ismellrealbad Posted April 8, 2003 Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 ok so my heat only works occasionally like when it decides to feel like it, but i ignore it because its ntow APRIL and i didnt think i'd have to worry about that anymore. well boy was i wrong. between todays snowstorm and delivering pizza for 9 hours straight in a freezing cold car with soaking wet feet and COLD defrost blowing i had just about had it. this is still paired with my erratic temp guage behavior. someone at my work suggested my thermostat isnt opening and if thats the case im never going to get any heat. one night the guage climbed up to 260 with the warning light so i popped the hood and put my hand on the upper plenum - cold, moved it lower down, still cold, finally almost above the exhaust manifold and it was only warm. the fans were on and blowing cold air, the big hose leaving the top of the radiator going to the engine was hot as fuck though (i dunno if this is good or bad). what the hell is wrong with this thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 8, 2003 Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 I would guess thermostat. I have replaced mine, and the temperature sending unit. Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted April 8, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 well the crossover is in the way plus the fact im not mechanically inclined doesnt help. i really need this fixed now though since it not expected to be over 50 for the rest of the damn week. the guy that said it might be the thermo said i should try gently rapping the metal elbow its housed inside with a hammer and see if it does anything. its that a good idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 8, 2003 Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 it might break it loose, its prolly stuck like you said. Plus, hammer+broken part=problem solved Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted April 8, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 i will give it a try tomorrow.....is there any clicking or something i may hear to tell me it broke loose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 8, 2003 Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 not really, its a spring that sometimes just freezes up Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gimp19 Posted April 8, 2003 Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 i would go with the thermostat too. mine went bad on a rainy 45deg. day execpt i had heat and my whole engine was extermly hot so i just pulled over constantly and dumped puddle water on my engine. it reminds me of a mystery problem my dads 1993 g-30 cargo van has had ever since he bought it 3years ago. it has never had any heat at all, the temperature gauge dosn't even budge past the cold mark on a 90degree day! he replaced the thermostat and it didnt change a thing so he took it back to the dealership bought it from and they said the heat didn't work because the interior was wasn't insulated and it was too open. that still dosn't explain why it will not heat up at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JS91Z34 Posted April 8, 2003 Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 You should still have heat regardless if the thermo is opening. If your not getting any heat even with the guage reading 260, I would be checking your coolant level. All cars are equipped with a bypass system to allow the coolant to flow with the thermostat closed. If your coolant level is fine then I would be checking the freezing point of the coolant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 not necessarily- cause I had a t-stat fail (closed) and I had to drive it home. I tried using the heat to at least keep the coolant slightly cooler, but all that blew out was cold. Rob, get that thing fixed, now. You should have had it done the day the temp jumped to 260, now you have more of a risk of head gasket failure, maybe more chance of intake gasket failure because 3100's gaskets don't hold up too well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 :withstupid: Get that mo-fo done now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 Dammit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted April 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 well i dont even know wtf is wrong now! this is what i discovered today. i noticed the heat WILL come out warm if the car is in motion. if im sitting at a light or leaving the car idling - ice cold. If i set it to defrost or defrost and floor, the A/C compressor kicks in, which would explain why its ALWAYS cold when i have the defrost on. im telling you when this thing does hit 260 i pop the hood i can put my hand on the valve cover and its just warm. this temp guage is ALL over the place too, within the period of 1 min itll be anywhere from 190 to 260 and back and forth. it just doesnt make sense Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 temperature sender!! Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted April 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 also dont forget i have the plug pulled on the low coolant sensor, even though when i plugged it in the light stayed on and it made no differnece. where the hell would i find the temp sensor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 On the 3100, its located next to the ignition control module Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 wait a second boy. That sounds like you have mucho air in the cooling system. Maybe that sensor is correct??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted April 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 well the guage fluctuates almost as much as my speedometer once its up to temp. wheni start the car in the morn (or if its just cool) it will slowly rise up like it should, then once its there itll be all over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted April 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 ok i dont know where teh ICM is either....give me detailed directions like you would a girl - from an obvious object, like the water pump, then look to the right and for a grey box or something. i dunno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 Behind the plenum where all the spark plug wires run to. You should see a line of 6 wires running into it. The ICM is of course the part the coils attach to, so, the Sender unit is somewhere close to it, I dont know exactly where though. Geez, Rob........you gotta get up on your L82 tech, now that you own one!! Im not going to be here to babysit you when you cant find the air filter!! Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 I thought the temp sensor was next to the throttle body just like the newer 3100's. You have a pic of the one next to the ignition module? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted April 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 ok i just looked in chiltons and it has a pic for the 2.3 and its mounted right next to the thermostat. well that doesnt help me too much but ill look where u decribed tomorrow, id take a flashlight and look right now if it wasnt so cold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 The Haynes manual told me next to the ICM. Well the ICM and TB are sort of next to each other on the 3100, so we may be talking about the same place, just in different terms Robby No, I dont have a pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismellrealbad Posted April 9, 2003 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 OK i got bored and took a pic right now. so is it this purple topped thing u see in the pic here with the 2 wires? its right under the TB after the thermo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 That looks to be it, I have never really seen one, but I think thats it Robby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted April 9, 2003 Report Share Posted April 9, 2003 sURE LOOKS like it, now there's your thermostat housing. Go and change it, cause your temp sensor probably isnt bad. Especially if when your fans come on, only cold air is felt in the engine bay! Get the car to operating temp (200) then loosen (dont remove) that copper screw in your pic. see if it hisses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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