is this normal?

Synchros shot? Weird noises while shifting? Not sure what needs to be replaced?
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wannabe
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is this normal?

Post by wannabe »

i don't get much heat put out when my car isn't going fast - good bad or normal?
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Re: is this normal?

Post by watkins »

Odd
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Re: is this normal?

Post by theholycow »

Do you mean that the air doesn't blow very hard, or that the temperature of the air is not as high?
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Re: is this normal?

Post by fa22raptorf22 »

wannabe wrote:i don't get much heat put out when my car isn't going fast - good bad or normal?
Fast as in engine rpm, or actual speed?

Because speed shouldn't affect it, engine rpm should as that determines water pump speed and is thereby directly affecting coolant moving to the heater core.

My guess is that you need a coolant flush and rid the system of air pockets.

Either that, or your pump is going.

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Re: is this normal?

Post by FDSpirit »

theholycow wrote:Do you mean that the air doesn't blow very hard, or that the temperature of the air is not as high?
I was gonna ask the same exact thing.
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Re: is this normal?

Post by wannabe »

@ THC: When I'm on city streets the heat isn't as hot as when I'm on the highway.

@fa22raptorf22: i wouldn't know my engine speed...no taco. i mean actual speed. everytime i check my coolant (even if i fill it the day before) its low. Watkins said that was bad.

@ everyone: would you do the coolant flush first? and is that something i can do at home?
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Re: is this normal?

Post by theholycow »

Sounds like your thermostat is dead. Time for a new thermostat.
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Re: is this normal?

Post by padauk_dust »

I don't understand the problem here. :?
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Re: is this normal?

Post by FDSpirit »

I think her car isn't pushing out the amount of heat it should when the fan is on? I'm not 100% sure on this, but are you driving with outside air on? If so, if the fan is off, are you asking why it isn't giving you the same DEGREE of heat with city driving vs. highway driving? That's how I'm seeing it. If it is a thermostat problem, I think you need to do a flush anyways.
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Re: is this normal?

Post by wannabe »

FDSpirit wrote:I think her car isn't pushing out the amount of heat it should when the fan is on? I'm not 100% sure on this, but are you driving with outside air on? If so, if the fan is off, are you asking why it isn't giving you the same DEGREE of heat with city driving vs. highway driving? That's how I'm seeing it. If it is a thermostat problem, I think you need to do a flush anyways.
i don't drive w/ the outside air on...makes no sense when its cold out....

what do you mean, fan off? the fan is on to spread some heat around...i turn it on, usually med high to start to clear the car of fog...

and yes, its not giving the same degree of heat w/ city vs highway driving...

i think i need to be flushed...
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Re: is this normal?

Post by 1974Alfa5spd »

Sounds like there's air in the cooling system, or you're low on coolant. When the engine isn't turning as fast, the coolant isn't being circulated as fast, so what's left of the coolant still heats up the heater core enough to make suitable heat.
Now to tell if you are low on coolant, open the radiator cap. If the radiator is full, then you have a dud thermostat like THC said. If it's below the opening of the radiator, (and to lose heat, it will have to be way below. Go and buy some premix coolant, and start pouring it in with the engine running. This will purge the system and fill it to full capacity. :D

However, if it's low on coolant, the one concern is: where the fsck did it go?
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Re: is this normal?

Post by Rope-Pusher »

Coolant? No wonder it is running cool. I drain my radiator and fill it with warmant each fall.
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Re: is this normal?

Post by fa22raptorf22 »

Rope-Pusher wrote:Coolant? No wonder it is running cool. I drain my radiator and fill it with warmant each fall.
Tool haha.

wannabe...its leaking out of somewhere such as the intake manifold or the radiator.

You need to figure out where its leaking and correct the problem.
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Re: is this normal?

Post by Tinton »

fa22raptorf22 wrote:
wannabe wrote:i don't get much heat put out when my car isn't going fast - good bad or normal?
Fast as in engine rpm, or actual speed?

Because speed shouldn't affect it, engine rpm should as that determines water pump speed and is thereby directly affecting coolant moving to the heater core.

My guess is that you need a coolant flush and rid the system of air pockets.

Either that, or your pump is going.

2c
Speed and engine speed both affect it, at higher vehicle speeds more airflow goes through the radiator and therefore you end up with colder coolant. Engine speed matters too but in a different way, higher revs make more heat but the waterpump also turns faster to compensate for it.

wannabe, did it suddenly get colder because of cold weather? That's normal. If you want hotter heat you can let your car sit and idle more before you drive it.

If its colder with city driving it could be from you revving the engine more. On the highway it sits at a steady speed so the waterpump's flow stays constant.

If you want good heat you should let the car idle for a few minutes before turning the heat on at all. Using the heat with the car cold is like turning the radiator fan on, its hard as f**k to get up to operating temp like that.
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