Hi. I have a '97 Dodge Dakota 6 cyl. 4x4. My issue is that there is no hot air coming out of the vents. I turn it to maximum heat and the blower is powerful, but the air is only 'luke warm to cool' at best. My truck is running at normal operating temp. Can anyone tell me what my issue can be? It looks like the radiator was replaced when I bought the truck.

Someone suggested that it could be the 'heater door' under the dash. Is this an easy thing to fix yourself? Another person suggested to backflush the heater core. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
-V

 

first thing i would do is check the antifreeze, make sure you have the right amount. if that is good, check the two lines that go to you heater core, see if they get hot.

 

They are hot. I think I'm going to try to backflush the heater core. Any suggestions?

 

back flush the core and replace the t stat it could be stuck open or even broken then refill with cooant. Your temp guage can read normal or slightly lower and be low on coolant and its not un comon for a t stat to come apart and cause low heat

 

The control module on the dash is bad or the blend door is broke or stuck.

 

Thank you all who replied.

I just finished flushing out the heater core and now I have heat! I disconnected the outlet hose and clamped on a female hose coupler and attached a garden hose to it. I then disconnected the inlet hose at the splice. I turned on the water and flushed out 2 buckets full of muck until I saw clear water. Reconnected everything and it works.
Thanks again!
-V

 

Glad to here that you got it fix

 

I work in the injection molding plastic/foam industry as well as a auto mechanic for years. If you run low on coolant, replace a water pump, add some stop leak crap etc to the system. air can be trapped causing low flow threw the heater core. Air will sit at the high spot of the core. Even if the stop leak stuff didn't plug up the works. This causes cavation in the core! Heat is not transferred efficiently to the coolant stream. Air also can enter the system from a seal failure on the low(suction) side of the water pump. with the heater blower on full you should notice a decrease between the two heater hoses feeding the core. You should be able to feel a temp difference. you can loop and disconnect the hoses and run you garden hose threw the core there should be strong flow. There was a recall involving the water pump. it would leak erratically and the temp gauge would swing wildly due to air trapped.

 

Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Air enters the system? Without an external leak, which the OP didn't mention? Heat is being transferred TO the coolant "stream"? I'm badly confused.......

 

flush your heater core out. mine had the same problem. its pretty easy to do.