Engine not reaching normal temperature and barely any heat. HELP!

[colby450xc]

For the last couple of weeks it has been pretty cold here and I have noticed my truck is not reaching its normal operating temperature. The needle will vary from cold to almost to normal. On the highway it will get down to cold, but idling it will usually be almost to normal. I have basically no heat currently and it sucks.

I replaced the thermostat Saturday, the stat said 195 on it like most recommend, and i installed it in the same direction the old one was facing ( the new one had no directions saying which way was correct. The new stat did not make any difference. I made sure to burp the coolant system until I no longer saw air bubbles coming out of the top of the radiator.

What else could it be? I'm going to pull the codes on it today. The idle rpm has been a little bit screwy lately, idling a little high sometimes, and normally other times.

 

[gribly]

Is it that the motor is being overcooled, or that the coolant isn't moving much and reaching the sending unit and heater core?

 

[RustedRanger]

If everything is working right then just put some cardboard in front of the radiator. I noticed the power and mpg dropping with my 2.9L as it got colder here in Indiana so that's what I did. Just dont cover the whole thing lol

 

[spdcrazy]

If everything is working right then just put some cardboard in front of the radiator. I noticed the power and mpg dropping with my 2.9L as it got colder here in Indiana so that's what I did. Just dont cover the whole thing lol

exactly what i'll be doing this week. they also make a anitfreeze heater that goes inline with your heater hose.. this will help keep ur antifreeze from freezing, and heat will come quicker, however this will not change the OP temp of your engine.

if it gets nasty cold i'd recommend some sort of 110 engine heater, magnetic engine oil heater, antifreeze heater, or freeze plug heater better yet

 

[strvger]

as your idle has been off, could the timing be the problem in not letting your engine perform as it should? just a thought.

 

[JohnnyO]

The side of the thermostat with the spring should be facing into the manifold.

Try the cardboard first, enough to cover up about 2/3 of the radiator.

If you're lucky, it's the t-stat. I always put my old one in a pot of water on the stove first to see if it opens. New ones can be defective also.

If you're less lucky, the water pump not be pumpin'.

If you're really unlucky, you have a bad head gasket. Happened on a 3.8L Lincoln I used to have. Overheat light came on but the air out of the heater was stone cold.

 

[LearjetMinako]

I would check the heater control valve (if there is one). On mine (96' 2.3L), it is vacuum controled. So it is either on or off. Any time I turn the climate control off, the valve shuts off coolant flow through the heater core.

 

[colby450xc]

Im going to try the cardboard method but I think it will just be a band-aid really. Tonight on the way home from work the needle still showed it was running well below normal temp but the heat was pretty damn warm coming out of the vents. The next thing I do may be flushing the heater core, but I dont see how it can be plugged if it had good heat on the way home tonight.

 

[colby450xc]

Today I took the grill and the piece behind it off and blocked half the radiator with a piece of cardboard. I have heat in the cab and the needle is still going from below normal to normal. Basically the needle reaches from the line above the c, and to the temperature sign which is about 1/3 up the guage. I still need to get the codes read, but for now the cardboard is working for the heater.

Because the cardboard is making the heater provide heat I will rule out the heater core being plugged. I am not sure what else is to be replaced or checked, but I have lived in this area my entire life and have not had a problem with any of my fords running cold be cause it is cold outside. This is my second Ranger with a 4.0, the other one was the opposite, the problems I had with it were it running warm when I really abused it. I don't think the water pump is having problems honestly, but how do I easily check?

 

[Cloverj7]

make sure ur anti freeze mixture is right to much of antifreeze of water with throw it off and cause the problem ur having

 

[colby450xc]

Would the running cold problem be caused by too much water? When I buy anti-freeze I usually just buy the 50/50 mix. I supposed I could drain the sytem and buy some more. I just hate the mess.....

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Is the system coming up to pressure have you tried changing the radiator cap. Is the thermostat sealed properly if coolant is leaking past the thermostat and the outside temp keeping it so cold that would also not let the thermostat do its job and explain the heater not coming up to temp. I bet it is leaking past the t-stat. Fill your tub half full of hot water and add cold it dont take alot to cool the hot water down then fill the tub half with cold water and try to make it hot.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Common sense says the water pump is working great if not you would be overheating.

 

[colby450xc]

Nothing is leaking....

 

[doorgunner]

Would the running cold problem be caused by too much water? When I buy anti-freeze I usually just buy the 50/50 mix. I supposed I could drain the sytem and buy some more. I just hate the mess.....

ab so lootly.........my temp gauge runs 30* hotter when I run 50/50.....if I run straight water......the heater won't get hot enough to help