Wont warm up even with new thermostat

[acat550]

Hey guys,
I have a 2001 Alero 2.4l and live in Saskatchewan where it gets cold, up to -40C in winter. My alero however doesnt like to warm up. Last winter I changed the thermo with a stock one, 180 deg. and still the same problem...the temp gauge barely gets past 1/4 and heat coming out of vents is a huge issue for defrosting! I put a carpet infront of the rad, but that still didnt completely solve it, yet helped somewhat.. Im in search of major help as I have no idea what else that could be causing this problem? My gf has 3.1L alero and hers warms up great, but dont no anyone with a 2.4. Would could possibly be the problem because its killing me with the lack of heat with the car not warming up. Ps-It dont even warm up regardless how long I drive it.
Thanks

[colonel6632]

hey man, my alero has the same problem, it can run for an hour outside and still not warm up. what i did last winter was cardboard in front of the rad. i also dont have my heat shield on my header, so that will probably help this winter.

but my first winter, going down the highway, it wouldn't even get to operating temperature. my thoughts is that it's a aluminum block, and it doesn't put out much heat with only 4cyl.

but i do have to say, this car will start no matter what temperature.

-50c with the windchill, alero turned over and started without being plugged in. ya. it wasn't happy, and i didn't have heat until i drove it.

note too, if i leave my car in a higher rpm, it warms up faster for city driving, dont go crazy, but instead of 5th gear in town, i'll cruise at 4th, or even 3rd.

[acat550]

Hmm, thats wierd bud. I thought it might be something else with the cooling system but if its doing it on yours then im not alone. How about putting a 195 degree thermo in the 2.4l? I would definitely try it however im not sure which 195 thermo i could put in there that would work because they make none for 2.4l, just the 180. Anyone else have this problem or tried the 195 thermo?

[colonel6632]

i didn't think changing the thermostat would help. i thought it stayed closed until the temperature reaches 180. so if the coolant isn't there it's not going to change much. i could be wrong on that though

look at the other thread i created, it's about a circulating block heater. help defrost the window in the mornings atleast

[acat550]

I here ya on that, but im not sure why it wont fu%%en heat lol. I dont plug my car in at all, like you said it starts whereever, when ever. Im in need of solutions to make it warmer!

[[ion] C2]

Correct, the factory thermostat is 180 already, which is just a little bit under the 1/2 mark. If it's not even getting there... your car is running cool even without any coolant circulating through the radiator, which is strange... lol

[colonel6632]

strange is true, but its exactly what happpens. i get luke warm air most of the time, and if it idles in front of my house (hoping to warm up the interior it doesn't really do the trick

[cherrington17]

Try living in an area conducive to human life.... -50C is...wrong. Thats an emergency condition, and the gov't should fly you somewhere warmer... like... 0C

:lol:

[Redog]

Wild chill does NOT effect a car. "Wild Chill" is the cooling effect on bare human skin.

Could this be a heater core issue?

[Alerojester]

that's what i was just thinking either heater core or a block in a line somewhere

[cherrington17]

Wild chill does NOT effect a car. "Wild Chill" is the cooling effect on bare human skin.

How do you figure? If there is no wind, the engine will stay as warm as the air around it, however, if the wind is constantly blowing cold air around it, the engine won't have that heat.

Yes, when its just sitting, off... it does nothing, but to think that moving air doesn't affect and engine is goofy.

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF5/529.html
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF7/795.html

Wind chill is the cooling affect of cold air on someone that is warmer than the air itself. If the air hitting the engine is cold enough, then yes, it is quite possible that the engine will never get warm enough to blow warm air. Considering -50C is -58F... thats pretty damn cold. Not to mention the car will be moving probably quicker than the wind blows, so the cooling affect is only increased.

[Redog]

How do you figure? If there is no wind, the engine will stay as warm as the air around it, however, if the wind is constantly blowing cold air around it, the engine won't have that heat.

Yes, when its just sitting, off... it does nothing, but to think that moving air doesn't affect and engine is goofy.


Yes you are correct that temp of the air and "Wild Chill" would affect a car, when it's moving. Thus the reason why a car can stay cool on a hot summer day with temps over 100 and the humdity at 100% and the A/C on full blast on the intersate while moving at 75 MPH

However if you re-read this thread and his problem, he's not saying too much abou the car warming up when he's driving it. So my statement about wild chill not affecting a car is correct. You're statement is correct as well, when the car is moving

[cherrington17]

i'm saying with the car just sitting... it still comes into effect, unless he has it in a garage or something.

if your parked outside and its idling, the wind is still going to rip heat away from the engine ungodly quick at those temperatures.

