97 Quest: No heat, Temp guage stays low?! Help!

Hello,

I can drive my quest for an hour and the temp guage will just barely
rise. No heat comes out of the inside cabin blowers.

After driving the car for a while the return radiator hose is still
COLD?!

QUESTIONS:

1. Where does the temp guage get it's reading?

2. Any idea on how to troubleshoot?

Thanks
E.

On Mar 14, 6:36 pm, "ed" > wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I can drive my quest for an hour and the temp guage will just barely
> rise. No heat comes out of the inside cabin blowers.
>
> After driving the car for a while the return radiator hose is still
> COLD?!
>
> QUESTIONS:
>
> 1. Where does the temp guage get it's reading?
>
> 2. Any idea on how to troubleshoot?
>
> Thanks
> E.

Your temp sensor is reading right. You have to find out why the engine
is not heating up the coolant. Most likely the coolant is not
circulating in the engine or none there.

Is there coolant in the radiator?

If there is, has the coolant been changed, or work done to the engine
that would have drained the coolant?(some systems need to be bleed
out)

If there is coolant and no work was done it's probably a stuck closed
thermostat.

On Mar 14, 7:27 pm, wrote:
> On Mar 14, 6:36 pm, "ed" > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hello,
>
> > I can drive my quest for an hour and the temp guage will just barely
> > rise. No heat comes out of the inside cabin blowers.
>
> > After driving the car for a while the return radiator hose is still
> > COLD?!
>
> > QUESTIONS:
>
> > 1. Where does the temp guage get it's reading?
>
> > 2. Any idea on how to troubleshoot?
>
> > Thanks
> > E.
>
> Your temp sensor is reading right. You have to find out why the engine
> is not heating up the coolant. Most likely the coolant is not
> circulating in the engine or none there.
>
> Is there coolant in the radiator?
>
> If there is, has the coolant been changed, or work done to the engine
> that would have drained the coolant?(some systems need to be bleed
> out)
>
> If there is coolant and no work was done it's probably a stuck closed
> thermostat.

PS- Even though your temp gauge is low your engine is still getting
hot. It would be best to fix the problem before you drive it much more
as the engine can and will overheat.

> I can drive my quest for an hour and the temp guage will just barely
> rise. No heat comes out of the inside cabin blowers.
>
> After driving the car for a while the return radiator hose is still
> COLD?!
>
> QUESTIONS:
>
> 1. Where does the temp guage get it's reading?
>
> 2. Any idea on how to troubleshoot?
>
> Thanks
> E.


Your thermostat is bad. The thermostat opens and closes to regulate
the flow of water through the radiator. Yours is stuck open so the
water is always flowing thus always cooling. Replace the thermostat
or have it replaced and all will be well again.

Steve B.