Now before you all say change your heater core I want to ask a few questions. The factory temp guage sucks, what exactly is normal? What would be the best way to tell how warm my truck is running, because if it isn't running very warm maybe that is why I am cold. Second, if my truck is running cold that is not neccissarilly a bad thing in the summer so in the winter can't I just put a windscreen over most of the grill? And finally, can I clean my heater core instead of replacing it? I am a tight ****.

 

Check your thermostat operation other then the heater core probaly the culprit. Run your bronco for an hour an use a thermometer that goes up to 210 degrees an stick in your radiatior about a couple off inches. Hot water from the engine circulates from the upper radiator hose to the top off the radiator. It should read 180 degrees an up. If not the thermostat is probaby shot. If its normal the heater core probably is plugged an would call for a new one. Check the thermostat out first. This will be an easy fix an you can do it yourself an it wont cost too much. Good Luck. I had one go out on my 91 F-150 several years back an my heater was always blowing cold air. Change thermostat problem solved.

 

Also check to see if the heater hose is getting hot or not while your checking the engine temp.

 

Yes do that too. Good point. Tell us what you find out.

 

ive had that same problem. cept my heater core is fine, and both hose's to and from it are hot. my thermostat is good to, i might be able to use a hotter one, since i have a 4 core. and ive tried the windscreen thing. and i had to cover 3/4 of my radiator to be able to feel any noticable difference, but i lost gas milage when i did that.

 

If you havent owned the truck to long, I would check and see if the last owner put in one of those screw in valves on one of the heater hoses, I have one on all my trucks and always forget to open it up untill the cabin won't get warm.

 

nope. ive checked. ive had mechanics look at it. and there all dumbfounded. a higher thermostat should fix it like a 210. right now im runnin a 190.

 

Admittedly, mine takes a bit to get really warm but I've never had any trouble getting heat. I'm with bigredtruckmi, make sure the hoses to AND from the core are getting hot. The heater core is the "highest point" in the system so if your coolant level is low for any reason (fluids seek their own level), it will be the first part of the system to feel it... or NOT feel it as the case would be.

wozxxx, have you actually felt the core? I know it sounds silly but the core can be clogged enough that fluid is still getting through and the hoses are warming up but there is so much crud in the core that the heat transfer just isn't happening well enough to produce enough heat. Scale and lime do not transfer heat like aluminum or brass which is why a radiator can still be flowing fluid but not cooling an engine well enough because the layer of scale between the metal of the radiator and the hot fluid is reducing the effectiveness of the heat tranfser. Heater cores operate on the same principle. (Which is why you turn on the heat in the summer time if your car begins to overheat).

 

yup ive checked it, and ive flushed it and then it did get hot. but still only to the point that its bearably cold..im not worried about it to much now, aslong as it'll defrost my windows im fine.

 

that was my problem, so i mounted a 1500watt heater and inverter in my bronco its nice in warm now

 

Are US heater cores less BTUs than Canadian? At -20c my Bronco will roast you out of the cab with the control set at 3/4 up.I wouldn't bother cleaning a heater core.I have tried and either they leak or after a few weeks it's back to the same poor output.Ask for a high out-put core and you should be toasty warm.

 

Have you checked to see if your heater cable is actually moving the lever at the other end? Look behind the glove compartment when you move the lever that controls the temperature at the heater controls to see if the cable fully moves the lever at the other end. If it doesn't move the lever, the flap inside the heater box will not redirect the air thru the heater core and you won't get the hot air in the cab. My 90 Bronco and my 93 Bronco will both put out so much heat in the winter that you have to turn them down after a few miles.

 

check it all and then check some more the hoses can get hot and the core can get hot but if its plugged enough to get hot and still not have enough flow to sustain heat your still not goin to have enough flow to be satisfied went though the the same thing with my e 150 last year everything got hot but alot of the ports were clogged replaced the core and got great heat also check blend door function while your in there

 

for the $40 or so for the heater core & 40 mins it takes to replace the core (and his truck is a 90), I would replace the core. I blew mine out 2 years ago, but once they start to clog, it is better to just replace them.

 

Every thing yall mentioned works, I get warm air but when it gets to 30 or below and you are bucking a 20 or more MPH wind on interstate it just doesn't cut it. The thermostat works fine I think because you can't even think about touching the hoses without getting burnt, however the guage says below normal on heat. I think that the heater core needs replaced.

Thanks