Hey all,

I've put some extensive work into bringing this van back to life. Its a '96 B2500 conversion with the 5.2. My current project is to figure out why the air is not warming in the HVAC system. I don't have a lot of opportunity to take the car apart, for its my only vehicle. This van sat for over 3 years when i bought it. I had the entire cooling system replaced: water pump, radiator, thermostat, hoses, etc. I am assuming the heater core is the root cause. My question for you all, is whether or not there are other possible fixes i could look into that may be a little simpler. Thus preventing me from having to take apart the vehicle to get to the heater core. Coolant level is plentiful, and does not leak. HVAC system blows air, but does not warm up. Any tips or advice would be great. Thanks! Cheers!!

 

Is there a flow-control valve for the heater core? (not real familiar with the vans.) Are the heater hoses getting hot? Getting flow thru the heater core? Does the blend door actually do anything? (temp door) Should be cable controlled..... do you hear the door moving when you cycle the temp ****/lever/whateveritis?

 

hoses are hot, haven’t looked into the heater core yet. I’ll check the blend door and the cables

 

Not on this van, (I have a '92 B250, 5.9L engine), but I had a very similar issue with another car.

The cable for the blend door was not attached.

If the heater hoses are hot, then most likely you are getting coolant flow to the core.

A test is to disconnect the cable at the blend door, and actuate it manually. This will help isolate the cause.

Heater cores may leak, but they will still heat the air. You would smell the coolant, but the air would be warm. You would see a drop in coolant level too.

Brian

 

Will look into the blend door. Thanks for the tip!