No Heat From Heaters?

[biker minx]

Hi I have a quick question about my 03 t3 corolla ( I hope I have put the thread in the right place)

with it being cold I put heaters on when I 1st get in I drive a mile and turn them up to see if warm , nothing just cool air so I drive back another mile, still cool air :/ I thought they would heat up quicker so I thought ohhh no the head gasket (the only thing I know that makes cold air come out) I got out checked oil , it was clean. so I checked dipstick, oil was still full

I was looking for the water (I was looking for one like in the b corsa bubble thing but couldn't see one) my friend who did the rad said oh u just put the water in this (it was a pipe going to the rad at the front) I said ohhh that white box think is the bubble thing then (like in corsa) he said no its the over flow lol he said (while squeezing the big black rubber tube leading off rad) theres no water in this pipe :/

then the heavens opened and we left it

obviously I can't drive it atm as it is cold and as soon as I get in the car it all mists up grrrr I can't clear it due to the cold air, what do you think is wrong? please help a damsel in distress ;)

[oldcodger]

Hey,

If you do have water in your engine then it sounds like the water Thermostat is defective.

Think if you were looking at your engine temperature gauge on the dash you will see it does not get up to the normal half way position.

Basically the thermostat is stuck open so in this cold weather all the engines heat is soon lost into the radiator by the cold air ,instead of passing to your heater ( assume you have got it set to hot - is it a dial or a digital display? )

Its an easy enough fix for a garage or even yourself if you are diy.

[biker minx]

well I just went out in it to see what happends

I watched temp go from cold to half way no prob I decided to go 2mile away this time with window open to stop misting I was freeeeeeeezing but I popped in shops come back out and went back home

on the way back I still see temp is half way so I try heaters on 4 on full red temp (dials) and I felt a tiny bit of warmth but I was so cold it may have been cool air just a bit warmer then hands

but then I'm sure it was a really faint heat

I also noticed it doesn't really blow out hard I mean it sounds like it is but if you put hand over it it's very faint (yes the dial is fully open and the switch is to blow out of top heaters only)

is it poss that something is stopping the flow of warm air coming through? If I compare it to other heaters mine hardly blows

[Degsy]

well I just went out in it to see what happends

I watched temp go from cold to half way no prob I decided to go 2mile away this time with window open to stop misting I was freeeeeeeezing but I popped in shops come back out and went back home

on the way back I still see temp is half way so I try heaters on 4 on full red temp (dials) and I felt a tiny bit of warmth but I was so cold it may have been cool air just a bit warmer then hands

but then I'm sure it was a really faint heat

I also noticed it doesn't really blow out hard I mean it sounds like it is but if you put hand over it it's very faint (yes the dial is fully open and the switch is to blow out of top heaters only)

is it poss that something is stopping the flow of warm air coming through? If I compare it to other heaters mine hardly blows

I have the same problem with no heat. Sometimes it gets hot for a short period but then goes cold again.

I do have good airflow though. If your airflow is not good you could try to check the pollen filter. This is situated behind the glove box. you need to take the glove box out (easy, it just clicks in and out) and behind it is a cover that is about 2cm high and about 20cm wide. remove this cover and the pollen filter is inside. just a bit of corrugated paper but if its covered in leaves and stuff it will prevent airflow. this is what happened to me sometime ago.

Dont expect this to solve the heating problem though. I cleared mine and it made no difference to the heating.

Does anyone know if the heater on a corolla has its own thermostat? could it be a fuse or relay? Biker Minx and I need some expert advice...

[oldcodger]

Hey,

Well good news that the engine temp gets up to normal in a mile or so.

Yes do check the pollen filter, though if the air flow does improve, which it should, it will seem to blow colder ! with the more cold air coming in.

Seems two likely causes of your problem, but do prove the point before doing anything.

First the Heater Temp dial, is it actually opening the heater matrix valve, is the linkage sound, is the valve moving ok ?

Second, and possibly the cause for your 2002 model, is the heater matrix may be blocked !

