Hello all. I need some help with some HVAC issues on my 98 Ram.
I keep hearing a "gurgling sound coming from under the dash, and cannot for the life of me, figure it out.
Also, the heat is Crap in the truck. I've had it for 3 cold winters, and I'm finally getting tired of having pitiful heat.
Both Lines into the heater core are hot, so I know it;s not the heater core that I paid an ungodly amount of money to replace!
The air coming out of the defroster vents is cooler than the air that comes out of the dash and floor vents. Is this normal?
The air is luke warm at best. When it's 10 degrees out, a man wants heat! Is the damper door supposed to be horizontal (Recirculating mode) only when set to Max AC? Why would you want freezing air coming into the cab? How do you kep the air recirculating all the time from within the cab? I always keep the window cracked open. I smoke, so therefore no Cheech and Chong likeclouds in the truck.
As I approach the magic number of 40, (rapidly) I want my creature comforts. Heat in the winter is starting to climb the ladder. I love this truck, but I will give it a Viking funeral soon if I don't get some damned heat. Any advice will be put to good use. Thanks for litening to me rant.

Lou

 

You've got air in the system from what you're describing. Almost would have said blend door, but the gurgling is a dead giveaway. Check your coolant level (radiator &Reservior). If it looks OK, call around until you find a shop with a cooling system air lift to forcefully suck the air out.

 

What engine?

 

Duh! Stupid me. Sorry about that. 5.9L, A/T, 4WD Tranny cooler, and all the other jazz that comes with it. I'm putting in a 180 degree t-stat tommorrow. I think it may be stuck halfway open. I tried to bleed the air for 30 minutes today, The coolant level in the neck dropped a bit after warming up, bit no real movement through the radiator. Even when I gave it gas, it didn't really start moving. I turned the truck off for 5 minutes, and then restarted it. Lo and behold- the Collant level dropped, collant started flowing hru the veins, and then stopped. I believe it's a bad t-stat, but I don't know if it affects my heat that much. Am I correct in assuming that the draw from the radiator is the lower hose, and that the heater core is supplied before the T-stat?
Oh no, I think I've gone cross eyed!!! [&:]
Any suggestions? Or am I doomed?
BTW, heater core - 2 YO
Water pump - 2YO
T-stat - 2 YO
Clutch fan - 2YO (Is it suppossed to be kind of stiff when you turn by hand, or very loose, I forget?)

 

I bet your heater core is going out. I haven't had very good heat in my truck and this is what I found two weeks ago. It has had a nice, slow leak and I believe it kept sucking air back into my system.

 

that heater core looks good compared to mine. mine was green form the hoses all the way to the bottom of the core[:@]... it was bad for a year before i replaced it

by the way yes it sounds to me like it could also be your thermostat is saying open...cheap fix

 

If you live in cold places, ive herd its not a good idea for 180 degree thermostats... Doesnt let the engine make enough heat, to make cab heat.

 

The only way a thermostat affects cabin heat is if it never lets the engine fully warm up. And when I say "affect", I don't mean cold, just cooler than if the engine was at full OT.

Not really. coolant will flow through the heater core regardless of the thermostat. T-stat only controls flow to the radiator. However, since the heater core is the highest point in the system, it will be thefirst place affected by a low coolant level.

 

[:@]The heater core is brand new!!! If it's that,I'm going to burn the truck!!! I'm not paying another 2 grand to fix it. I don't have the time to do it myself. Does anybody have any idea about the recirculation modes? I have been trying to figure this out, and I am at a loss. The new T-stat goes in tommorrow, (Weather related issues) and hopefully this will resolve both the cab heat issue, and the runnig hot while towing issue. I Will be towingmy camper from NY to Tennessee and back in Februaury, and would like to not have to watch the temp guage for 18 hours. Any ideas for some better fuel econonmy would be appreciated. As you already know, Rams pass everything but the gas station. At $3.29 Per Gallon, it's starting to hurt.
Thanks.

 

Check out this post. My new heater core is an exact match for OE.