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I need help. It is cold and I have no heat in my 1999 Ford Taurus. I have flushed out my radiator and even changed my thermostat. What next and is it difficult to do?
With the automatic heat/ac system turned on to the "AUTO" position or to the "VENT" position air will not blow through the dash vents. It blows through the defroster vents however. The systems blows great ac and heat however. How can I correct this?
Hello, I have a 99 taurus also that has only slightly warm at at idle or slow speeds. I had the system reverse flushed and seemed to be flowing good but still only barely warm air UNLESS your going fast like 55 or over. Then the car blows very hot air. I also put in new thermastat still the same thing. My dad was thinking maybe the water just isn't pumping enough water untill I am at high speeds. Could this be the problem?
OK I have the little heat issue like so many that you have said, but also in the summer the car will not blow ice cold air either. When I first got the car had the complete ac check and they put in a new compressor and dryer unit in. Took car back after a few days because it was not getting cold on really hot days, the recheck the system ad told me that everything is running in the limits as it should be and told me that it may be the Blend door. I have took the blend door assembly off and check the movement also have check when it was put back on the car and that does seem to be working properly. Would flushing the system help with the ac problems I am having also?
I too have a heating problem with my daughter's 97 Taurus. After reading the treads, it does appear that this is a common manufacturing defect, with at least 3 root causes. 1-Waterpump defective, 2-Blend door actuator failure, 3-Plugged heater core.
As soon as I fix this thing, I will create a troubleshooting guide for those who experience this problem. I do have several question for those who have gone before me--For those who discoverd they had a bad waterpump--Did the car's temp remain in the normal range when you drove it? Did both heater hoses feel warm to the touch?
For those with bad heater cores, did your hoses feel warm to the touch?
Thanks,
John24255
I DID IT!!!!!!!! WOOO HOOO I have heat!
one more back flush was all it needed. I disconnected the line at the heater core. The metal line on the driver's side fire wall. It goes from the heater core to a T that goes to the thermostat. It probably would be easier to hook a hose right at the thermostat line and pinch off the bypass which is the other line at that T. Take the water reserve cap off. Put your hand over the spot you disconnected the line from to hook the hose to. You'll need
to buy a hose connect with a nipple to sleev into the hose. Let it flow. Brown water should flow out of the reserve.
Mind you the initial problem was the water pump. The impeller was completely
gone due to rust. The motor had only a 100,000 miles on it. Replaced the water
pump and had good heat for about a month. I guess the crap from the impeller was slowly clogging the heater
core again. Because I had flushed before
I did the pump and got nothin'. It was definitely the pump then it was definitely the core.
Oh ya a good way to know if it's your blend door actuator or not with out tearing it all apart like I did.... Drive down the road doing 65 turn your control from all the way hot to all the way cold. If it changes from mildly cold to Arctic wind cold it's probably not the actuator. If there is no change at all it could be. Good luck!!!!!!
I was amazed to find so many people with the same problem. My car has not had heat for a couple of years now. I replaced the heater core and still only have half heat.
No heat and am getting a clicking sound. plus i don't have signals, sometimes we have flashers. the ford dealer wants 675.00 to fix the actualor. can i do it without pulling out the dash? thanks
My experience says the heater core is clogged. You may want to flush the core before you go ripping the dashboard apart. I just did this in my 2000 Taurus.
Seems the heater core bypass pipe provides a path of lesser resistance for the anti-freeze. During the summer, while the heat is off, the scale and rust builds up and gradually blocks the coil.
here's a link to the pictures I took while flushing my Taurus this weekend:
Once the heater core is flushed, I would recommend an entire cooling system flush to be sure all rust and scale is no longer present in the system. It seems, as stated above, that the water pump impeller can rust and deteriorate becoming a major source of coil-clogging debris.
I also have a '97 ford Taurus,weird when i start my car after few minutes i turn on the heat but on low it blows a little heat,but when i turn it up it blow just air.,if i then turn it off and wait few minutes and then turn it on it blows heat again but only when it's on low,as soon as i turn it high it blows nothing but cold air.sometime it doesn't even blow heat just cool air,it sucks living in chicago with this.i think ford has not addressed the issues with the heating system in their cars mostly the Taurus.just too much complains online in forums like this and the topic is mostly heater or something close.am not sure where to start from,any ideas will be highly appreciated.
akinwumio@gmail.com if u have any suggestions.
My experience says the heater core is clogged. You may want to flush the core before you go ripping the dashboard apart. I just did this in my 2000 Taurus.