This thread covers just about everything Heater Matrix

You can perhaps confirm that the problem is the valve or matrix by running the engine to full temp with the heater temp dial at Hot.

In the engine bay at the rh side of the bulk head you can see two black rubbber hoses about 30mm diameter, these are the in and out feeds for the heater matrix.

With the engine now hot, both those hoses should feel hot, if one is much colder it means there is no flow going though.

It probably means the matrix is blocked.

Just one last thing - have you done anything to the cooling system recently that could have introduced an air lock into the system.

A bad air lock will cause the same symptons ?

[biker minx]

I cleaned the pollen thing (cant get glove box to stay in tho now haha well its closed atm coz I slammed it :)), but the air flow came though more and like u said above it does feel colder but more of it :)

I will touch the tube things you said see if any are hot :) is that the next ting I check or am I missing one out after cleaning pollen filter? will I see the pipes clearly at top or are they hidden (so I know I am touching the correct one) do they both get warm?

I will go have a look see if I see the pipes maybe get a pic

[oldcodger]

Hey,

If you see the pic, the arrow is pointing to the silver tubes going to the air con matrix.

50mm beneath them you will see the two 25mm diameter black rubber tubes which are the heater matrix ones.

Probably best to start the engine from cold, when it gets around half way warm ( before the main thermostat opens fully) feel those two pipes by the bulkhead, one should be warm, the feed, and the other , the return should feel warmish / cooler as the heat has been removed by the heater matrix.

If the outer feels cold , yet no heat coming out of the matrix, kind of indicates no or little flow.

If you try to test it when the engine is fully hot, the rest of the pipework many heat up that outer hose and give you a false reading.

Not sure how the hot-cold dial and its valve-flap work and are connected, but probably a simple test would be to put the fan on full and turn the heat control from hot to cold and you will probably hear a change in sound as the different flaps and air paths change - if you can, it would suggest to me its working ok.

[biker minx]

OK I managed to check it at weekend this is what I found :)

I let the engine get half warm and touched the two pipes the one on the left as I look at it (drivers side if your in car) was hot and the one next to it was warm

sat in car but the air it still very very faint warmth so I tried my hand in front of the vents

1 felt like nothing really

2 felt like setting 1

3 felt not much diff then the last 2 settings although it sounds a lot more powerful

4 just same as 3 but even louder not much coming out in terms of airflow but I don't know how well the corolla's blow lol

even if thats as good as they blow it still isn't hot you couldn't even class it as warm grrr

I sat in my vw van the other day it had been stood for a few days through cold weather I got in it started it and about 1/2 a mile I was roasting it was only on the 2nd setting

stupid car lol I'm gonna end up as a white van woman at this rate

[warwickbrad]

As oldcodger has mentioned above, if one of the issues is weak air flow out of the air vents then check the pollen filter. Its a quick job to drop out the glove box and then you'll be able to remove the pollen filter. Once its out you can then put the fan on maximum to see if you feel a noticeable increase in the air flow strength from the vents. If you do then put it back in and keep it in there until you get a new one to replace it with.

I had poor airflow from the vents and when pulling out the pollen filter it had alot of leaves and other dirt on it, but the flow was fine without it in place. Once I got another pollen filter off eBay and replaced it the air flow was fine, as was the heat it produces so I haven't had to go as far as flushing the heater matrix yet. But others have and it has helped them.

Edit: Just noticed that you have checked the pollen filter so you may well have to go down the flushing of the matrix route.

[biker minx]

I only pulled it out and blew leaves off and put back in and tested it

should I pull it out and test fans?

I didn't replace it I just put old one back in lol I will pull it out and try it

[oldcodger]

Hey,

If you have not replaced the Pollen filter this year, then its ready for a new one anyway.

Removing leaves from the top doesn't really clean out all the muck trapped deep in the filter.

They are around £12.

To test you air circulation better, with or without the pollen filter in.

Switch the fan on at full speed. Move the Air Flow selector knob across the 5 positions - you should hear and feel a distinct change of sound as the blown air is directed though the different paths.

