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81 Grand Marquis No Heat


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Chevra
User

Feb 24, 2011, 4:16 PM

Post #1 of 10 (1427 views)
81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

I have an 81 Grand Marquis with a 351 engine. I get no heat inside of the car. The car is low mileage(45000) so it has sat for a long time. I just changed the thermostat out and blew and flushed out the heater core. Both of the hoses that go to my heater core get hot but it is still blowing cold air inside the car. My coolant level is right full but my rad takes a long time to heat up. The car doesnt have a heat gauge so I cant tell if the engine is running cold or at normal temperature. I just figured that if my heater core hoses get hot then I should get heat inside the car also? Please help.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 24, 2011, 4:26 PM

Post #2 of 10 (1422 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

 The temperature is controlled by the use of an air mix door that is operated by an electric motor/actuator. This door can be jammed or the actuator can be inoperative or have stripped plastic gears internally.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



zmame
Veteran / Moderator
zmame profile image

Feb 24, 2011, 4:28 PM

Post #3 of 10 (1419 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

If both hoses are hot at the heater core means there is flow through the heater core. Sounds like you have a blend door problem blends the cold and hot air. I'm not sure how its controlled on a 81.


Chevra
User

Feb 24, 2011, 6:31 PM

Post #4 of 10 (1415 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

Do you guys have any idea where this actuator is or how I can test to see if that is the problem. I hope that it is something I can replace myself.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 24, 2011, 8:20 PM

Post #5 of 10 (1408 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

Being that old i don't have much info on it but it's looking like it may have been either vacuum controlled or cable controlled, depending on whether it's an ATC system or not.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Chevra
User

Feb 27, 2011, 12:26 PM

Post #6 of 10 (1394 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

Good news is that i think I found it and it wasn't in the dash is was under it so I could get at it easily. It just looked like a little solenoid thing where I could push this bar in or out. It was pushed out and never seemed to move but I zip tied it fully open now and I seem to be getting heat and it sounds different and blows harder. Is this bad for it or am I even looking at the right thing?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 27, 2011, 12:31 PM

Post #7 of 10 (1391 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

It sounds like the blend door actuator wasn't working and you just manually moved it to full heat position. That is not a problem until you need A/C and then it will have to be moved back the other way.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Chevra
User

Feb 27, 2011, 12:44 PM

Post #8 of 10 (1387 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

Ya that is what I figured. This is only my winter car so I think I should be good to go. I don't think I am going to get the A/C recharged either.


techforfree
User

Mar 8, 2011, 11:02 AM

Post #9 of 10 (1363 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

Im with these guys if both hoses are hot the problem is in the control system in the dash..craul under the dash and move the temp selector with one hand while looking under the dash to see what moves,pretty sure this year l had vacuum controls but a cable still controlled the temp.,if you don't see anything moving when you move the controls its likely your problem..might be the cable is unhooked or broken


Chevra
User

Mar 8, 2011, 11:07 AM

Post #10 of 10 (1358 views)
Re: 81 Grand Marquis No Heat Sign In

It was definately in the controls. Nothing seems to move down there when I am playing with the controls. But I got it zip tied one direction which is giving me heat now. The weird thing is that my engine doesnt seem to get very hot. I have the rad completely covered with cardboard so shouldnt the engine get pretty warm? The weather has been pretty cold here but it still seems to that it should be getting warmer then it is. Only one side of the rad gets warm, is this normal? I thought that maybe my rad was just all plugged up since the car sat for so long.






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