No heat at idle

[elund126]

I need a quick reassurance on what I think is wrong with my car. Especially since the temperature this morning is 15 degrees!

The heat works fine on my car while driving. I have noticed the ticking from the driver's side when I adjust the temp up or down. I am assuming it is the blend door actuator.

But, what would cause it to have no heat at idle. When I stop at a long light or idle in a parking lot, the heat blows cold. As soon as I start driving, it blows hot again. If I have the climate control on AUTO at 74 degrees. At idle, the defrost vents will blow warm (not hot) air and the foot vents will blow cold.

Do I have 2 (or more) separate issues?

 

[SHOdded]

How many miles on your SHO?  Engine temps behaving normally?

A.  Check your coolant color & levels with the engine cold.  B.  Listen for any clicking/ratcheting sounds that may indicate a worn blend door actuator.  However, initial suspect should be low coolant.  Could also be air in the system, a stuck thermostat, plugged heater core.

 

[Frozen Taurus]

I had this issue and solved my problem in this thread http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php?topic=1466.0

 

[elund126]

How many miles on your SHO?  Engine temps behaving normally?

A.  Check your coolant color & levels with the engine cold.  B.  Listen for any clicking/ratcheting sounds that may indicate a worn blend door actuator.  However, initial suspect should be low coolant.  Could also be air in the system, a stuck thermostat, plugged heater core.

Yes, I have had the clicking on the driver's side and I need to replace it. Does the actuator regulate heat or just what zone the heat comes out?

 

[elund126]

How many miles on your SHO?  Engine temps behaving normally?

A.  Check your coolant color & levels with the engine cold.  B.  Listen for any clicking/ratcheting sounds that may indicate a worn blend door actuator.  However, initial suspect should be low coolant.  Could also be air in the system, a stuck thermostat, plugged heater core.

Sorry....just turned 60K miles

 

[elund126]

I had this issue and solved my problem in this thread http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php?topic=1466.0

OK....I guess you all can beat me up. I had my car at the dealership last week for my free oil change. You would think that they would check and notice low coolant???

I'll go check the level in a minute.

Remember, I had the clicking under the dash for awhile too. It sounds like 2 different problems then.

 

[EcoBrick Bob]

The blend door actuator is behind the glove box (it drops down with a squeeze on sides).  You can buy them at Tasca ( they show up on their e-bay listings) for under $25. shipped) I installed mine in about 5 minutes.  Mine never stopped working but it was getting noisier.  If it doesn't open, it still ratchets as plastic gears are shot when you get noise.

 

[elund126]

The blend door actuator is behind the glove box (it drops down with a squeeze on sides).  You can buy them at Tasca ( they show up on their e-bay listings) for under $25. shipped) I installed mine in about 5 minutes.  Mine never stopped working but it was getting noisier.  If it doesn't open, it still ratchets as plastic gears are shot when you get noise.

I have never heard any clicking from the passenger side one, only the driver's side.

 

[elund126]

How many miles on your SHO?  Engine temps behaving normally?

A.  Check your coolant color & levels with the engine cold.  B.  Listen for any clicking/ratcheting sounds that may indicate a worn blend door actuator.  However, initial suspect should be low coolant.  Could also be air in the system, a stuck thermostat, plugged heater core.

Just checked my coolant level and it is about 1" lower than the "Cold Range" noted on the overflow bottle.

 

[DRII]

How many miles on your SHO?  Engine temps behaving normally?

A.  Check your coolant color & levels with the engine cold.  B.  Listen for any clicking/ratcheting sounds that may indicate a worn blend door actuator.  However, initial suspect should be low coolant.  Could also be air in the system, a stuck thermostat, plugged heater core.

Just checked my coolant level and it is about 1" lower than the "Cold Range" noted on the overflow bottle.

so the coolant was the problem?  I have the same issue, and i had the clicking sound issue, but it was from the passenger side.  my dealer fixed the clicking, accentuator (sic); but i didn't know about the heat going cold at idle at the time...

 

[BiGMaC]

Sounds like you may have dx'd the problem with the heater anyway. 

My dealer offers "pit stop" program where I can stop in anytime for fluid topoffs.  You might have access to the same type of thing. Could be useful since they apparently don't check your coolant at other service visits.

 

[Frozen Taurus]

How many miles on your SHO?  Engine temps behaving normally?

