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No Heat

3K views 31 replies 7 participants last post by  carter's_sts 
#1 ·
My car is not blowing hot air even on 90° Anyone experienced this before
 
#2 ·
I'm assuming the blower is working? Could be thermostat. Could also be an actuator in the climate control, like a blend door or something along those lines. Hopefully it's not your heater core, typically when those fail you'll smell antifreeze in the cabin. Air in the coolant system, or it could be the actual climate control unit. A lot of variables to check.
 
#12 ·
Uh yea.

Seriously though, if you don't have any/enough coolant, then it can't pass to the heater core, which then can't blow heat into the cabin.

My guess is that it is just low, otherwise you would've overheated by now. What does your temp gauge say? Then the next question is, where did it go? If it is a proper mixture of Dexcool, it should'nt evaporate, especially in a properly sealed and pressurized system. But if not, and/or if there is a leak in the system, it could be leaking out or evaporating. If it isn't leaking it, the only other place it can go... into the engine. What does your oil look like?
 
#16 ·
NO... Never mix DexCool (orange anti-freeze), with regular Ethylene Glycol (green anti-freeze). Dexcool is a no silicate based, organic acid technology (OAT) anti-freeze. G-05 as used in Chrysler's and some fords if I recall, is a hybrid OAT, known as HOAT. They are not compatible.

In order to use Ethylene Glycol (green anti-freeze), in a Dexcool equipped car, as mentioned a complete system flush (done by a machine), would need to be done.

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Actually, funny you should mention that as some Northstars with 4T80E transaxles (in the previous gen STS, Eldo's, Bonneville GXP's), would have core plug leaks. But you could never follow it by smell and on a warm, operational engine, it wasn't visible because it got burned off on the hot engine block and the exhaust cross-under pipe (they run under on those, instead of over as is usually standard on wrong wheel drive transverse applications), as it leaked. And of course, if you've been under one of those, you can't even fit your finger between the engine/pan, transaxle pan, and exhaust cross-under, so it wasn't something you just shine a light up and go "oh, there it is..."

You had to wait until the engine completely cooled (I mean like sitting 8 hours, overnight, etc), let it drip, and then trace it back up.
 
#17 ·
It is perfectly ok to mix DEX-COOL with the all makes/all models "green stuff", as long as the bottle of all makes/all models coolant states that it is mixable (Prestone for instance). There is also no need for a machine flush to switch to all makes/all models coolant, the coolant just has to be mixable.
 
#18 ·
Let me clarify. You can mix anything you want with anything you want. However, if that vehicle is under warranty, and it came in to our service department to be repaired under warranty for a cooling system related issue, and we find fluids are mixed with Dexcool that aren't meant to be Dexcool mixable (I don't care what the bottle says, I care what GM says as they're the one footing the bill), then it doesn't get covered. At that point, any cost to repair a failure is on YOUR dime. You can certainly file a claim with GM on it. You can try throwing the Magnusson-Moss act or anything else at them, but they have heard all this hook, line and sinker before.

GM is pretty good about dotting their "i's" and crossing their "t's" when it comes to stuff like this as they generally issue licenses to Prestone, Zerex, etc, to say "Dexcool compatible" or something thereabouts. Same with oil.

Anything labeled Dexcool compatible or similar verbage has to meet GM6277M spec BTW.
 
#20 ·
I've seen it done, had to deny people warranty coverage because of it. You'd be amazed at what would roll in to the shop. I can tell stories. And of course it's always GM's fault.

Remember, the majority of people in the automotive population are retarded and cheap. They see vehicles as nothing more than appliances like their washer and dryer. They don't want to spend dime one on it after purchase because at the end of the day, it's just an appliance. So when time comes to have to repair something of theirs due to neglect and/or stupidity (and/or cheapness on top of that), stuff like this ensues. GM isn't here to protect you from your stupidity. (not you personally, just speaking in general).
 
#21 ·
Sorry, I was stating facts, not taking into concideration GMs excuses to cover cooling system problems under warranty. But if the warranty states you can't use anything but DEX, then use DEX.

But FWIW, DEX-COOL is not any "better" than universal coolant, it's just different. It was originally designed to be a long life (5 year/100K) coolant. Most universal coolants are rated for that now anyway.

It is also IN NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM, NECESSARY. There is nothing about the aluminum, steel, or rubber in GM engines or cooling systems that makes universal coolant unsuitable, or makes it perform any differently.

There are PLENTY of myths about DEX-COOL, it eats gaskets, turns to sludge, causes corrosion, MUST be used, can't be mixed..... All BS.

You CAN mix it with compatible coolants. What the box says aside, I've personally mixed compatible coolants with NO problems whatsoever, and so have many, MANY other people on this forum.
 
#22 ·
No one here, Myself included, said it (Dexcool), was better. I for one prefer Ethylene Glycol better for it's better (or quicker), thermal transfer alone. But alas...

And you may not like GM's "excuses" but they're the one footing the bill. If MoistCabbage's enterprises manufactured, sold, and then warrantied a product, and you specified what maintenance items were to be used in order to be covered under your warranty as the cost to repair things comes out of YOUR wallet, you're simply doing the same thing as GM. GM says use Dexcool or Dexcool licensed equivalent that meets GM6722M, or risk not having related repair covered under warranty. Pretty cut and dry to me.

I do agree about the lawsuits issues. It isn't the coolant, it's a fault elsewhere causing an otherwise sealed system to be compromised. I post that all the time on any forum I'm on and we get into a "Dexcool..." thread.
 
#23 ·
No, nobody in this thread said DEX was better. but an above poster referred to "cheap coolant", insinuating that non DEX coolant is inferior. just wanted to clear up any possible misconceptions.

So if Prestone has GMs blessing to produce a DEX-COOL type antifreeze, why would Prestones all makes/all models/DEX-COOL compatible coolant not be suitable? :hmm:
 
#24 ·
To clarify my post; I was not calling any coolant cheap. I didn't say that at all. You should remove the quotes. I was calling some people cheap. The assumption I was making was that a person must have one bottle of coolant to top off their systems in different makes of cars, rather than have the correct native type of coolant.

Maybe that's a wrong assumption, but I don't understand why else someone wouldn't just put Dexcool in a GM vehicle. I don't recall either Dexcool or the green stuff costing that much.

And I definitely was not commenting about the quality of either kind.
 
#25 ·
Well I put in Dex-Cool after I noticed the coolant tank was empty late at night, only reason I asked about the green stuff was because no gas station had Dex-Cool and no auto stores were open. They only had the green stuff. But I got some at Auto Zone the next day filled her up and the heat started working again. Sweet.

Then it stopped the next day. Checked the coolant and it was empty. FML.

So any advise on how to check for the leak for a DIY. Or should I just bring it in to the dealership. It's out of warranty.
 
#27 ·
Okay. I got the pressure checker.

Question before I add more coolant. The supercharger coolant level is super high and when I took off the cap it overflowed. No coolant in the surge tank right now but I'm wary to add more to pressure test it.

It wasn't like that before I added coolant to the coolant surge tank. Are these connected? Why would the coolant level in the supercharger go up?
 
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