My van's heater stops putting any heat out every time I stop or go slow.?

Question

With the weather being so cold it is very uncomfortable to ride in the van for too long in the city.

What could be causing this??

Thanks!

Answer 1

i own a repair shop,and what may be happening to it,is the coolant level is real low,and that will cause the heater to go out when you slow down,what you need to do is check the fluid level in it,and make sure its all the way full,check the plastic reservoir first,and see if there's any in it,if not add to it ,don't open the radiator it may burn you ,but this should improve the heater ,if it keeps loosing coolant ,you might want to have it checked,to see if it has a major leak in it,but it should be ok,just be careful,you don't want this one to over heat on you,good luck with it,i hope this help,s.

Answer 2

I'm a great believer in doing the easy stuff first. In your case make sure you coolant is topped up. Then, if you can do this yourself, change the thermostat to a winter thermostat. It opens at a lower temperature, and gives you heat faster. A thermostat is about 6 bucks at Canadian Tire--so don't let some mechanic rip ya off. If you are uncomfortable doing this yourself, get a neighbour you're friendly with to help ya out.

Answer 3

Sounds like you're low on coolant. Adding coolant is only a temporary fix, whenever I lost heat in cold weather it was because the water pump failed and was spraying coolant around. It could be a leaky hose too. Get it fixed because the next symptom is engine overheating. Yes, even in the dead of winter. That gets to be very expensive, so take care of it now.

Answer 4

you may have an air pocket in the system if you would stsrt it up clod remove the radiator cap check the level first then watch for bubbles to start when the engine warms up remember to keep filling it as the water gets pushed by the air i have a 2003 dodge mini van just did this last week

Answer 5

Check the coolant level in the radiator. It may be too low. It also might be that the fan setting is not quite right, try tracing the lever to wear it is hook onto the wire or rod, opening the heating duct.

Answer 6

I assume that the heater fan is still blowing at the same speed, so I would guess that your heater core is partially blocked, or open just enough to be effective when your engine is running strong, and not so effective when you slow it down.

Answer 7

Start by checking the fluid level, if it's OK then try flushing the heater core.

Answer 8

i would have the heater core checked... the thermostat...and the water pump....make sure the radiator is full of antifreeze too..these are about the only things that it could be..are there any leaks...like a green fluid???if so your losing the antifreeze and probably need to take it to a garage to have it repaired

Answer 9

You have recieved some great advice. The low coolant level is the most likly problem.

Answer 10

slipping water pump belt, or bad pump impellor. restricted heater core. leaking head gasket. thermostat stuck open, some vehicles use a electric pump to bring hot water into the core at idle, it may be bad.