The air coming out when just the central dash nozzles are selected should be quiet strong and easily felt on your face when sat in the drivers seat.

Leaving the fan on full, then turn the Temperature knob slowly from Min to Max - at some stage you should here a change in the fan/air noise as the flap for the heating opens or closes.

If all that sounds ok then it seems likely you have either a bad air lock in your heater matrix or it is blocked.

You really need to read that thread I mentioned before which has been updated and is now just beneath this post.

[biker minx]

it works a dream with no pollen filter in :) so warm and flow is great :) it hasn't been changed since new :)oooopps :)

all the noises sound ok I can hear the changes

does it look like I just need pollen filter as it works fab when I take it out :)

[biker minx]

it works a dream with no pollen filter in :) so warm and flow is great :) it hasn't been changed since new :)oooopps :)

all the noises sound ok I can hear the changes

does it look like I just need pollen filter as it works fab when I take it out :)

[oldcodger]

Hey,

Don't think you can get a more clear cut case of a blocked filter than that !

You can get one at your local Toyota dealer, though ask the price first as they are usually the dearest, or many of the larger Motor Factors like Euro Car Parts or GSF etc.

Bought one a year ago for £11 but seems they are now £17+ at ECP. - seems a steep rise for a bit of paper !

Be careful with the AirCon, it might blow so cold you get frost bite !

Its easy to over look the Pollen Filter, but it does beg the question what has all the other servicing been like, particularly the engines Air and OIl filters etc ??

[biker minx]

it don't bear to think

[oldcodger]

Hey,

Well you might have found yourself a good local garage to do the servicing, but even when I had company cars I always checked things like oil levels after they had serviced it.

Very worth while, one time, even found out they, Vauxhall dealer, had dented the wing and respayed it !

Another time, when on the motorway developed a steering wobble, the wheel nuts had been left loose !!

You could always check things for yourself, straight forward enough, + plenty of help here.

Even changing filters and oils not that difficult, do one thing at a time starting with the easy things - if you want to... ?

This Sticky show you how to do do a lot of things diy sticky

but would suggest you pop down to Halfords and get the Corolla 2002 On service manual - it details everything from a beginner to advanced level, simple weekly checks things like oil levels and tyre pressures all the weay up to engine rebuilds.

[oldcodger]

oops

[biker minx]

thanks for your help but the heaters are playing up again but they do as they please I am waiting for the filter I am not sure why it isn't here yet grrrr so I left the old one out lol :/

well the heaters sometimes blow nice and hot then it will change it's mind and decide to go freezing? is this due to there being no filter in atm?

[oldcodger]

thanks for your help but the heaters are playing up again but they do as they please I am waiting for the filter I am not sure why it isn't here yet grrrr so I left the old one out lol :/

well the heaters sometimes blow nice and hot then it will change it's mind and decide to go freezing? is this due to there being no filter in atm?

Hey,

Not having any filter in for a short while should not make any real difference.

Assume your problem has returned with this cold snap ? so the thing to check is the temperature gauge - does it show a normal temp when you are getting cold air from the heating system ?

In this weather you need to drive the car for a couple of miles to get the engine to normal temp, if the gauge is still showing cold then its likely the thermostat is faulty ie stuck open.

If the temp gauge seems ok, then there are three likely causes of the loss of heating, a faulty heater control / flap, a bad air lock or whats common for your age of car, a partially blocked heater matrix - as mentioned on those other threads I listed.

Think you might need to get someone to help you there...

[dirkymelon]

The heater core is often misdiagnosed.  For instance, some say to feel the inlet (topmost) and return (bottommost) heater hoses.  If the inlet hose is warm and the return is cool, then the heater core must be clogged, right?  Not necessarily.  Air in the heater core is the most likely culprit especially with vehicles using Toyota's red coolant.

