My car heater is not working why?

2010 FORD TAURUS
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DVAUGHN1
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Today I noticed that when I turn the heat on but it is still cold why?
Jan 4, 2015 at 6:04 PM
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HOMER1967
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it sounds like you may have the temperature blend door actuator stopped working but to but sure this video and guide can help us fix it. Check out the diagrams (Below).

https://youtu.be/SNRb6pSwYuU

and if the temperature blend door needs replacement here is a guide that can help with diagrams below to show you on your car.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

This guide can help as well

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Check out the diagrams (Below). Let us know what happens and please upload pictures or videos of the problem.
Jan 4, 2015 at 7:46 PM
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KIMBILLINGSLYDEFFENBAUGH
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When I try to run the heat all I can get is cold air and I notice my A/C compressor will be running and then back off for a few minutes and back on. I have all ready replaced the A/C and heater control switch, and thermostat, still no heat and the A/C is still circulating on and off.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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KHLOW2008
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Hello,

This sounds like the temperature blend door actuator is not working but to be sure this guide can help us find the problem.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Here are the blend door actuator location so you can see how the system works. Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know what happens.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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AMBER REED
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My heat will only work when I have the rpm's past 2-3. I do not know what to do about it. But it is getting cold and I need suggestions ASAP. It did not do this last year. Thanks in advance.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Hi and thanks for using 2CarPros.com.

I have a feeling you are low on coolant. Check that first. Here is a link that shows how to check and repair heater issues. Look through it and let me know if it helps.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Let me know if you have other questions.

Take care,
Joe
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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DANNY422
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heater stopped heating now blows cold air?
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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RASMATAZ
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It sounds like you have a temperature blend door actuator that is not working but to be sure here is a guide to help us run down the problem.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Please run down this guide and report back. I need the blend door actuator location please I think you are correct.Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know what happens.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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DANNY422
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replaced it works great! Cost $87.00
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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TED HALL
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The heat is not comming on when i turn the heat control knob it does not do anything .I,m trying to change the actuator but i don,t know where to look . I would appreciate any help you can give me , it,s cold here.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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HMAC300
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first try removing fuse for hvac sometimes the actuator will reset otherwise see if the blend door actuator is getting power and working. it may be a busted door or shaft as well. If you remove the actuator, you can manually move the door to see if it is ok, sometimes there were issues with the door itself

See diagram below for actuator location
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:25 AM (Merged)
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COUCH BRAD
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Car does not overheat, but no heat from heater, defrost, etc. Have put new thermostat it does not help.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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ASEMASTER6371
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Good evening,

When you look under the hood, are the heater hoses hot at the firewall?

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working.

Can you hear the mode door move when you command heat and cool?

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-heater-core.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-heater-core

Roy

Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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COUCH BRAD
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The water is warm and yes I can see the mode door move.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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ASEMASTER6371
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Okay, then it sounds like you have a clogged heater core.

I would remove the hoses from the firewall and use a garden hose to flush the heater core. run the hose back and forth several times until you get a good even flow with no dirt or debris coming out.

if that does not work then you will need a heater core.

Roy
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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COUCH BRAD
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That worked, thank you
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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I am back again with another (SE model) issue. My car has never had heat since I bought it in June of last year. For some reason, I finally started looking into, I did some research and found that the heater cores in in these cars were prone to clogs or fails. I performed a complete coolant flush of my car, put in new antifreeze and distilled water, cleaned it out with radiator flush and all that good stuff. after that, I did a heater core flush. Placed a vinyl clear tubing into the heater core tubes, pumped water from the garden hose, a crap load of murky, brown water started flowing until I finally got clear water running through. I have a new blend door actuator, I have looked down there and see the lever moving and I hear it as well, no vacuum hose leaks or anything like that. I still have no heat. I turn the temperature knobs in every setting, heat all the way, I get cool air. What is going on?
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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STRAILER
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When the engine is hot and running grasp each heater hose to see if they are both hot coming out of the fire wall.

Here is a guide that will help as well:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Please run this test and get back to us.

Cheers, Ken
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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Both are fairly warm. I do not really notice much of a difference between either.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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This was after I had turned off the car and let it sit for a few minutes.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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STRAILER
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It sounds like you have a thermostat that is out not getting the engine hot enough which will make the heater not work. I would change out the thermostat and retry the problem. Here is a guide that will give you an idea on how to do it:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-thermostat

Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see if that was it.

