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Re: '86 9000T Heating problem Posted by Ari [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: '86 9000T Heating problem, Dimitar, Thu, 6 Mar 2003 21:40:22 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Follow Rick's instructions to check the ACC (automatic climate control) and go from there-
Thermostat - no, you don't need to change the thermostat twice a year. There is the stock thermostat that opens at 89C, and a lower temperature thermostat that opens at 82C. Some folks (myself included) use an 82C thermostat because the car runs cooler in summer. I've not noticed any loss in heating with the 82 in winter, and it was -3F this morning. Yikes!
What did the temperature gauge do? If it was stuck on the bottom peg, or barely got up off the peg, you could have a thermostat that's stuck open, or some genius may have even just removed it. This will keep the engine from warming up - and you'll get NO heat.
However, if the temperature gauge did move up to about the 9 o'clock position, then you don't have a thermostat problem.
Of course, unless you know that the thermostat was replaced recently, you should plan on putting in a new thermostat when you flush the cooling system, which you should do soon, just as a preventative. Thermostats are moving parts, and they wear out after a couple/three years.
The heater core in the Saab always has coolant running through it - it's always hot when the engine is warm. There is a flap that mixes hot air from the heater core with cold outside air, and that flap is controlled by servos. The servo pulls/pushes a stiff wire attached to an arm on the flap to move it. It's not uncommon for the arm to break, and the flap won't move. The flap usually gets stuck in the cold position in winter, the hot position in summer.
If the ACC test rick recommended doesn't show a fault, open the hood and remove the horizontal plastic panel at the base of the windshield on the right (passenger side, US). In the center at the base of the windshield is the heater core/blower/mixing flap. The shaft of the flap comes out the side of that box on the right side. With the cover off, you should see a stiff piano wire going into the firewall, and attached to an arm on the shaft. That wire should move back and forth, moving the flap as you go from LO to HI temp.
If the arm has broken, which does happen, you can go to the dealer and get a 'heater flap arm repair kit' - last I checked, it was about $8. It's a splint that goes over the stub of the broken arm and give the wire a place to attach to.
If the arm is broken too close to the shaft, or there is another problem with the shaft, you'll need to replace the mixture flap. It's a cheap part that requires a whopping amount of labor. Let's hope that's not it.
Good luck!
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