Partial Heater Core Blockage?

[CadCaveman3]

Is it possible to have a partially blocked heater core? Vehicle is 99 Taurus, currently at 83K miles. Last year (July) I had the cooling system flushed at a local shop. Coolant came out like mud. This was after a 30K mile interval since last flush. They flushed until they said it was clean.

One month later, the coolant was back to the nasty brown color. I flushed it myself and in the process, I found the heater return/bypass hose was "crunchy" (full of rust). That got replaced, and since the system was empty, the t-stat got replace as well.

Since then the coolant has remained clean and green (Prestone). Heat output is not great. It eventually gets very warm, but not hot as one would expect.

I suspect a partial heater core blockage. Would Clean and Cool eventially clean this out, or would it be inducing a core failure by removing the blockage?

Sorry for the windy message, and thanks for you input!

CC3

 

[Stooge]

I believe that the heater control valve (if it has one) is stuck closed. The "crunchiness" in the hoses are probably the old hoses themselves, and by squishing them, you are breaking the inner nylon reinforcing fibers in the hose walls.

 

[Rick]

Someone told me to run some vinager in the cooling system for a while. He sayed it cleans everything out. THen flush a couple of times with water to get everything out and fill with coolant.
A friend of mine did it when his rad looked realy nasty under the cap. After 10 min of idling with vinager the rad looked great.

 

[Shannow]

Holdens used to (maybe still do ??) have that issue downunder.

Heater stops working, and flushing looks good, along with nice looking cloolant.

If you run a garden hose through the heater core, you should be amazed with the results (or the amount of orange gunge that you blow out.

The core is horizontal, and the lower cores get plugged with gunge. There's very little DP to drive the heater circuit.

 

[Mike_dup1]

Ford Problems

 

[DavoNF]

I can't see any coolant related problems on that site, which is what we are discussing.

Dave

 

[Mike_dup1]

Thats why I posted it so you could see its not a known complaint!

That flush you had where the mud came out. The interior of the engine, radiator and heater core are probably coated with crud that is never going to be cleaned out with any flush. You might have to replace the heater core and all part in-line that may be coated with crud. There are many aftermarket chemicals for cleaning cooling systems, might want to find a strong one and give it a shot. Something that will attach the scale, rust and crud thats probably formed on all parts of the cooling system.

 

[CadCaveman3]

Thanks to all!

When I re-did the flush, I did "garden hose" the heater core and flow seemed normal. I didn't use full blast pressure. Didn't want to break something that did not need broken.

I guess I'll wait until it goes completely, and then decide to fix or replace the car.

Too bad Ford decided to build this car by hanging the heater core on a wire and start it down the assembly line. It should not require a near complete disassembly to change a $35 part!

CC3

 

[oilcan]

My wife has a Dodge Dakota and the other day I was on a Dakota forum and this was being talked about what I got was this is happening with 3-5 year old anti-freeze. So yes I would say it is not only possible but is happen to more than yours.

 

[DavoNF]

quote:

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Originally posted by CadCaveman3:
[QBToo bad Ford decided to build this car by hanging the heater core on a wire and start it down the assembly line. CC3 [/QB]

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That's a good one.

Dave

 

[CadCaveman3]

Dave,

That's an old line from several lifetimes ago when I turned wrenches at a Porsche-Audi dealer. It was used to describe the then new Porsche 928 HVAC system.

CC3