1997 BMW 318 No heat

SAM-1951

MEMBER
1997 BMW 318
4 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
160,000 MILES

I am no longer getting any heat from my engine. I have changed the thermostat, flushed and refilled the radiator and engine block. I can't seem to get to the heater valve becaus there is no room for my hands. I hope there is another place to look for the problem. Can you please help?

Thanks,

Sam

1 Reply

JUSTIN FREED

MEMBER
87 POSTS

I'm going to assume the fan is working fine and what you mean is no heat is getting inside the vehicle. I am also going to assume that it used to work fine.

I think you need to consider the possibility of your heater core being blocked. The heater core is located inside the cabin, usually behind and slightly below the dash. Hot water (antifreeze/coolant) circulates thru the heater core and then the fan blows over the core transferring heat into the cabin. If the car is heating up, the valve is open allowing water (coolant) into the core but no heat is available, suspect blockage in the core. This is actually fairly common - not necessarily in your particular model vehicle but in general.

There is also the possibility that you could be getting "air lock" which is preventing coolant from circulating thru the core. Ensure you have no air in the system. If this checks out, suspect the heater core.

Hope this helps!