My 91 Accord LX isn't heataing up the cabin. I was told it may be the heater core, and was also told that if I change the t-stat that might help with the heat too. I was thinking of changing it, but the T-stat shouldn't have anything to do with the heat not blowing hot.

So my question...Could it very well be the heater core and how do I change it out? Any other suggestions would be good to come up with a conclusion to this failure.

Oh yeah, don't worryI'm not driving it right now. My new DD is a very warm Subaru...

Thanks for all the help!

 

if no air flow from the vents most likely you got a bad blower motor if it blows cold,, t-stat could be stuck open,, heater valve could be a culprit as well ,,

 

I just noticed you posted this twice *L*, desert's advice is excellent.... I would also suggest checking your coolant level.... does the car heat up to normal operating temp?

 

From what you say, I assume that the blower is operating normally.

Do you have the slider-type temperature control? (Check thephoto of onein link below.)

If so, is it working properly? Make sure it is by looking under the hood near the firewall on the passenger-ish side of the car. Very close to where those hoses penetrate the firewall, find the twosmallercoolant hoses and the valve onone of themthatisoperated by the cable from the temperature-control slider. With the car not running, have someone inside the car operate the temperatureslider, and see ifit fullyopens and closes that valve. If it doesn't, read all ofthe following linkfor a ratherunpleasantwake-up call.
https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/Cau...m_45686/tm.htm

 

Well, it does blow, but it blows cold air. I think it might be the stuck gasket, cause I have to manually move the cable by the firewall. When I move the cable by the firewall it doesn't move the slider inside the cabin...I'm taking that this means it is broken.

I'll give all recommendations a shot and get back....meanwhile keep suggestions coming. Thanks to all again.

 

if thats the case then all you should have to do is fix the cabl;e that moves the flap back and forth from in front of the heater core and you should be good to go.

 

The slider cable actually connects to a small "network" of rods, linkages,and levers underneath the heater-core housing. The cable-end is a metal ring that slips over a small metal rod that points downward in that area. This rod marks the beginning of that network.

The network contols the operation of the two hiddenflappers that direct the air flow from blower either into, or around, the heater core, and it also controls what I think is another much-shorter, but completely separate, cable that operates the valve which controls the flow of coolant into the heater core.

So the slider cable is not the cable that you see connected to the coolant valve, but it is the thing that is supposed to indirectly operate it.

As I said, the slider cable operates two flappers and the coolant valve,but it is the sticking front flapper gasket that canget so badly stuck that the cable's plastic housingbreaks freewhen you put too much pressure on the slider.

The slider cablehas a central rod-like core - a single large "strand", if you will - that is big enough in diameter to be very strong, but small enough to be able to go around a gentle curve.It slides back and forth inside atypical wire-wound "channel". The unfortunate thing is thatthis channelis covered withan outer, plastic casing -another weak linkof the design, IMO.

Each end of the central movingstrand has a metal ring that slips over a corresponding metal rod. Of course the wire-channel must somehow be held stationary at both of its ends, so that the inner strand can do work.(ie. the strand moves, but the wire-channel does not.) This is done at each endby a metal "tongue" that presses down on the plastic housing, and the channel inside it. The tongue "levers down" against the cable asa screw is tightened.(Similar to the way a throttle cable is held in position near thecarburetoron a lawn mower.)

When that flapper gets stuck, the amount of pressure that one exerts on theslider-controlexceeds the strengthof the bond between the plastic casing and the metal channel inside it. The length of plastic casing that sits directly under the tongue separates from the channel and actually tears free from the rest of the plastic casing.After that happens, thechannel and thestrand inside it are free to move easily back and forth as the slider is moved, but they now just "flop in the breeze", not controlling anything.

The cable is $10, but the amount of time to remove the single-piece plastic trim around the heater controls, radio,dash instrumnets, and then remove the shifter-****, the console, etc. etc., is considerable. It isNOT an intuitive job to replace that cable, and you really doneed a manual to do the job without breaking lots and lotsof expensive plastic Hondathings.

My wife and I paid over $400 for the jobback in the early 90's, and the cable broke again about a year down the road. (Needless to say, we were not very happy.) Of course, the sticking gasket that I mentioned in the other thread has to be "fixed", so even more work than simply replacing the cablehas to be done to get access to that gasket and permanently"fix" the problem.

I leave it up to the expereincedtechnicians on this forumto give an estimate of the presentcost of the job.

Don't lose hope, though, because you can indeedcontrolthe temperatureof the air coming intothe car without replacing the cable.

Remove the plastic vent cover near the floor on the left side of the passenger foot well, just forward of the console. It is held in position by a single plastic "nail" that will pryout fairly easily. (Save the nail and cover for the future.)

If you thenlook carefully, you can see where the end of the temperatureslider cable attaches toa small metal rod that points straight down.

Note the direction that the cable is SUPPOSED to move that vertical rod to which it is attached.

Remove the cable end from the rod. and letthe cabledangle there until you decide to spend some money to replace it.

Now you can grab the vertical rod with your fingers and move it to control cabin temperature. It's best to let the car get up to operating temperature before doing that. That way, the rod will move more easily.

I got good enough at doing it so that I could reach down there andadjusttemperaturewhile I wasdriving. (If you think operating acell phone puts you at risk while driving, you ain't seen nothin yet.)