[robalero]

and -50C is very well reachable here in wonderful canada, I live in New Brunswick and if you live along the ocean you see it at least once or twice a season in the winter time

[scott192]

yea its like minus a billion in calgary right now lol 10 mins warming her up and i can still see my breath when i get in... and having 2 batts she starts like a dream in -25 so far who knows could have been colder i leave at 6am burrrr! i wish there wasnt 5 inchs of snow already!

[xXManwhoreXx]

I'm so glad I don't live in Canada hahaha

[AndyT3]

I'm so glad I don't live in Canada hahaha

Isn't that the truth!

[acat550]

Yes, Canada is cold haha. If i could give you guys some better descriptions, my heater doesnt work that bad, its hard to say because of my temp. gauge. I just put a carpet infront of the rad today and that solved some of my issue but its not that cold today however. You guys think there is a block in the coolant line? I would thing that would lead to overheating no? Im open for suggestions?

[colonel6632]

i put card board in my rad last winter, helped with the wind and while going on the highway, doesn't help sitting unless the rad is getting hit by the wind.

i assumed if there was something wrong with my coolant, my car would overheat or something during summer. but it never does. and the first winter, my motor was brand new with brand new coolant.

[Crash_Control]

Now I have to ask after you drive it and it gets as warm as it can are the rad hoses hot, warm, or cold.
If the hoses are cold them the thermostat is still closed and doing its job. If the hoses are warm or hot then the thermostat is opening to soon and yes this can happen with a new thermostat ( i had to go through 4 stats one time in my truck)

[colonel6632]

i'll check next time... but there is still a hole in my transmission... soo it's gonna be a while

[acat550]

I never really thougth of the idea of the t-stat being defective.....it could be you know, ill check that next time I drive it, but I dont think thats the problem, because when I changed my thermostat, it was the same situation as now. But like you said, hoes will tell the truth.

[robalero]

well lets make that 3 of us, if I leave my car on full tilt fans blowing and it on defrost my temp gauge does not move however it does it warm in the car after a bit

[acat550]

Hmm, well maybe its not just my alero like I intially thought...I feel more relaxed knowing im not the only one with this, however now we gotta figure out a solution to fix this problem....covered the rad. Any other solutions?

[[ion] C2]

Covering the radiator shouldn't help since before it gets to 180, the thermostat isn't even open, which means no coolant is flowing and being cooled through the radiator yet. Coolant is just recirculating around the heater core and back.

[widbyj]

If the thermostat is stuck 'open' the system will never warm up. Even though less common that being stuck closed it does happen... Try replacing the thermostat, it's fairly cheap, and try to get all air out of the system (I drive the passenger front up a ramp, the angle helps).

[jawa]

i had 2 defective thermostats, it sucks but it happnes.

[scott192]

put some insulation on the heater core lines i did that with some foil tape and i makes it warmer gotta love -35 wooooo

[zzyzzx]

I also suspect a stuck (or partially stuck) open thermostat. I've had both happen on my 1975 Chevrolet, but that was a long time ago. I haven't replaced a thremostat since around 1983 or thereabouts.

[robalero]

im going to be replacing my thermo and see what happens

[acat550]

Hmm, that is weird that a new thermostat would be stuck open.... It does act like the old one, but I dont know for sure if something was actually wrong with my old one. So you guys think I should replace it again?

[robalero]

take it out, clean it good and put it in a hot boiling water in a pan. if it opens then its good ( keep it in there when cold too ) and use a temp gun of some sort to see when the thermo opens

[acat550]

Well i dont think I have time to take out the thermostat this week, but I was searching around online, and the coolant temp sensor stands out at me! Another guy had the same problem with his Honda, cold operating temperature with a significant decrease in gas mileage, which I forgot to mention which happens to me in winter...and its not because of the gas its substantial loss in fuel economy. I know where the coolant temp sensor is but was wondering if I needed a special removal tool for it? And another thing I read in my Haynes manual is that you need to partially drain the coolant? is that true or could I just pop off the top hose and let the fluid in there drain and continue with the removal?
Thanks you guys for your input!
Adam

[[ion] C2]

If the coolant is actually cold, the ECT is not the problem... if the coolant gets warm, your heat blows warm, and the gauge reads cold, then the ECT is the problem.

The temperature sensor does just that: it reads the coolant temperature. It's not going to make it run any certain temperature, it just reads it.

[acat550]

I would anticipate that my coolant is warm, if not i think there would be a serious problem. I checked the rad hoses and the top one was warm so I bet its that ECT sensor....Any tips on removal??