1988 Dodge Dakota Heater Not Hot

Reader Question

I have a 1988 Dodge Dakota and I cannot get the heater to work. No hot air. The fan does work but seems to change speed when I slide the heat control lever from hot to cold. I have air flow when I switch to defrost/panel/floor, just no heat.

The air conditioner does not blow cold air all of a sudden either. I figured it needed to be recharged tho. The water lines are clear and I have checked all the connections. I have flushed the heater core. I removed the thermostat and checked that. The radiator is also new. I just had the transmission rebuilt and had some wiring concerns with that. I’m just throwing in things that I know have been completed. Can you suggest something I have overlooked?
Jimbo

Hey there Jimbo,

Have you felt the heater hoses under the hood going to the heater core? They both should be hot. If one is hot and the other is cold, you have a restriction in the heater core or the heater selector valve is bad. If neither hose is hot, you have a lack of coolant issue, thermostat problem or a lack of coolant circulation like from a bad water pump.

The a/c problem, does the compressor come on when you turn on the a/c? I would check the Freon levels and pressures, but you might have a control head issue that is affecting both the heater and the a/c?????

Have you read my article on heater cores?

Why is my heater not hot

Blessings,

Austin Davis