Team Camaro Tech banner

1996 Camaro 3.8 Heater Problems

3K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  nancys96z 
#1 ·
Hello everyone and it is very nice to be here. Just wondered if anyone else has had this problem and what could be the cause. I have a 96 Camaro 3.8 engine automatic, the engine temperature stays about 160, I have installed a new radiator and 18 lb cap, heater core and 195 degree thermostat. The engine very seldom gets past 160 degrees operating temp and the heater always blows luke warm air, the electric fans are not running at all times and the heater control valve is operating normally. What could be the problem? Any help anyone can give me will be greatly appreciated. I live in North Carolina and some better heat would be nice. Thank-you,, Kent
 
#2 ·
did you check your new t-stat before putting it in?
sometimes they are bad right out of the box, and they can either stick open or stick closed.
 
#3 ·
18 lb cap is too much imo for a plastic tank radiator...should be more like 13-15lb...did u get the tstat from napa???i`ve done 3 in my truck before i decided stant is the way to go...also make sure to use the proper coolant, as mixing dex-cool with conventional coolant is a nono..(that derrek is always right on point)
 
#5 ·
just my experience on the cap thing...i dont know about the cap on an expansion tank, but i know that if you overpressurize a plastic radiator, it leaks almost invariably at the seam between the tank and the cores...in addition, i`ve seen alot of dex-cooled vehicles with sludged up heater cores and you can usually backflush them to clean them up...that doesnt sound like your problem, but if the guage is not accurate, and you are at operating temp, maybe so...
 
#6 ·
Thanks for all the great suggestions, it has a stant t-stat, that I have taken out and checked in boiling water and it worked fine, it also has dex-cool in the radiator. I have an 18 lb cap,on now but tried a 16 lb a few weeks back it made no difference. Thanks again.
 
#7 ·
the cap wont stop it from getting warm, but only allow the expanding coolant to go into the overfolw tank...with that said, the more pressure a system will hold, the hotter it can get without boiling...i dont know, man...i`d try another tstat...did you consider the diverter door in the air box???i`ve seen where a mouse built a nest in the air box, and it wouldnt close off to only pass hot air...
 
#10 ·
Does it get hot while sitting still and then cool off while driving? Or does it not get to operating temperatures under any condition? Is there pressure on the upper hose or can you colapse it? If the system will not build pressure it can keep you from having heat and on some gm vehicles keep you from reaching operating temperatures!
 
#12 ·
nancy, when the car`s at op temp, feel the hoses going in and out of the heater core with the blower fan on high...if theres a restriction in the heater core, the in hose will be hot, and the out hose will be cool, but if no restriction, they will be close to the same temp...i`ve noticed that dex-cooled cars seem to plug heater cores more often than the old green stuff...might just need to be backflushed...
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top