Does your car have air conditioning or just a heater? Makes a difference in the approach, but you need to check that your heater valve is working, and if your car has air conditioning that the airmix shutter inside the heater box is working properly.
Assuming the car has A/C, the airmix shutter is easier to check than the water valve, so you might want to check it first. With the motor off, move the temperature lever rapidly full left and right. You should hear a distinctive swish-thunk noise inside the heater assembly. If you do (and you most likely will) the shutter is working so it pretty much comes down to the valve.
The heater valve in cars with A/C is controlled by vacuum, and is visible in front of the firewall where the heater hoses enter the cabin. Moving the temperature control anywhere above full cold should cause the valve to open- you'll see a little arm on the valve change position, binary fashion. You can also check for operation by putting your finger on the hose on both sides of the valve, both sides should be hot when the engine is hot and the valve is open, which means your airmix shutter is not working (unlikely). If the valve is not opening, and assuming you have control of the remainder of the climate functions such as defrost vs. floor heat selection, check the vacuum hose connections to the valve. If vacuum connections are correct, check that the vacuum is being controlled properly at the lever on the dash. If everything else is ok, presumably the diaphragm in the vacuum motor for the valve is defective or the valve is somehow stuck, and so the valve assembly will need to be replaced.
Unfortunately I've never had occasion to tinker with the heater-only model of the car, but I know the valve on that one appears to be cable actuated, so you'll want to locate the valve and verify that it is opening.
When are you folks going to hurry up and devolve fully? Do you think in time to avoid marching on Baghdad?
|