Cheers, Ken
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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That makes sense, so since the thermostat is stuck on one setting, it means it’s only cooling thus why my car hasn’t overheated but it isn’t heating inside the cabin, right?
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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So I went ahead and bought a new thermostat, thermostat housing and new gasket and gasket silicone sealant, cleaned everything as best as I could, put everything back together, put new antifreeze in the radiator. Still no heat??
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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GLENN STINNETT
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Replaced heater core, thermostat still no heat.
Vents are blowing air and it will change positions as selected, engine temperature is good 178 degrees out of thermostat hose 140 off each side of heater core, blend door actuator working as it should. This is where I am lost.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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ASEMASTER6371
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Good morning.

The first thing I would check is the hoses. Make sure you have hot hoses at the heater core.

A common issue for this is the water pump. The fins in the back rot out over time and produce very little circulation.

Roy

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Hi,

Are the heater hoses under the hood getting hot? If you start the engine, turn the heater on high and allow the engine to reach operating temperature, do both heater core hoses get hot? If they do, then heat is getting into the vehicle but not distributed.

That goes back to the blend air door actuator. What I suggest is this. Remove the actuator and confirm it is properly attached and operating. Here is a link that shows in general how one is replaced:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

Here are the directions specific to your vehicle. The attached pics correlate with the directions.

_________________________________

2002 Ford Taurus V6-3.0L DOHC VIN S
Temperature Blend Door Actuator
Vehicle Heating and Air Conditioning Air Door Actuator / Motor Service and Repair Procedures Temperature Blend Door Actuator
TEMPERATURE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR
REMOVAL
1. Remove the integrated control panel.



pic 1



2. Remove the right-side lower instrument panel insulator and glove box.

VEHICLES WITH EATC

3. Remove the 2 remote climate control module screws and position the module aside.

pic 2



4. Remove the temperature blend door linkage shield.



pic 3



5. Remove the temperature blend door actuator.
1 Disconnect the electrical connector.
2 Remove the screws.
3 Remove the temperature blend door actuator.

INSTALLATION
1. To install, reverse the removal procedure.

_______________________

Let us know what you find or if you have other questions.

Take care,
Joe
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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This is basically an update on my previous/current problem with no heat in my car. So I went ahead and replaced the thermostat, brand new thermostat and gasket. Bought a brand new heater core and installed it, also went ahead and bought a new blend door actuator for the heck of it. All brand new parts, correctly installed, I still have not a bit of heat coming out of my vents. What is wrong with it?
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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HARRY P
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I would probe the connector for the blend door actuator and make sure that it gets power to it when you turn the temperature up and down. No power means either a problem in the wiring or more likely the control unit itself is bad. That is just my $0.02

This guide can help us fix it

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Also, you might as well check the temperature of the heater core hoses after the engine is fully warmed up and the heat is switched on. One of those hoses might be clogged. It is a little bit of a long shot.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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That is what I was thinking, but I got down there and watched as I turned the knob from hot to cold and the lever with the spring moved in correlation to the knob/temperature being moved. so my guess is that the blend door is working?
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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HARRY P
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Hmm, could be that the door itself is broken. You would have to pull the HVAC box out and inspect it.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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I know I’m late, but here is a video I took of my blend door actuator, whenever I turn the temp to the hot side, it makes that clunk type sound as you can hear and also see, what do you think that is? Can that be causing no heat??
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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HARRY P
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I'm betting that is the sound of the blend door slipping instead of moving. Either a chewed up gear or busted door itself would cause this, and it would definitely cause a no heat or no air situation (depending on where it was stuck). I'm not familiar with the HVAC box of an 02 Taurus, but I'd bet there's a way to open it up and look at the door. But it'll be a pain to physically do it. So I'd go ahead and gather up replacement parts, then do whatever needed to be done to check the door, and then replace as necessary. Return or resell whatever parts you don't use.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JGONZO2398
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Found it, but that price? It was the blend door that was broken it took a while but I fixed it.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JASON FESSENDEN
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So I have this issue with my car I started to notice last winter where when I try to adjust my temperature in it, it has one of those automatic temperature adjusters goes from like 60° to 90° in that works for hot or cold. As last winter halfway through I noticed that even if I turn it all the way to 90° it would never get super hot. During the summer I had A/C for most of the summer, but that started giving the point where it wouldn't get as cold either. Being winter's coming upon us I thought I would try the heat again and I know it's that it's not blowing really any heat at all. I was curious what this could be I was wondering if it was possible that it was the resistor. Now I know normally the resistor basically just uses the blower fan but the price difference between a regular resistor and one for automatic temperature control is a big difference in price so I was curious if that would be the reason why I wouldn't be getting Heat or coolness. Or could it be something else? thank you.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Welcome to 2CarPros.

