My van is cold!!!!!

[Bicbiro]

I have a little escort van and the heater does not work very well.
If I don't turn the blower on, the heat comes out the vents ok but slowly but when I turn the fan on after a few seconds it is only just warm.
The temp gauge is in its normal place right in the middle.
Any ideas of how I can get some heat back?

Bic..

 

[davidh]

sounds like an airblock u need to bleed the heater matrix
look under the bonnet to where the heater hoses go into the bulk head
take one off then take rad cap off
run engine and top up in rad iuntill water runs out of the heater hose and with engine still running push hose back on
turn engine off and top up as needed but remember if u have anti freeze in top up with antifreeze water mix

this should sort it

run engine to operating temp and try heater

 

[Curly]

I used to have a Ford Orion years ago.
When it ran a little low on water, the heater did the same thing.
It just got a low flow rate through the matrix, as though the engine got priority over what water was in the system.
The engine temp stayed normal until it got really low on water.

Curly

 

[jasperconran]

I know what it is... But forgotten its Name,

Its your heater control valve, Its a magnet controled unit Near the wiper motor or above the heater,

they are about 30 quid for a new one, But they become blocked with the brown stuff in the rad. I had a old work van[ford], and i just used a bit of copper pipe to bypass the unit, Untill it got replaced.

 

[Bicbiro]

Thanks for the replies.
There is plenty water in so I will start with the air lock and see if that helps. It will be a long cold winter without a heater brrrr....

 

[FAGAN]

I think you will be actually requiring a new heater matrix - all old Ford vehicles are famous for knackered matrix - they get blocked up with sludge and are then no longer effective at dishing out heat.

Remember the older the motor the more vhance its sludged to buggery and also the greater chance some nugget has used a product such as RADWELD - a heater matrix worse nightmare.

 

[smirnoff_rules]

if u know someone with a steam cleaner u can remove the heater pipes and give it a blast out , always worth a go

 

[mask]

if u know someone with a steam cleaner u can remove the heater pipes and give it a blast out , always worth a go

if you can get to the hoses in the engin-bay then you can back-flush it with a garden hose,
infact it's probably a good idea to do the whole water system - but if there is a hole blocked by sludge/scale it may leak afterward.
and as was said, ford heater matrixes have a real bad rep in this regard.

as a temporary solution,
there are 12v fanheaters you can get for demisting windows - you could point one into the cab & plug it into the lighter socket.

just dont use it with the engine off - they suck a lot of juice.

 

[Bicbiro]

I bled some air out of the water system today and the heater seems better. I will run it for a while and see how it goes before doing an engine flush.
Thanks for all the advice peeps.
I think the poor old thing is trying to tell me something, it is seven years old but with only 50K miles and in the past month it has needed a new tyre £28, the radio blew two for £10 (ebay) and now the heater.

Bic..

Edit...

And how could I forget the wipers going cross eyed.... £25 for new linkagesView attachment 33728