automatic heater controls

[shiloh]

Hi, been here for a while, enjoy reading up on stuff that helps me keep my old pos 02xc alive.
I`m stumped this time, my heater control seems to have quit behaving.
It`s an auto climate control, Celsius with all the bells and whistles, with a motion sensor acc button on the btm section.
Cold weather is here in Mid Western Ontario, and would like to get this sorted.
Symptoms; Ac works great, heat, not so much, at 26c settings just warm
Solutions so far; removed, cleaned everything, connectors, cabin air sensor, inspected board, feed/return lines to the core are equally warm, fuse check, battery disconnect thingy, still nothing. I can hear the various doors/actuators moving when moving the controls and settings, but still no blistering heat as before.??????
What else is there to correct this cold situation, about ready to use this car for target practise.....:confused: [mad2]

Any and all help appreciated,
Rick

[hoonk]

feed/return lines to the core are equally warm, but still no blistering heat as before.

The thermostat should control the engine temp to about 195F - heater hoses should be hot -

Blend doors might not be opening all the way to full hot

Heater core might be partially clogged (have not seen that in a Volvo in my part of the country)

[shiloh]

ya, with a little more exploration, I`m leaning toward a heater core flush, weather permitting, I`ll try and get that done tomorrow and see how that effects the heat situation.
Beyond that, I guess it`s the 12gauge and the back forty for some down home fun, :p

[ssicarman]

Rule of thumb for lack of heat issues is to make sure that the basics are covered. First big basic is the thermostat. If your heater hoses are only warm when the engine should be at operating temperature you need to replace the t-stat.


You should not be able to hold the heater hoses with the engine at operating temp.

[shiloh]

So this morning, got the heater hoses off and thoroughly flushed the heater core, alternating between inlets until it was as clean as I could discern.
Viola, back to normal for now at least, lots of heat.
For any one else out there with similar symptoms, I strongly suggest doing a flush, unless the ccm is strongly suspect.
Cheers

[shiloh]

if your heater core had enough debris in it to restrict the flow that much I'd expect other cooling system issues soon.

unless someone has put stop leak in it. That stuff is teh debil.

No leak stop ever added, but can`t remember if a flush was ever done, just had another timing belt put on(375000km on the clock) and had the water pump replaced, I`m thinking the pump R&R probably stirred up some crud that caused this issue.
And ya based on what I saw while flushing the heater core, the ole girl probably needs to be flushed, hopefully before there`s 8 feet of snow on the ground.