As far as the heater not working properly, confirm the engine coolant is clean and full first. If it is, I need you to check something for me. Because of the mileage on the vehicle, the heater core may be plugging. To check, allow the engine to warm up to operating temp with the heater on high. Then, feel both of the heater core hoses. Both should be hot. One will be hotter than the other because one is the supply and the other is the return. If both hoses are hot, then the core is allowing coolant to flow. That leads me to the next possibility, the blend air door actuator.

The blend air door actuator is what determines the air temp entering the vehicle. If the heater core is good, this would be my next suspect. It is located under the dash on the HVAC system. Here are the directions for replacement. What I would do is access the actuator and see if it is functioning.

Before the directions, take a look through these links and see if they help in any way.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

Here are the directions. The attached pics correlate with these directions.

______________________

2002 Ford Taurus V6-3.0L VIN U
Temperature Blend Door Actuator
Vehicle Heating and Air Conditioning Air Door Actuator / Motor Service and Repair Procedures Temperature Blend Door Actuator
TEMPERATURE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR
REMOVAL
1. Remove the integrated control panel.


pic 1


2. Remove the right-side lower instrument panel insulator and glove box.

VEHICLES WITH EATC

3. Remove the 2 remote climate control module screws and position the module aside.


pic 2



4. Remove the temperature blend door linkage shield.



pic 3



5. Remove the temperature blend door actuator.
1 Disconnect the electrical connector.
2 Remove the screws.
3 Remove the temperature blend door actuator.

INSTALLATION
1. To install, reverse the removal procedure.

_____________________________________________________________

Let me know if any of this helps or if you have questions.

Take care,
Joe
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:26 AM (Merged)
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DAVE CLANCY
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In sept i noticed i had no heat coming out of vents.I changed the thermostat with no results. I took it to the ford dealer and they said my heater core was plugged. I took it to a local auto repair near my home and $500 dollars later i have a new heater core,radiator flush and new antifreeze. Problem fixed."WRONG". Two days later i have no heat again. Took it back to repair shop and they said my heater core was clogged again. They flushed it again and said it was working. By the time i got home i had no heat. Took it back again and they said it plugged up again. They flushed radiator and put new antifreeze in again. Still no heat two days later. I put in another new thermostat with no results. The car does not over heat. The temp guage goes in the middle. All hoses in car heat up except one top hose going to heater core seems cold. All together i have about $600 invested and still no heat. All control knobs in car work. The blend door works. Water pump works. but no heat. Is there a place in the macomb county mich area that could help me with this problem before we are at 10 below zero
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:29 AM (Merged)
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BMRFIXIT
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It sounds like the blend door actuator is not working but to be sure check out this guide.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

Please run down this guide and report back.
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:29 AM (Merged)
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MIKE H R
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disconnect the hoses and put a short piece of hose on each end. Flush it back and forth until it cleans out. Something tells me that the hose are put on the wrong connection. The intake hose for the heater core should be on the bottom. That way the antifreeze will fill the heater core until it is full before returning to the engine. If hooked up the other way the antifreeze will just go through the heater core and not give out any heat. . .
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:29 AM (Merged)
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STRAILER
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Hello Dave and others that have this problem,

What happens is the heater core gets filled with air or exhaust gases from slightly a blown headgasket.

Here to two guides that will fix the problem for you.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-heater-not-working

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/head-gasket-blown-test

Though it sounds like Shadowrose has has a blend door actuator that is unplugged therefor the temperature door will not swing to the heat side.

Here is a guide to help you with that.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/replace-blend-door-motor

Please let us know happens so it will help others.

Best, Ken
Jun 22, 2021 at 11:29 AM (Merged)