My car's interior heat slowly started to cool down.

Tiny
DBAYOFF
  • MEMBER
  • 2000 SATURN SL1
  • 200,000 MILES
Now there is no heat. Could this be a thermostat or heater core? Also, where is the thermostat? Someone told me to hold the intake to the heater core and outake.I can't even find them or the heater core.
Thursday, December 15th, 2011 AT 7:19 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,870 POSTS
The thermostat you can find it by following the lower radiator hose back to the engine the housing is held in by two 10mm bolts. The heater hoses going into the heater core can be found under the intake manifold towards the middle of the firewall. Both hoses should get really hot. Let me know what you find.
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Thursday, December 15th, 2011 AT 7:31 PM
Tiny
DBAYOFF
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I'll do that when I get home. Have you ever heard of a heater slowly malfunctioning and then stopping alltogether? I thought when a thermostat goes that it was quick.
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Thursday, December 15th, 2011 AT 7:38 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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A thermostat isnt going to take the heater out a restricted heater core would though. Let me know how those heater hoses feel.
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Thursday, December 15th, 2011 AT 7:45 PM
Tiny
DBAYOFF
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Hi!
Can you tell me do I get to the heater core from under the hood. Or from inside the car? This is a 2000 Saturn SL.
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Friday, December 16th, 2011 AT 5:04 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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The hoses you have to reach from the engine compartment. If you remove the air intake tube you should be able to reach the drivers side hose from above to see if its hot. If you cant reach the right hose to see if its hot go on the right over below the power steering pump. You will see a metal hose that goes under the upper engine mount. That comes off the heater core see if that hose is really hot. Both hoses should be really hot when the engine is at normal operating temp so becarefull not to burn yourself.
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Friday, December 16th, 2011 AT 5:37 PM
Tiny
DBAYOFF
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My husband will not get to this until tonight. I just purchased a heater core. I just want to know if one hose is not hot and we need to change the heater core, do we get to it from inside the car
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Friday, December 16th, 2011 AT 6:43 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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If one hose is really hot and the other one is not then you have restricted heater core. You would replace it from the inside but I would try flushing it to clear it first.
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Friday, December 16th, 2011 AT 7:52 PM

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