Seems the heater core bypass pipe provides a path of lesser resistance for the anti-freeze. During the summer, while the heat is off, the scale and rust builds up and gradually blocks the coil.
here's a link to the pictures I took while flushing my Taurus this weekend:
Once the heater core is flushed, I would recommend an entire cooling system flush to be sure all rust and scale is no longer present in the system. It seems, as stated above, that the water pump impeller can rust and deteriorate becoming a major source of coil-clogging debris.
My experience says the heater core is clogged. You may want to flush the core before you go ripping the dashboard apart. I just did this in my 2000 Taurus.
Seems the heater core bypass pipe provides a path of lesser resistance for the anti-freeze. During the summer, while the heat is off, the scale and rust builds up and gradually blocks the coil.
here's a link to the pictures I took while flushing my Taurus this weekend:
Once the heater core is flushed, I would recommend an entire cooling system flush to be sure all rust and scale is no longer present in the system. It seems, as stated above, that the water pump impeller can rust and deteriorate becoming a major source of coil-clogging debris.
I am a class (A) mechanic.... Here goes easy steps to tell what the problem may be. A heater core has an in and a out. if one hose is hotter than the hubs of hell then the engine is doing its job but if the other hose that goes into the firewall is cold but the bypass hose that connects the two hoses is also hot then their is a blockage in the heater core usually from poor maint or a damaged water pump. easy fix is take both heater core hoses off then the steel hoses that comes out of the firewall delicately put a garden hose on the one side hold it the on high pressure see if the water comes out the other hose fast if not then try putting the garden hose on the other side on high pressure see if water comes out if not or just trickles then you have a blockage keep flushing it till it pours out quick. once it pours quickly problem should be corrected. Now if it pours out from the first time you put the garden hose on then its not a blockage. step 2 leave both heater core hoses off and put thgem up in the air try to put them as high as possible using something to prop them up so the coolant has to defy gravitythen start the car quickly look at the hoses if one of the hoses is pouring antifreeze at a high pressure rate then your water pump is good but if your hoses are trickling coolant out then either there is no coolant in your engine left or water pump is bad usually the pump fins corroide. but if the coolant is pouring out then its the actuator failed usually this happens if their is a vaccum leal or the actuator plunger has malfuctioned in any case first you put the control to floor if it switches to floor then put control to vent if it switches to vent put it to defrost if all works then vaccum system is ok and replace plunger or actuator.
Same issue. Replacement Thermostats are different from OEM.Thaught that was the problem.Still no heat.
will flush heater core before refilleng this time and then replace Water pump if that does not work. Thanks for the insight.I thought it was me.Shame on FORD.
So Ive done most of it. Flushed the heater Core by itself. Disconnected the lines and flushed directly. Replaced water pump. The old one was missing fanblades due to corrosion. Replaced the thermostat. Still I have no heat, unless I'm doing 75 for a long time then I get a very small amount.
STILL COLD!!
My son and I are going outside right now to try the actuator door thingy majigger, will let you know what we find.
The heat does not work in my car, I have had a flush and also replaced my heater core, Now it is not working again, I'm looking for a way to flush the system my self. Can you help?
My boy has a 99 Ford Taurus and he has experienced the same problems you are having. The problem he had was the anti-freeze oxidized because of a crack in the reserve tank (pressure tank). The anti-freeze was so dirty it plugged the heater core. He had to have the system flushed but it didn't help with the heating problem. I myself flushed the heater core with a garden hose (hooked to a hot water tank)through the heater hoses. He immediately had heat after flush the core.
I get very little heat when my fan is on low. When I turn the fan on high it blows out cold air. The radiator is full and the temp. control switch is good.The doors to open the defrost or floor vents seem to be operating. What is my next step?
The next step is to check the blend door actuator motor. It's right behind the radio and fails with alarming regularity. A failure usually sticks the blend door in full cold or full hot.
I have a 99 ford taurus and it has no heat. But it'll get hot for a few mintures then go to kind warm. Now I've replaced my thermustat and flushed the radiator.
I've had to flush my wifes heater core to every year. it works every time. but now it seems the ac is trying to run. after driving it for a while, i popped the hood and the ac lines were sweating as if it had been running. also, while idling, you can hear the ac engaging and dis-engaging. what could be causing this?
I have a 1999 Ford Taurus SES Wagon. Same problem... Had blend door actuator (Sp?) replaced and that didn't do it. Gonna try the flush of the heater core. Any benefit to replacing lines to and from Fire Wall while in there?
Same issue with '97 Taurus with the 3.0 Vulcan engine. Replaced water pump less than a year ago, and the thermostat less than a week ago.
Thermostat seemed to fix the HUGE temp fluctuations, but still no heat.
Took the bypass out of the system, replaced with regular hoses. Temp stayed low, and output hose from heater core stayed cool to the touch.