A.  Check your coolant color & levels with the engine cold.  B.  Listen for any clicking/ratcheting sounds that may indicate a worn blend door actuator.  However, initial suspect should be low coolant.  Could also be air in the system, a stuck thermostat, plugged heater core.

Just checked my coolant level and it is about 1" lower than the "Cold Range" noted on the overflow bottle.

That's about what mine was too, topped it up and brought the engine up to temp with thermostat opened up and coolant bottle cap off....I squeezed all the rad hoses and heater core hoses so that I could coax the air pocket out of the top of motor .....walla it fixed my problem.

 

[EcoBrick Bob]

The blend door actuator is behind the glove box (it drops down with a squeeze on sides).  You can buy them at Tasca ( they show up on their e-bay listings) for under $25. shipped) I installed mine in about 5 minutes.  Mine never stopped working but it was getting noisier.  If it doesn't open, it still ratchets as plastic gears are shot when you get noise.

I have never heard any clicking from the passenger side one, only the driver's side.

First one I have heard of clicking on drivers side.  Think they may be harder to get at.  Need to check with someone with a repair manual set for your year.

 

[elund126]

The blend door actuator is behind the glove box (it drops down with a squeeze on sides).  You can buy them at Tasca ( they show up on their e-bay listings) for under $25. shipped) I installed mine in about 5 minutes.  Mine never stopped working but it was getting noisier.  If it doesn't open, it still ratchets as plastic gears are shot when you get noise.

I have never heard any clicking from the passenger side one, only the driver's side.

First one I have heard of clicking on drivers side.  Think they may be harder to get at.  Need to check with someone with a repair manual set for your year.

It sure sounded like it was coming from the driver's side!! I am always open to being proven wrong. Especially since the one on the passenger side is super easy to replace.

 

[elund126]

How many miles on your SHO?  Engine temps behaving normally?

A.  Check your coolant color & levels with the engine cold.  B.  Listen for any clicking/ratcheting sounds that may indicate a worn blend door actuator.  However, initial suspect should be low coolant.  Could also be air in the system, a stuck thermostat, plugged heater core.

Just checked my coolant level and it is about 1" lower than the "Cold Range" noted on the overflow bottle.

so the coolant was the problem?  I have the same issue, and i had the clicking sound issue, but it was from the passenger side.  my dealer fixed the clicking, accentuator (sic); but i didn't know about the heat going cold at idle at the time...

I will top it off tomorrow. If I didn't help my wife with all of her Xmas decorations, she would kick me out of the house!!!

 

[elund126]

Here is another strange issue with the heat. I have found that it only blows cool air at idle when I have the "AUTO" button pushed on the climate control. If I have a specific vent button pushed (defrost/floor) it will blow hot even at idle.

So I'm guessing that tells me that my coolant level has nothing to do with the problem and more than likely a actuator problem???

 

[DJE624]

It could still be the coolant level.  If there is a sensor that controls heat that is getting a bad reading at idle.  Like not enough flow over the sensor?

 

[SHOdded]

I will top it off tomorrow. If I didn't help my wife with all of her Xmas decorations, she would kick me out of the house!!!

Did you get a chance to top off the coolant? 

As far as the AUTO setting goes, I know it does some counter-intuitive things from my readings on the Edge forum.  For example, you will only get warm air directed at the feet, and cool air directed at the head/torso while in AUTO.  Digging into the SHO manual might be required to understand that piece of functionality as specific to the SHO.

 

[BiGMaC]

I just read the manual, 3rd printing, on this and it looks like (1) if your in auto mode you can still select an air flow manually and (2) that by default warm air will flow through the demister (defogger) vents as well as what SHOdded describes above.  This is pages 149-160 for 2013 SHO.I do note that the instructions/info are often not too clear and that it also seems that it may act differently with the Sony stereo.

 

[elund126]

I will top it off tomorrow. If I didn't help my wife with all of her Xmas decorations, she would kick me out of the house!!!

Did you get a chance to top off the coolant? 

As far as the AUTO setting goes, I know it does some counter-intuitive things from my readings on the Edge forum.  For example, you will only get warm air directed at the feet, and cool air directed at the head/torso while in AUTO.  Digging into the SHO manual might be required to understand that piece of functionality as specific to the SHO.

Sorry about the delayed response. I did top off the coolant and it fixed my problem. Originally, the coolant level was within specs on the "Cold" marks on the bottle, but, I filled up up about an inch and everything is good!