ok guys well i have 2 problems that might be related, im not quite sure.. figured u guys would know. last winter i turned on my heat and steam started coming out the vents, so i figured either clogged/leaking heater core. so i went home and took the 2 hoses that went in/out and connected them, which solved the problem. no more steam. so i shot water and air up into the core and a little junk came out. i rehooked it up, and no steam, but now no heat. wtf? also, when i switch from defrost to floor or to top vents etc. it doesnt move. it just stays at the top? is all this related somehow? im just trying to avoid putting in a new heater core, i dont have the time to do it myself. and i dont have the money to pay someone else. lol. i need heat, its starting to get cold.. where do i starT?

ill be back on tonight to check, im at work. thanks everyone

 

Sounds like maybe the heater core was clogged up to begin with. Flushing the entire system would help if it isnt too late. Replacing the core may be the only option at this point. As for the moving air through the vents staying only at the top, do a search for "blend doors" and you will find a few threads on this where they become broken or damaged and do not control both the level of heat (going back to your first issue) and direction of air flow

 

If you were getting steam to come out of the vents then the heater core is shot. Your core is more than likely plugged from corrosion since you unhooked the lines from it last year.

 

I agree, the core is probably clogged. You got lucky it didn't leak into your interior. The blend door may be your other problem as said before. I've also heard before and it's a long shot, that if you don't "burp" the air out of the coolant system, the air will sit in the heater core and you will get no hot air from it. I think there is something in the DIY section about doing this.