Back-flushed just the core a few weeks ago, and still no heat. *sigh* Gonna have to swap out the core, I guess...
nearly $100 US for a new heater core... Plus whatever my time is worth per hour...
Longwinded, but stick with it please! Had a 97 Taurus overheat and shutdown on the
Interstate about a year ago. I had run low on coolant somehow. Let it cool. Got coolant
in it. Everything fine. Began losing coolant from reservoir cap later. Replaced Cap.
Still losing. Replaced reservoir. Everything fine for a while (six months). Radiator
develops slow leak. Flushed and stop leak put in. (Water was rust !) No help. Driven with slow leak for month (topped off twice). Radiator replaced and now something strange is happening.
Sitting at a drive through the night after getting the radiator replaced,
I notice the temp has redlined! Shut
the car off, let cool. Drive home. Now anytime I sit for 5 or more minutes the temp redlines. The fans blow fine. Once I start moving, the temp immediately normalizes. Even runs colder than normal while moving
for a bit and then stabilizes. What's even odder, while it's running hot, the heater
blows cold! Once I get moving the heater blows warm air. This fluctuates. Little cold,
warm. Sometimes it just blows cold while I’m driving, not enough to defrost! Sometimes it's fine! While driving its usually normal. The guy that replaced my radiator said it's
not the thermostat, because it would be stuck one way or the other. Both lines into the
firewall feel normal (hot,warm). He suggested a compression check to make sure it's not
being lost through the head gasket, but I'm not losing coolant! Suggestions??
After flushing the system myself and replacing the thermostat, still did not have heat. Eventually had the heater core flushed and still did not solve problem. The problem ended up being in the water pump. Fins were rusted off and only letting enough water to go through to prevent overheating. Replaced water pump and had heat... Hope this helps.
I have no heat, also,i think i took off the actuater it is a white sq box, with three wiers going to it, and opened up the door with my hand. still no heat!! the car is not running hot, so it cant be the heatercool, i put in a new thmo last night, and still no heat,do i need to flash the heatercool out or the rad-- my kids are getting colds because of this car!!
To fix the no heat problem on a '99 Taurus is generally easy (as Willy said above).
1) Carefully pinch off (closed) the heater core bypass hose with a needle nose vise grip or similar tool.
2) Flush the cooling system. (Installing a flush tee in one of the heater core lines and and attach a garden hose)
3) Add pure coolant because the block is now full of pure water.
Also, I have noticed the A/C runs all the time when the heat is on. You can unplug the high or low pressure A/C switch (on one of the Freon lines) and the A/C compressor will not come on. Re-plug the A/C compressor in the summer.
I am having the same, no heat, problem with my 99 se. I removed tghe radio, and the blend door actuater. Next I manualy held open the blend door and WOW I had heat. Now I opened the housing of the blend door actuater, I try to fix everything. I cannot find a reason why it wouldn't be working fine. The moter works fine when hardwired to power, and there is no obvious problem with the gears or board. Could the problem be the computer, I guess its a computer, that the wires for the blend door actuater plug come from? Any sugestions or help would be great. I am tired of cold feet.
I am having no heat in my 99 Ford Taurus. There is a corrodide pipe that leads to the heater, but I need to know how to install it! Any help will greatlly be appreciated! I can't afford to pay someone to fix it so I have to do it my self.
Jeff (who posted on 10/14/07), did you have to replace the waterpump? I used to work in a Ford garage in Michigan. We had a LOT of problems with brown coolant and loss of heat. Most common: plugged heater core, second, water pump fins rusted off. You may need a full (very expensive) coolant flush with a myriad of chemicals used by Ford in a "bulletin" issued specifically for 96-98 Taurus that needed a bypass hose installed as well. The problem was supposedly "cured" by 99 and was not an issure. BS. My 99 is doing the exact same thing: only get heat with raised engine speed. My guess: waterpump, and I only have 39,000 miles!
He replaced my thermostat, gasket, Checked my heater core hose...which is hot, we replaced the hot and cold dial... I ran stop - leak for hoses and radiator...
It has him stumped...
He's thinking possibly the Heater core needs to be flushed and or replaced...? Any suggestions??
Wow! Everyone has the same issue. My wife's 99 taures has no heat. A mechanic told me I need a new heater core while he was fixing something else. But the heater core we have has no hose on it. So if I replace the hose, it might work,right? I see where the hose comes out, but where does it go?
The head gasket might be the problem most likey if all other attemps fail u might even have a crack in the engine block by the head gasket better off jusr replacing the engine then just changing the gaskit cause the cost of changing the gasket will be close to changing out the engine so just swap out the motor for a new one why take the chance of changing the gasket and then 15 thousand miles later you find out there is a crack by the head gasket. Just pay tghe exta 800 bucks for the motor swap why just change the gasket.. not worth the the WHAT IF's Questions going on in your head over and over save your self the peice of mind..........
