Hello,
The heater in my '01 Stratus started acting weird recently, and I'm
clueless about cars so I'm hoping for some advice. It's generally
fine, but lately it's been suddenly spitting out non-heated air when I
stop at red lights or slow down in heavy traffic. Once I get going
again, the heat returns. The engine temperature always remains
constant, though.
Is there anything I can try to resolve it other than taking it to a
shop somewhere?
Thanks,
James
maxpower - 16 Dec 2004 22:20 GMT
The first thing you need to do is make sure the coolant level is filled, if
it is low, it will cause this.
> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Thanks,
> James
Mike Behnke - 16 Dec 2004 22:42 GMT
As can a air bubble in the system from under-fill on coolant.
> The first thing you need to do is make sure the coolant level is filled, if
> it is low, it will cause this.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>>Thanks,
>>James
kilton9@yahoo.com - 16 Dec 2004 23:30 GMT
> The first thing you need to do is make sure the coolant level is filled, if
> it is low, it will cause this.
The coolant looks to be about 4/5 full. Any other potential causes
that are easy to check for?
> > Hello,
> >
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> > Thanks,
> > James
maxpower - 16 Dec 2004 23:36 GMT
???..Fill the system all the way up and make sure the overflow bottle is at
the proper level before you check for anything else!!!
> > The first thing you need to do is make sure the coolant level is
> filled, if
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> > > Thanks,
> > > James
maxpower - 17 Dec 2004 00:14 GMT
THIS BULLETIN SUPERSEDES TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 07-02-00, DATED
June 16, 2000, WHICH SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM YOUR FILES AND NOTED IN THE
2000 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN MANUAL (PUBLICATION NO. 81-170-00001).
ALL REVISIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED WITH **ASTERISKS** AND INCLUDE
ADDITIONAL MODELS, ADDITIONAL SYMPTOM AND REVISED PART NUMBER.
SUBJECT:
**Low Or No Cabin Heat,** Engine Cooling System Fill Procedure
OVERVIEW:
This bulletin provides **clarification of** the engine cooling system fill
procedure.
MODELS:
**2001 - 2002 (JR) Sebring Sedan/Sebring Convertible/Stratus Sedan**
1993 - **2002** (LH) Concorde/LHS/New Yorker/300M/Vision/Intrepid
NOTE: THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A V6 ENGINE.
SYMPTOM/CONDITION:
A vehicle may exhibit **low or no cabin heat,** engine overheating and/or
coolant bottle
damage after service has been performed on the engine cooling system. This
may be
caused by lack of complete **filling or** refilling of the system with
coolant/antifreeze.
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE MINIMUM FLOOR OUTLET
TEMPERATURE
Celsius Fahrenheit Celsius Fahrenheit
15.5 60 62.2 144
21.1 70 63.8 147
26.6 80 65.5 150
32.2 90 67.2 153
DIAGNOSIS:
When refilling the engine cooling system after any service operation which
required a complete or partial draining of the engine coolant, the following
Repair Procedure must be used to ensure a complete fill of the engine
cooling
system. This is a Repair Procedure clarification.
07-002-02 -2-
NOTE: **THIS BULLETIN ALSO APPLIES WHEN THE COOLANT LEVEL
APPEARS TO BE CORRECT BUT THE CABIN HEAT IS LOW AND/OR WHEN
ADDING COOLANT BECAUSE THE COOLANT LEVEL IS VISIBLE BUT
BELOW THE COLD FILL LINE (1993-1997 MODEL YEARS) OR BELOW THE
MINIMUM LINE (1998 AND LATER MODEL YEARS).**
PARTS REQUIRED:
Qty. Part No. Description
AR **05066386AA** Antifreeze/Coolant
EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:
Miller Special Tool 8195 Cooling System Filling Aid
REPAIR PROCEDURE:
CAUTION: MAKE SURE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM IS COOL BEFORE REMOVING
PRESSURE CAP OR ANY HOSE! SEVERE PERSONAL INJURY MAY RESULT FROM
ESCAPING HOT COOLANT. THE COOLING SYSTEM IS PRESSURIZED WHEN HOT.
1. Obtain Cooling System filling aid (Special Tool 8195). The device looks
like a funnel which attaches onto the filler neck (just as a regular
pressure
cap does) along with an attached hose clip.
2. Attach filling aid to cooling system filler neck. Use the clip to pinch
off the overflow
hose attached to the fill neck. Attach a 1 1/2 to 2 meter (four to six foot)
long 6.35
mm (1/4 inch) ID clear hose to the bleed valve. Put the end of the hose into
a clean
container. This is to prevent coolant from spilling onto the accessory drive
belts.
NOTE: IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE COOLING SYSTEM AIR BLEED
VALVE BE OPENED BEFORE ANY COOLANT IS ADDED TO THE COOLING
SYSTEM. FAILURE TO OPEN THE BLEED VALVE FIRST WILL RESULT
IN AN INCOMPLETE FILL OF THE SYSTEM.
3. Open the cooling system bleed valve:
1998 Model Years and Later
. 2.7 Liter Engines: Located on the water outlet connector at the front of
the engine.
. 3.2/3.5 Liter engines: Located on the lower intake manifold, left of
center under the upper intake manifold.
1993-1997 Model Years
. 3.5 Liter engine: Located on the thermostat housing.
. 3.3 Liter engine: Located on the thermostat housing.
4. Pour a 50/50 mixture of coolant and water into the large side of the
filling aid/funnel. Mix
the coolant concentrate with distilled, deionized, or reverse-osmosis
purified water.
5. Slowly fill the cooling system through the large side of the filling aid.
Watch the hose
connected to the bleed valve! When a steady stream of coolant comes out of
the
hose, close the bleed valve and continue filling to the top of the filling
aid.
6. 1993-1997 model years: Put a small, clean reservoir (approximately 16
ounce
or 1/2 liter capacity) below the end of the overflow hose.
-3- 07-002-02
7. Remove the clip from the overflow hose. Any excess coolant in the filling
aid will now
drain into the overflow section of the coolant bottle or into the small
reservoir.
8. 1993-1997 model years: Remove the reservoir and recycle the excess
coolant.
9. Remove the filling aid from the fill neck. Ensure that the bottom seal of
the cap and the
fill neck are free of debris and replace the pressure cap on the coolant
bottle.
IMPORTANT: The 1998 and later model year coolant bottle has two chambers.
Coolant
will normally only be in the inboard (smaller) of the two. The outboard
chamber is
only to recover coolant in the event of an overheat and should normally be
empty
(except for the coolant drained from the filling aid. This coolant will be
drawn back
into the pressurized side of the cooling system over time).
NOTE: COOLING SYSTEM FILL PROCEDURES ARE CRITICAL TO OVERALL
COOLING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.
POLICY:
Information Only
> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Thanks,
> James