f@#%$*' heat

ok i know this isnt really the place for this since it doesnt have anything to do with mini's except that i'm having to spend my money on this p.o.s. instead of my truck. my wife's 2000 taurus heat isnt working and i know there are some good mechanics on here so here goes. it blows hot for about 5-10 sec. when you first turn the heat on then it starts cooling down. ive checked control switches, hoses, heater core, thermostat and everything else i can think of. the cool/hot blend door seems to be moving full range like it should. if any body can help it would be greatly appreciated. id rather be working on my truck dammit.

check if your car has a heater control valve. My 535 has an electromagnetic heater control valve and when it goes bad it does exactly what you are describing. It is the valve that lets the hot water into the heater core, if you dont cycle your heat once in a while in the summer it can get gunked up.

Mine takes about 15 minutes to replace, and is only about 30 bucks.

thanks russ. i was hoping you would read this. i dont think it does, unless its between the heater box and firewall where i cant see it. my brother said his civic had something like that too. ive almost got the dash out so i may pull the heater core out just to be sure its not there. the only other thing i know to check is the blend door inside the heater box. maybe its not closing off all the way or something. thanks again man.

my mom had a taurus she used to drive to work and back about the same year as yours (99 i think) and it done the exact same thing.

Seemed like a small prob at first but i remember dad tellin me bout it and on hers with the same sympton it ended up being something like crazy ass high and complex to fix that was no where near worth fixing it and ended up sayin screw it.

I wished i could remember what it was exactly but there is a problem with that year range of taurus's and thats kinda common place with them from what he found out. I think he even took it to a few dealers in order hoping the other one was a jackass and was just tryin to stick him with a big bill and it actually was something small...but i do remember him telling me that it would require basically strippin the dash completely out and all kinds of crap.....Hope this helped

mine is on the outside of the firewall, on the inlet hose for the heater core. sounds like it may be more complicated though.

yeah ive almost got the dash completely out right now. its a bitch. if i had know i was going to spend this much on it (ive already spent $800 on it and still have to buy tires and struts and what ever parts it takes to fix the heat) i would have just traded it off like i started to. if you talk to your dad and think to ask him just post on here what he told you. i knew the stealership would want a fortune to do it so i just started on it myself. thanks

any ford dealer service technicians on here?

jared ill call my dad tomarrow and see what all he says and post it up

Jared my 89 civic is doing the same thing as ur brother's. What did he have to do to fix it? I have already replaced the thermostat and gasket and still not heat.

he said there was some kind of valve on one of the lines going into his heater core. i'll look at it tomorrow and see exactly what he's talking about and repost.