Okay - I figured out something most of these posters may have missed.
Like many of you, I had no meaningful heat in a 1999 Ford Taurus with 90Kmi; V6 3.0 Vulcan engine.
1) After 20 minutes of idle, with the heater set to max-on, one hose to the heater core (on the engine side of the fire wall) would be wicked hot -- i.e. you could grab it for about 2 seconds max.
2) The down side hose had a fairly hot hose -- i.e. you could hold it for about 5 seconds max. So I thought that the air blowing thru the heater core was cooling it off -- naturally the down side hose should be cooler, yet no hot air was coming out (yes blowers ran full speed -- but the air was always coming out cold! {Foot note, like some of prior posters, if you turn the blower off for 2-3 minutes and then turn the blower back on, you will get a burst of nice hot air for about 5 seconds, and then it goes cold!}
3) I flushed the coolant in the engine.
4) I flushed the coolant from the heater core -- both directions, with hot tap water / garden hose, until it would run nice and clear out the other side.
5) I clamped shut that (stoooopid) heater core bypass hose.
6) I changed out the water pump even though the blades on the pump looked just like the newly rebuilt blades.
7) I verified that my heater damper door was not broken (ala www.heatertreater.com ) I verified the door opened and closed easily, and made a nice thump going into each position. 8) I let the engine run with the coolant expansion cap off for 10+ minutes to flush air bubbles out after all reassembly.
9) I topped the coolant off to the "right" level -- for both hot and cold engines.
10) I used those ball float tools to ensure I had the right mix of coolant to water in the system.
11) I let the engine run for an hour, sit overnight in 20 degree F cold and confirmed there were no leaks for sure.
12) I confirmed there was no blockage in the hoses to / from the heater core,
or in the tees where the hoses fork to either the heater core or the bypass hose.
I was beginning to think both the original and the replacement water pumps were the wrong ones -- perhaps too small of a blade/impeller? I was going crazy.
11) So I thought perhaps I should change out the heater core, even though the garden hose water ran through it fine. They cost $55 at Autozone; worth a try. So I ripped out my heater core (see footnote below}. On the outside, it looked like new. Yet despite all the flushing with hot water (for 10-15 minutes!) per step #4 above, I noticed some rusty chunks/flakes poured out after I got it all the way out. So I added more water to this completely removed heater core and vigorously shook the unit and then poured the water out -- LOTS of rust/flakes came out with the water! There was no exterior sign of defect or leaking, but everytime I filled up the heater core with hot water, shook it hard for 10 seconds, and poured the water out, more rust silt would spill out with the water. APPARENTLY FLUSHING WITH THE HEATER CORE IN THE ENGINE IS MARGINAL AT BEST...unless perhaps you have a high=pressure water source...
After installing the new heater core, it all works GREAT -- almost but not quite like new.
I conclude that RUST SCALE on the inner surface of all the heater core tubes was acting like a thermal "insulator".
It did not constrict the flow of water through the core, but it was apparently constricting the flow of temperature from the hot coolant to the metal heater core to the air blowing through it!
FOOTNOTE: TO remove the heater core on this vehicle, most everybody says to pull the entire dash out -- even the steering wheel. I saw a couple posters say to remove the glove box and radio, and radio bracket and ashtray, and then just cut the brace under the glovebox (saber saw with metal blade). Then I made a cut in this triagular brace that allowed me to bend/fold the brace away from the heater core exit path. Finally, with most of the middle screws removed, the plastic dash could be pulled/pryed towards the backseat about 3 inches, which was enough to swap out the core. You do have to remove lots of plastic screws that attach the dash to the metal braces (the screws often point towards the rear of the car.) After the new heater core was in place and working great, I "repaired" the saw -cut brace via a 3" piece of steel, about 1/2" wide and 1/4" thick. I drilled 0.25" clearance holes on each side of where the cut was, and matching tapped 1/4-20 holes in the metal brace. A little bit of countersinking and then flathead screws made the brace under the glovebox almost like new.
Yep...same problem here. I have a 99 taurus lx and I have no heat. I've flushed the core several times, put coolant in it, replaced the coolant holder and pumps, and even replaced the heater control unit and still, u guessed it....NO HEAT!!! I used to get just a little heat when doing at least 75, but a recent ticket has ended that! Im through with it and it's too COLD here...can sumbody say new car? lol.
