My lower rad hose is cold but all other 3 hoses are really hot, I've changed the heater core last year and I have a new Thermostat in. my dash thermo reads 1/4 and never reaches half way. I have warm air in my truck and its winter now and i need my heat, this has been going on since ive owned the truck. Please help

 

it reads about here

 

http://imgur.com/11cPe

 

What engine?

What temp thermostat did you put in? It could be bad.

 

if its a v6 that's where it should be around 194f is about 90 Celsius so it should be good to go more like a plugged heater core or an air lock. your lower rad hose should be cold as all the heat has been radiated out of it by your rad.

 

heater hoses could be reversed or bad water pump

 

sorry should have said that, i have a 5.2 V8 and i cant remeber the name of the thermostat but it was the best one they had and that would be my second one this year cause i thought my first one was bad

 

Reversed heater hoses wouldn't matter. A bad water pump, maybe, but the temp gauge is reading low no matter what.

Was the new core the same size as your old one or was it smaller?

I'd try another thermostat, from the dealer if you have to. It's not the name so much, it's the temp rating. 195 should be OE.

 

plus/minus as many variables as are in the system, I'd say you're about where it should be, if you put a 180 stat in it instead of a 195 (and there's a good chance that you did).

With the 180 stat and 55 degree ambients right now, my fan never kicks on (It's set at 185). The needle stays below the lowest measuring tick mark.