Most people just top off the radiator but do not fill the reservoir halfway between the low and high marks.  If the reservoir is empty or the radiator needs coolant, perform the following steps:  Run the vehicle for 5 min.  Remove the radiator cap.  There should be a slight vacuum, so you should hear a whoosh sound.  If not, chances are good that the radiator cap is not making a perfect seal, i.e. is both bleeding coolant at operating temp and drawing in air when the vehicle is below operating temp.  If you do not have a vacuum, replace the cap.  Never purchase aftermarket caps -- always get an OEM from the dealer.  If you have a vacuum, top off the radiator and fill the reservoir halfway.  Drive the vehicle for 8 min at 45 mph with the blower and heat dialed up to max.  Turn off the vehicle and let sit for 10 min.  Refill as needed.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  This should work all the air out of the system.

[oldcodger]

4 hours ago, dirkymelon said:

The heater core is often misdiagnosed.  For instance, some say to feel the inlet (topmost) and return (bottommost) heater hoses.  If the inlet hose is warm and the return is cool, then the heater core must be clogged, right?  Not necessarily.  Air in the heater core is the most likely culprit especially with vehicles using Toyota's red coolant.

Most people just top off the radiator but do not fill the reservoir halfway between the low and high marks.  If the reservoir is empty or the radiator needs coolant, perform the following steps:  Run the vehicle for 5 min.  Remove the radiator cap.  There should be a slight vacuum, so you should hear a whoosh sound.  If not, chances are good that the radiator cap is not making a perfect seal, i.e. is both bleeding coolant at operating temp and drawing in air when the vehicle is below operating temp.  If you do not have a vacuum, replace the cap.  Never purchase aftermarket caps -- always get an OEM from the dealer.  If you have a vacuum, top off the radiator and fill the reservoir halfway.  Drive the vehicle for 8 min at 45 mph with the blower and heat dialed up to max.  Turn off the vehicle and let sit for 10 min.  Refill as needed.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  This should work all the air out of the system.

Hi,

Interesting comment, though no heater problem, will certainly check my rad cap for that vacuum.

Assume you mean Toyota Pink coolant as that seems the factory norm for the later models, though not sure why its more likely to cause air in the heater matrix than any other antifreeze ?

As far as I know,  Toyota Red and Pink should not be mixed.

[Pandamaniac1]

Hello.

I think you may well have the same problem I have in my vaguely tired 180,000 mile 2002 Tsport,

I have hot water to both inlet and outlet, I have replaced the pollen filter, I have flushed the radiator system and heater matrix separately and refilled and bled the whole lot.

Basically I can get the electronic heater settings up and down from cold to max hot, fan working perfectly, aircon working on cold, but only poor heat into the cabin.

I reckon there is an electronic flap or gear that has broken somewhere in the dashboard that is totally blocking air when you switch electonically from screen to cabin or feet etc. So my theory is the water system is NOT at fault

The reason I say this is I can only get hot air to the passenger side of the windscreen and very little flow to the drivers side so de-icing is a major headache.

Would love to find the answer if anyone has one.

Dave also OLD 4x4 Panda owner

[Damo d4d]

Have a 06 e12 1.4d4d and no heat eather. Ran rad flush and changed the thermostat and still no heat. Any ideas?

[oldcodger]

1 hour ago, Damo d4d said:

Have a 06 e12 1.4d4d and no heat eather. Ran rad flush and changed the thermostat and still no heat. Any ideas?

Two things to check,

Can you see or hear the heater flaps opening and closing when you turn the temp control from min to max, its motor or gears may be faulty.

You could disconnect the two rubber pipes going to the heater matrix where they are located by the bulkhead in the engine bay, and then connect a hose pipe or similar and see if you can actually feed water though the matrix or if its completely blocked or has a really bad air lock.

[IalsolikeMopars]

I got reading this thread because I was looking for solution to similar problem with my 2014 Corolla S and everything seemed similar to what I was experiencing.  Has anyone checked to see if the "blend door actuator" is functioning correctly?  I found this video on youtube and it is spot on for my issue....all of sudden my heater stopped working etc..  I also have the auto climate control in my corolla like in the video and the same symptom described at startup.  https://youtu.be/5-SAvzb8D4w