No Heat! This sucks!

[Crekuc]

What's up everyone? New S4 owner here. 2001 S4 blk/blk love the car hate freezing in the morning. I've flushed the cooling system, bleed it, checked the flaps and no heat. Coolant temp is 160 degrees on both the inlet and outlet side of the heater core. Seems like alot of others have had this problem going by all the posts here. I give up!!!!!! Gauge reads properly on the dash. Needle stays dead smack in the middle. What else could it be? Blows one burst of warm air when first turned on and then goes cold right away.


Thanks
Chris

[mrpeterparker]

weird... maybe heater core is bad? just speculating ... but i wouldn't doubt it to be a bad t-stat... just relaying bad info

[Crekuc]

I thought about that too. It seems that it's fixed a lot of problems by people just replacing the t-stat. I'm gonna try to flush just the core on Monday and see if it does anything. If not I think I'm gonna just do the T-stat. I got the car out of Florida so who knows what they did down there. They never need heat.

[mrpeterparker]

i went through two t-stats.. ( three including the original ) before my t-stat problem went away....

[Crekuc]

Is the stat a pain in the ass to change? Is there any links that guide you through it? I know its on the passenger side behind the belt cover, but I'm used to domestic cars. I opened the hood on this and S#%t my pants when I saw how crammed everything was.

[mrpeterparker]

AHAHAHAHHAHA oh damn ... you're in for a rude awakening on this one. yeah, it's pretty much behind the engine.. if the timing belt/tensioners and water pump haven't been done yet.. might as well do that too while you're at it

welcome to the love hate relationship

[Caddy7]

So you guys think it can be the t-stat even if the two hoses going in/out of the core is hot???

I think it must be some sensor telling the control unit that it is already warm in the car or a sensor telling the control that the air blowing into the car is hot when it is not.

[mrpeterparker]

just speculating... the sensor for in cabin temp.. can be overridden.. which i'm sure he tried.. by simply cranking the interior temp to HI and fans to HI ...

the other sensor.. you speak of.. i'm not even sure exists.. from my personal experience ( which is limited ) ...

[Brilliant]

VAG-COM is your friend. check for faults in address 08.

[Crekuc]

Man you guys are quick with replies. A friend of mine has a VAG-COM and I did scan it. Absolutely no codes come up. It reads the temp control and says everything is working fine. Also showed coolant temp was 92 C. Thats equivalent to about 170 F. So I would assume that coolant flow is fine. Hell I don't know what to do. Anyone want a S4? LOL

[Matt Danger]

If the needle is pegged in the middle and your temp readings at the hose are correct then the t-stat is probably fine. Does the heater's blower fan work and blow cold air? What happens if you mess with the controls as parker suggested?

[mrpeterparker]

Man you guys are quick with replies. A friend of mine has a VAG-COM and I did scan it. Absolutely no codes come up. It reads the temp control and says everything is working fine. Also showed coolant temp was 92 C. Thats equivalent to about 170 F. So I would assume that coolant flow is fine. Hell I don't know what to do. Anyone want a S4? LOL

i'll give you $5 =)

[GetAwayFromMe]

If both of the heater hoses are hot than you are getting heat and it's an in dash electric problem. I would check the heather mode door or your heather control unit.

[s42k5b]

What's up everyone? New S4 owner here. 2001 S4 blk/blk love the car hate freezing in the morning. I've flushed the cooling system, bleed it, checked the flaps and no heat. Coolant temp is 160 degrees on both the inlet and outlet side of the heater core. Seems like alot of others have had this problem going by all the posts here. I give up!!!!!! Gauge reads properly on the dash. Needle stays dead smack in the middle. What else could it be? Blows one burst of warm air when first turned on and then goes cold right away.


Thanks
Chris

had the same problem your t stat is stuck in the open position. Does your water temp gauge drop down tot he colder side when you are driving on the highway?>

[GetAwayFromMe]

had the same problem your t stat is stuck in the open position. Does your water temp gauge drop down tot he colder side when you are driving on the highway?>

He stated above that both of heather hoses are hot= T-stat is fine.

[Unispeed]

had the same problem your t stat is stuck in the open position. Does your water temp gauge drop down tot he colder side when you are driving on the highway?>

mine does.. at idle it the temp needle goes to the center, but on the highway ti drops down to about 25%....but then when I stop and let it idle it goes back up to the center....hmmm

[s42k5b]

yep had the same exact problem

[mrpeterparker]

mine does.. at idle it the temp needle goes to the center, but on the highway ti drops down to about 25%....but then when I stop and let it idle it goes back up to the center....hmmm

lol that's not normal bud =)

shout out to the local MN s4 though =P

[s42k5b]

my bad must have over read that

[mrpeterparker]

no .. that wasn't OP .. that was unispeed... OP states his is stuck dead center

[Caddy7]

THAT sounds more like a termostat, in fully open position...

If it is stuck closed you over-heat, if it is stuck open you over-cool. A working t-stat controls the temp and keep it in the center.

[Unispeed]

So you think its a bad thermostat?

lol that's not normal bud =)

shout out to the local MN s4 though =P

[Caddy7]

So you think its a bad thermostat?

Yes when you are at highway speed your radiator + air will cool the engine more and the t-stat closes to keep the right temp in the engine.

[Unispeed]

Will it damage anything if I leave it like this for a while? IDK, I hate the idea of having to tear into it right now.

Yes when you are at highway speed your radiator + air will cool the engine more and the t-stat closes to keep the right temp in the engine.

[JDM EJ1 95]

Will it damage anything if I leave it like this for a while? IDK, I hate the idea of having to tear into it right now.

its not exactly good to drive it under operation temperatures.. and itll only get worse once it gets colder out.. have fun trying to keep your heater blowing hot.. esp in MN

[Crekuc]

Sorry guys my son had surgery this morning and I've been at the hospital. Anyways, Yeah the controls seem to be working. When you first turn the heat on you get one good blast of warm (not hot) air. Then within seconds it turns cool. I tried to override it turning it all the way up but it never gets warm. It goes really cold like it's supposed to when you drop the temp in the car. Outside gauge is reading 40 degrees and that's what it is here today, so that seems to be ok. About driving on the eway, it stays dead smack in the middle. Also it can idle for a 1/2 hour and never climbs above the middle of the gauge.

[Brilliant]

Sorry guys my son had surgery this morning and I've been at the hospital. Anyways, Yeah the controls seem to be working. When you first turn the heat on you get one good blast of warm (not hot) air. Then within seconds it turns cool. I tried to override it turning it all the way up but it never gets warm. It goes really cold like it's supposed to when you drop the temp in the car. Outside gauge is reading 40 degrees and that's what it is here today, so that seems to be ok. About driving on the eway, it stays dead smack in the middle. Also it can idle for a 1/2 hour and never climbs above the middle of the gauge.

how's your condition of coolant? open expansion tank cap and look in there. if it looks like someone poop in there, chances are your heater core is clogged.

[kohl44]

dude just flush out your heater core. I'm sure that's the issue. If you're t-stay was stuck open, you would still get heat. It would just take a little longer to heat up. So don't go in the t-star direction. That isn't you problem. Heater cores on these cars clog all the time. Flush it numerous times with some high pressure water and air.

[Crekuc]

I'm gonna start with a flush on the heater core this week. I'll let you guys know how it turns out. Coolant condition is good. It's red G12 and looks clean.

[Caddy7]

Hey, did you ever get heat in your car? What was the problem??