looking for experience - plugged coolant line anyone?

[Zsolt]

Stephane,

If your engine is running at normal operating temperature and it still
only blows cold, it's most likely the control box. I just had mine
changed for the same reason.

   Zsolt

Livolsi, Stephane wrote:

> Patient: 86 5KTQ
>
> Symptom: Blower blows strongly but only cool from defrost, dash and foot
> vents even with engine fully warmed up and climate control on max heat.
> There is just a hint of warm coming through.  Previously would blow very hot
> with engine warm.
>
> Original diagnosis: Defective heater valve.  Exploratory surgery on heater
> hoses determines that heater valve is wide open and OK, BUT when the valve
> was removed from the patient, no coolant (none, nada, zip, zilch, nothing to
> clean up off the floor) came out of the disconnected lines....WTF?  Blowing
> in the heater hose going from the valve to the heater core (don't ask, ok?)
> makes coolant come out of the heater hose that goes into the heater valve.
> That means the air I blew in went all the way through the heater core, back
> through the engine and then back towards the heater core through the heater
> hose to the heater valve.  WTF2?
>
> Secondary Diagnosis:  The neck on the radiator top hose connection is known
> to have broken off and parts ingested into the cooling system.  The flow is
> from the engine to the top of the radiator, right?, therefore the pieces
> probably ended up in the rad, and into the lower rad hose, and back into the
> engine and has since plugged a smaller line supplying the heater core.
>
> Questions:
> I know that the water pump runs off the timing belt, but is it possible for
> the engine to be running well (which it does) and have the water pump not
> pumping?  It seems to me this is impossible so must assume that the pump is
> pumping if the engine is running.
>
> Anybody experience a plugged coolant line by foreign object and where was
> it?  What is the most likely suspect?
>
> Multifunction temp switch is new this summer and gauge works well.  However,
> another area of concern is that sometimes the rad fan will kick on while the
> gauge still indicates relatively low temp.  Thermoswitch for fan is in lower
> rad while multifunction temp switch is on the engine.  How can the rad be
> hotter than the engine?
>
> Any experience, suggestions welcome.
>
> PS: Had the first real snowfall of the year yesterday.  One word: Quattro!
>
> TIA
>
> Stephane Livolsi
> 86 5KTQ
> Williams Lake, BC, Canada
>
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