I am about to change the heat core on a 99 taurus. One thing I am not clear on is how does the steering column get disconnected to come out. Does it come out with the entire dash? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks you guys just saved me from buying a 1999 ford taurus which has no heat. thanks to my brother during the test drive he fiddled with all the controls and found no heat. i was going to buy it anyway because i thought it would be an easy fix. not after reading these posts. thanks again
The fix is simple just remove the bypass hose between the two heater hoses it does not allow the water to flow through the heater core 3ft of 5/8 hose and two splices and some clamps all ya need to get heat to your taurus
My son has a 99 taurus se and the heat suddenly stopped working a couple of months ago. I just got it fixed yesterday and this is what we did.
-Thermostat is working
-Back flushed heater core and changed out antifreeze--still no heat.
-His car has electronic automatic temperature control and found on the internet that you can get codes from the heater control panel by pressing a series of buttons. This is call an EATC self test.
-Press the OFF and Floor buttons simultaneously and while holding those buttons down press the AUTOMATIC button and then release. The display should show three lines in the display. The test takes about 30 seconds to run and will display a 3 number code. The code that showed up when I did this was 024 (blend door short or failure code), I then pressed the FRONT DEFROST button, which will clear the code. The display will then go blank. I turned off the car and started it up again and still no heat. I then decided to run the codes again. This time the code was 025 (which means the same thing, blend door short or failure) I then hit the defrost button again to clear the code. Turned the car off and started it up again, and bingo I have heat.
I hope this helps. I searched for two months on all the forums and just stumbled upon this yesterday. I'm assuming if this doesn't work after several tries that there definitely is a blend door problem.
I have a 1999 ford taurus se that I just brought two weeks ago and i have discoverd that I don't have enough fluid pressure to spray the fluid onto the wind shield.I have replaced the sending unit attached to the fluid tank and the tank is full. i have also cleaned the spraying tips with a sewing needle thinking that they may be dirty, and also replaced them a couple of times.(the tips are those two black pieces of plasstic that protrude from the hood). and I don't seem to find anything wrong with thewasher lines leading from the fluid tank. does anyone know what the problem might be?any suggestions?
For two years I have been trying to get heat in my 1998 Taurus. My first attempt was a complete cooling system flush. I also flushed the heater core seperatly, and in both directions, with a garden hose till the water flowed freely and clean. I refilled the entire cooling system with water and Prestone "Super Radiator Cleaner". The directions for this Prestone product says to drive the vehicle 3 to 6 hours. The driving time can be intermittent and over a period of several days. You then drain the system and flush with clean water. Your next step is to refill the system with a 50/50 mix of antifreeze. I must admit it did a great job cleaning my cooling system but still I didn't have any heat. After extensive reading (mostly internet forums) I decided the water pump must be the poblem. I had read that the propeller that moves the coolant throughout the system would sometimes rust away. I replaced the water pump only to find that my old pump was still like new. So I tried additional flushes, flushing the steel heater core lines and all hoses, thermostat replacement, and I checked the blend door for proper operation. I was so puzzled. Some posters had said that they had improved their heat by removing the stock steel lines to the heater core and replacing them with rubber hoses connected directly to the engine and water pump. I'm not one to change the factory configuration on any vehicle. I feel that it must have worked like that from the factory or they wouldn't have been able to sell the car. In my attempts to fix the car there were times when I thought I had it fixed only to find that the following day it was doing the same thing. I always had some heat and it seemed to be better at highway speeds. At an idle I had little or no heat. With the blower speed on low I had some heat but on the higher speed it would quickly cool down. I was thinking that this sounded like a restricted heater core. I was even told by several top mechanics that the heater core needed replaced. I was never convinced that this was my problem though and heater core replacement on a Taurus is very difficult and costly. I wanted to be sure. I couldn't understand why the water from my water hose would flow so freely through the heater core. It didnt seem restricted to me. I begin to think that Ford had a bad design and that if your cooling system had any restrictions at all that it wasn't going to work properly. I read about the cooling systems becoming air locked. This made sense to me but I couldn't find a reliable way to bleed the system. Once after disconnecting the heater hose from the water pump and starting the car long enough to get a steady flow of coolant and then reconnecting the hose I had heat but only for a day. I began to think it must be an airlock. I remembered reading about the motorcraft thermostat having a vent in it to bleed the air from the system. I went to my ford dealership and asked to see a Taurus thermostat. The first thing I noticed was a small vent with a ball check valve. My aftermarket thermostat didn't have this nor did the thermostat that was in the car when I bought it. Motorcraft thermostats are not cheap. A thermostat and gasket cost me 22 bucks. I replaced the thermostat being sure to locate the vent or jiggle valve at the 12 oclock position. You also need to turn the spring end of the thermostat toward the engine block. Now, this is the good part of my story. After refilling the cooling system I started the car. After a short warm up I rechecked the coolant level and finished filling the system. I had heat! I even had heat the next day, and the next and the day after that. Finally my car has heat. I wanted to pass this info on in hopes that it might help some other flustrated Taurus owner. I also would like to thank everyone for their advise and I hope that this information can be of help to others.
