal but that seems unlikely.
>>>
>>>
>> bad thermostat, plugged heater core, Blend doors stuck closed
>
> The thermostat should turn the CEL on, though, right?

Not usually. The computer just assumes that the vehicle is taking longer
to warm up.

--
Steve W.

Tom Del Rosso wrote:
> Bill Vanek wrote:
>> On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 07:43:24 -0800, Bill Vanek >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:36:00 -0500, "Steve W." >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Tom Del Rosso wrote:
>>>>> In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour.
>>>>> It could be normal but that seems unlikely.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> bad thermostat, plugged heater core, Blend doors stuck closed
>>> The thermostat should turn the CEL on, though, right?
>> Assuming that the lights works...
>
> Data display shows coolant temp between 175 and 220 depending on airflow due
> to speed.
>
>

Thermostat is stuck open.
Temperature should start at ambient, Start engine and temp should
rapidly climb to right around 210-220 degrees and stay there. You might
get a few fluctuations as the thermostat cycles as it heats up and hit's
the thermostats opening temp (195)
Shouldn't take much over 305 minutes from cold for the temp to stabilize.

This assumes your coolant level is full.

--
Steve W.

On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 20:15:57 -0500, "Steve W." >
wrote:

>Bill Vanek wrote:
>> On Wed, 19 Feb 2014 10:36:00 -0500, "Steve W." >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Tom Del Rosso wrote:
>>>> In a 2002 LeSabre the hot air is lukewarm for at least an hour. It could be
>>>> normal but that seems unlikely.
>>>>
>>>>
>>> bad thermostat, plugged heater core, Blend doors stuck closed
>>
>> The thermostat should turn the CEL on, though, right?
>
>Not usually. The computer just assumes that the vehicle is taking longer
>to warm up.

It might be mfr. specific. Some GM cars would reliably set the code if
the thermostat was staying open. At least it seemed that way, and the
Buick is definitely GM...

I don't know if that car still used a heater control valve that shut
off the coolant flow to the heater core. That could also be stuck
closed. But then again, his description of the temperature variation
while driving does look like a thermostat.