Help!! I have a 97 Ford taurus. The overflow reservoir bubbles out rusty water. WHen my car is idling (especially in a drive thru) it runs HOT and I have to turn off the car. How embarrassing!! The bubbling rust is all of the inside of the engine compartment on the right side. I have no heat and I mean NO HEAT! It has been backflushed and flushed with an acid product. No more rust!! But I am still overheating and still have no heat. I am a woman and somewhat techinically inclined. Can someone email me directions ( the 101 for a taurus owner for dummies) on how to fix the problem I have. I am low of on funds and want to tackle the job myself. Thanks so much!
Yyyeaaaaaooo so i got one of these in the shop today and we threw a t-stat and a water pump at it. still no heat came on here and the spock8113 is on the ball put ur hand under the pass. side dash n feel for heat or check the heater hose lines coming and going to the core if ones hot and the other cold its the core. flush if u can or replace if still cold
For sure try flushing the heater core. Did mine Saturday. Easy to do and really does it. I flushed a bunch of black gunk out of mine. Now we have great heat. Cost me $10 for supplies. Used 2 pieces og garden hose with 5/8 hose connectors. Water pump side was 3/4 but the 5/8 hose fit snugly inside. Put the water to the bottom heater core hose first. Recommend cleaning overflow tank also.
I have the same issue with my '00 Taurus. I back flushed and forward flushed last year. Also replaced the thermostat which I checked against the new one, and while it opened at just a bit higher temperature (you can test them in your oven), it still opened all the way. So did the new one (I tested that too!)
Heat might have got marginally better, but didn't improve much. This year, still feels terrible. I too have to be going 75 to get any heat at all. I felt the hoses both coming and going from the heater core, and they were both so hot I could only hold them for a second.
I haven't checked the doors inside as, but I don't feel like that's the problem on mine, as I can hear them operate and the air will change temperature, just not much. Guess I will check it anyway just to rule that out.
Also, can you actually get to the heater core without a major dash tear down to see if that is the problem? I figure if it don't feel hot, then you could be sure its plugged.
I have noticed that my water does brown up fast, so I suspect this rusting of the impeller may be an issue on mine as well, but I'd hate to change the water pump this time of the year!
Oh, yes, I even went so far as to block off the grill openings to see if that would help. Nada!
Lots of good information here. I just used this info along with the Ford letter (search the web for 98-ford-taurus-water-pump-browncoolant.pdf) to take care of the heating problem in my 97 Taurus. The letter gives procedures for flushing the cooling system and instructs to replace the water pump, along with adding the bypass hose to those without one. It doesn't say to change the heater core, but I did.
So a short run down of what fixed the problem. Was getting no heat last year and decided to change the water pump and thermostat. This only partially fixed the problem, but the car wasn't overheating or running poorly, so I left it for Summer time. Summer came and went, as did Fall, so now it's cold in the Midwest. So, I'm at it again. I disconnected the hoses to the heater core and flushed them individually. I flushed the core forward and backward and got a lot of junk out. This was actually clogged. drained and replaced the remaining coolant. This only gave a little warmth if the fan was on low. After reading the letter mentioned above, I verified that the bypass was already installed. I replaced the water pump again (last one was a lifetime warranty part so no cash out of pocket for this one). I also replaced the thermostat again (failsafe type so it won't let the engine overheat if if goes bad). Flushed the cooling system completely. Replaced the heater core.
Now, many postings here and on other sites say it is a really big job to replace the core and that the A/C needs to be discharged and recharged. On the 96-99 Taurus and Sable, Ford put an access panel in the ductwork. It is slanted and is held in by a few screws. It is right behind the blend door actuator (white box). Take care in removing the items in front of this panel because they can be brittle. Once you have the access panel out, remove the rectangular panels at each end of the dash to reveal 4 large bolts. Remove the bolts, then look at the top of the dash. The defrost vent has a snap in cover on it. Remove that cover to reveal 3 more bolts, then remove the bolts. This will allow the whole dash to slide out 5 to 6 inches without any further disassembly. This will give you enough clearance to remove the core. Push the core from the engine compartment side, then grab it from inside the car and pull it out. Assembly is the reverse. Be sure to apply the foam tape that comes with the new core just as it is on the old. Connect the hoses and fill the system with fresh coolant. Mine was blowing nice and toasty in 5-6 minutes.
Hope this helps. I had to learn by trial and error. If I knew this going into this task, it would have saved me 5-6 hours of work.
Bought a 2000 Ford Taurus SE w/ only 36K miles here in sunny FL. Getting ready for a trip up to Syracuse, NY for Christmas. Lo and behold, the car could not produce heat.
One trip to the mechanics, and a $700 estimate later, told me that I should do some googling. After looking at threads, and Yahoo answers, and the like all over the internet, this thread on this forum was the only one that helped me resolve the issue myself.
I did Brad's backflush method above and I have heat! I tried Spock's method, but I could not remove the clamp on the hose on the water pump. However, Spock's photos really helped me understand the issue. Brad's cramp and flush from the thermo side was the only one I could perform myself.
I think I'll take the car in and have the full system flush professionally done. I got radiator fluid all over my driveway. Messy, toxic job.
Anyone help me out i got a 99 taurus sho and as soon as you start up i have no heat control or radio control, heater will blow every once and awhile but doesnt stay on for long and as soon as this happens i loose all control to radio also... Is this a wiring issue or do i have a hole other problem????????
Can someone please help me out!
email- is tjbkdb3@yahoo.com
On a 96 Taurus the quickest way to check your blend air actuator to see if it's working is to remove the ashtray. Look for a off-white control module that has a electric connector in the middle of it...that's your actuator. On the upper right hand area you'll see a square hole - keep your eye on it to see if it turns when you turn the ignition to the on position and go from cold to the hot setting. It should move if it's working correctly.
If it doesn't...do as I did..you can easily remove the actuator control with a ratchet & 10mm socket by reaching the 4 screws from under the dash, trough the ash tray hole, or by dropping the glove box down. Once you get it away from the heater box, try testing it again...that way you'll know for sure the control is bad, and not stuck blend doors. Mine was bad, so I went to a "you-wrench-it" place and they only charged me the price to enter ($2.00) for another one. The shaft that activates the blend doors will only go in one way..so be careful not to force it on! It only takes 15-30 minutes to change it out!
I still have no heat, but I saved the $300.00 the dealer wanted!
Raditor flush wont work because the heater core is bypassed when it is clogged. Try directly unhooking the heater core inlet and outlet. Hook a garden hose to the core and flush for 5 min then reverse flush. Mine works great now. Hope this helps
We also have not heat but we also have a loss of antifreeze pissing out the oblong thingy in the firewall. HELP!!! I am really beginning to hate this car and would like to blow it up!!
Any suggestions, my husband thinks the heater core it completely gone, I also agree can't afford to take it in to fix it. We will have to do this ourselves. HELP!!
I'm having some issues with the heat in my 1998 Taurus SE as well. I am wondering if, with the remaining problem I'm having, it could be the corroded pump fins some are referring to. I flushed the heater core until clean, free-flowing water was going through it. The heat will now work when the motor is hot, but with the following anomalies: It takes forever to heat up. I can drive five miles before the needle passes "C", and probably another 10 before it gets to normal (just shy of halfway). If I am accelerating or cruising along, I get decent heat. If I drive slowly or come to a stop, the heat starts to fade. I have also changed the thermostat recently, to no avail. Any ideas on that?
First I want to thank all of those who came before me to solve this problem. I think I have mine licked; but thought I would share for the benefit of others... this will be long.... I had my heater core replaced less than 6 months ago $900 (mostly labor)
1. No heat; air conditioning only.
2. checked radiator fluid.. seemed ok.
3. Flushed radiator fluid- no heat.
4. Backflushed heater core- no heat.
5. Reflushed radiator - no heat.
6. Pulled out glove box & ashtray. Actuator vibrates but does not turn arm. Ordered actuator from dealer-$87
7. Installed brand spanking new actuator- motor works- no heat/still air conditioning
8. Checked heater hoses. Felt not warm near firewall. Reflushed/Backflushed heater core. No heat
9. Replaced thermostat- no heat
10. Went back to actuator area- looked at hole where actuator peg goes... seems fine. Pushed on lever the motor moves. Heat. but only warm. Warmer at higher rpms. This is at least new and not air conditioning.
11. Came back to forums and this appears to be my water pump. Will order new pump tomorrow and hopefully be done and warm again. At least it is not that silly blend door!
Thanks again!
Hey, have common problems with mid to late ninety's with no heat. To tell if the actuator is working, just put your blower on high and turn to vents. You should hear a more muffled sound (wind noise from blower motor) with the heat on, and hear it get slightly louder with it turned to cold. This is because the air has to blow through your AC evaporator and your heater core when the heat is on, and with heat off it only goes through the AC evaporator. Also feel you heater core inlet lines. The lower hose should be hot (inlet) and the upper one warm/hot (outlet). If you flush the core, flush from the top hose to the bottom. This is the opposite way coolant flows. The tell tale sign of thermostat problems is only if the temperature gauge never rises, or only rises slightly. Hope this helps.
I have a 2000 Ford Taurus Sedan, and the power seat does not work since before the winter.
I would like to know if there are any simple ideas to try before I rip the entire seat out, to save me extra time and work if not necessary.
Any ideas???
Thank, I also had a no heat issue with this car, but reversed the heater core lines, flushed out all old antifreeze and replaced with brand spankin' new stuff... now it is piping hot!!!
I have the same problems with a 97 Ford Taurus 3.0 V6 OHV. When the heat stopped working this fall, I changed the anti freeze and flushed the cooling system with a a garden hose. Lots of rust came out and there was even rust buildup in the coolant reservoir. Then I flushed the heater core for and backwards. This can easily be done by removing the inlet (left of the engine) and outlet (right of the engine) hoses near the firewall. Lots of rust and debris came out. After a while the water was flowing freely and clear in both directions. The heat worked fine after the flush except when the engine was idling or in low rpm. I suspected the water pump and/or the thermostat. The problem was temporarily solved by clamping the bypass hose. The heat was working great but now I had temperature fluctuations in the coolant after driving at higher speeds for a while. The fan kicked in and took care of it. This weekend I replaced the water pump and the thermostat. Replacing the thermostat was easy - replacing the waterpump is a pain in the rump. It took me over 4h to remove the old gasket. Overall, the whole process took more than 7h. Some of the bolts are not easily accessible. Surprisingly, the water pump impellers on the old pump were in perfect condition. The thermostat, however was in pretty bad shape. Now with everything replaced and flushed - guess what: No heat - again! I am going to flush the cooling system and the heater core one more time. If this does not solve the problem then I really don't know what to do. The blending door is working fine. You can hear it operating when you turn the heat/cold air knob. This system has major design flaws. I assume the pressure head and flow provided by the standard water pump is too low to overcome even the slightest obstructions in the heater core.
I've been driving Sables/Taurus for 20 years and this is the first time I have had problems. I have no heat in our 98 Taurus. Can a person flush the heater core with compressed air or will this do more damage? The garden hose idea is not an option...its -30 here now. I assume this is the problem as the lines are hot at the motor and just warm at the firewall. Any ideas?
I'd love to hear if you ever find out what the problem is. I'm having the same problem with my 99 Taurus! I've had the coolant flushed and replaced and I've had my thermostat changed. I get no hot air at all!
TRY FLUSHING THE HEATER CORE ALONE. IT NEEDS TO BE ISOLATED FORM THE BYPASS TUBE THAT GOES BACK TO THE ENGINE. THIS WILL CLEAR THE HEATER CORE. A RADIATOR FLUSH WILL NOT GET TO THE CORE BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE LINES ARE SETUP. GOODLUCK
I think the Taurus heating system is a poor design overall. The coolant fouls up at least once a year, and if you miss some particles during the flush, you end up with a plugged core. I have tied the blend door open in the Cold Canadian winter, and closed it in the summer. Every now and again I will lose heat, and if I check, the core is plugged. I have even removed that silly bypass hose for the heater core. I would suggest never buying another Taurus.
If you leave just the vent on only setting the ac compressor will not turn on....all other settings the ac compressor will turn on...That's the way it is designed by Ford....This helps to keep the windows from fogging up
The blend door actuator is behind the radio. It has 2 wires to it. Look for stuck open or closed. if dirty clean out.If it's working OK try just flushing the heater core itself, take it out of the coolent system,flush with a garden hose,one way then reverse hose lines and repeat.Brown water and solids should come out with hose pressure. Good Luck
99 Taurus and just blows heat. I think it is the blend door or at least I want to check it. After I take out the radio what is the best way to check the mechanics? When I turn the Hot/Cold knob I do not hear anything.
How do I identify the actuator?
Anyone know the voltage readings for this so I can put a meter on it?
My dads 98 taurus dohc se has no heat. I think it's the blend door actuator after reading this thread. I can't hear it while changing the temp on the panel. I also can't hear a difference in the blower when changing temps. I'm now trying to figure out how in the heck to get to the actuator. I read where its in the center, just right, behind the radio. I'm fixing to try pulling the radio/ac/heat thing from the dash. My haynes manual says to use a tool on each side to stick in the two holes on each side to slide it out. Strange thing, the manual does not specifically tell you how to get to the actuator. I read threads, that said dash removal is neccessary, but i'm hoping not. Any tips or info would be greatly appreciated. It's stuck cold and it's fixing to start getting hot, so i'm in no big hurry.
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