2002 Dodge Ram 1500 heater problems

[tiggerbear40]

Hello DReilly . Have you made any head way with your problem since I have the same one. My dash is crack and I basically tore it up getting it out when I took the dash out. My blender doors were broke but I have also found out that the pc board in the control panel is bad . The reason why the knob on the blender doors is broke is because the signal from the control board tells the act. motor to keep turning to much which breaks the doors. You know what is a joke is that dodge makes these pieces on our vehicles to brake and they design it to be a pain in the butt to fix it our selves. If you have any more information on your fix please let me know . Thanks

[DReilly]

Tigger.. what I've done is this. due to me just getting little warmth and that my heater core is not cracked.. I went ahead and did a thermostat change. (thinking that it could have been slightly staying in the open position) there has been a slight difference. meaning that on the lowest setting I'm getting more warmth than before. (basically my truck is now in the uppper 40's instead of the 30's) So I'm now convinced that it is definitely something behind the CP. Also - when I changed the thermo - my coolant was absoluely perfect - clean as can be. So that also steers me away from flushing the core. It's got to be that vacuum tube behind the CP. BTW.. what's a pc board...

[DReilly]

Gentlemen, it seems that our friend "domhollw" has has some success with his heater issues. gone ahead and did a core flush. Dom.... Help... prior to you doing the flush.. what were your symtoms. Did you have = temps in the lines going in and out? I have = temps, but could it still be slightly clogged? Anyone ever mention the 1/8" vacuum tube possibly being cracked?

[ckennedy79]

I do have the issue of having heat on the pas side of the truck but cold air on the driver side. more air flow on the driver side though.... defrost puts out luke warm air and i just replaced the thermostat. any advice ??

[Speedwrench]

first check the heater hoses to make sure your core is not plugged, also make sure it is topped off with coolant, then if you still have heat problems you are stuck with a blend door not operating properly, that will usually require dissasembly of the dash to correct.

murphy was an optimist

[momeeof2]

Lucky me. I have been having the same problem since last year but thought it was a few other things. Replaced radiator cap and checked antifreeze levels. hubby was a mechanic so at least he can fix it. Had a little heat on the passenger side but now none. I am gonna do a power flush and fill and see if that fixes the issues. Might check the hose temps going to the heater core first though.

[ATXDodge]

Hello everyone, this is the first time I got into this site, so far I have not tried to fix the problem on.. yup you know it 2002 Dodge 1500. Okay I have the same problem with the heater. It does not blow heat only cold and a/c works great. I was told it was the A/C control.. relay maybe.. and is like 12.00 but then I read all these threads and I am thinking it could be something else. I will try flushing out everything and see how that turns out. Let me know which step to take first. Oh thought I would throw this in too.. I have a cracked dash lol. That is the least of my worries with this cold ass weather I wish my heater was working. I forgot to mention also when I am breaking or slowing down at any speed, the truck starts shaking really bad. the breaks look fine though, I was wondering the rotors have a bit of grooves like the previous owner drove the truck with bad breaks can someone tell me what it could be?

[supadave23]

interesting, glad i found this place. just got my 02 quad cab my dream truck a week ago and was experiencing some heating issues. thinking mine cold be the doors when i turn off the ac/heat i can still feel air coming into the truck. when im on the highway the heat is nice and hot and blows good. but when im say driving from my house to the store i can feel heat when im driving but when im at a red light it gets cold.


also it seems that the blower is really loud when on high, heat or ac

[dkunk]

ATXDodge, your brake problems most certainly sounds like a warped rear rotor(s). Make sure you replace them in pairs.

As for heater issues, I had similar problems to many on here. With setting on hot, I had hot air through passenger vents and cold air through drivers vents. I replaced the radiator cap and no dice. Did the gentle back and forth flushing of the core and it worked like a charm. Much nicer than pulling the dash/replacing the core. Thanks Maniac!

[justmyluck]

I have about the same problem but with a twist, If I rev up to about 3500 rpm I get pretty good heat but anything under that it blows cold as can be. I see most of these posts are pretty old and I did not see where anyone came back saying they fixed the problem. Did anyone have any luck getting heat ? Oh ya dash craked all to hell

[Dodgerammer03]

Ok, here is whats going on. I have a 03 Dodge ram 1500 single cab 4.7L, I am only getting heat out of the right side of the vents, the drivers side is luke warm again. I had this problem last winter so this summer I yanked the dashed out and found that the recirculation door was busted and noticed the heater core had sighns of a small leak so I replaced both. Checked all the actuators and doors, then put it back together. I turned the heat on and it was blasting with hot air all the way around so I was stoked it was fixed...



Well, today is the first cooler morning ( 47 degrees ) and I turned the heat on expecting that all was good still, NOPE!! Same thng again!! I get great heat on the passengers side and luke warm air on the drivers side again!! To be honest, now I am very angry with this. To the point it has ruined my day!! I spent three solid days doing all the work I did!



I dont know why this is going on! While on the road this morning and realized that it was screwing up again, I watched the thermostat gauge closely and it seemed like it had a hard time getting up to normal running temp. It finally got there for a bit but even after a 20 minute drive, when I pulled in the drive way, the temp went down half way between Cold and normal. It usually stays at the normal running temp... now it is acting all screwy with cooler weather...



I just dont understand why the temp was acting funny and still this doesnt explain why I am only getting heat out of the right side only.



Lemme note to everyone, the enitire cooling and heating system has been replaced... Radiator, water pump, thermostat, fan clutch, heater core, hoses...

[Dodgerammer03]

Just my luck ~~~ I would guess that being how u get heat at a high idle means creating more pressure on the system... put a new radiator cap and thermostat on... Im gonna try that on mine soon, after all thats all I have left to replace anyways....

I like the screen name, thats exactley how I feel haha

[paul91ai]

i have a different problem with my dodge. the heater doesnt blow at all. i tryed replacing climate controls, but it didnt work.
please help me
thanks

[Rockguy88]

Paul, you should start your own thread. Anyway, if your blower motor doesn't blow at all, the first thing you want to do is check to see if there is voltage going to it. It's under the glove box. Unplug the connector going to it and use a multimeter to check for voltage. If you don't have one, here is a cheap one that will work fine.
Digital Multimeter - Save on this 7 Function Digital Multimeter

You could use a test light too. You could check all your fuses first. If you have voltage to the motor and it doesn't work then, you just replace it. About $90 at autozone

[dickeymoore]

ok my heater works but only blows out on the floorboard no matter what setting it's on. There was a knocking sound when it started that has mostly quit now. Any ideas?

[equinox]

It sounds like it is blend mix door related. Could be a defective actuator motor, (very common with Dodge pickups) or worse, the actuator push rod has broken the plastic door. Getting at these if this is the issue is difficult and time consuming in most cases as you may need to disasemble half the dash in the process. Any warranty left?

[Rockguy88]

ok my heater works but only blows out on the floorboard no matter what setting it's on. There was a knocking sound when it started that has mostly quit now. Any ideas?

Looking at this site, it indicates the mode door. These videos are for 02-08. I don't know if the 09 is the same or not. Good videos nonetheless. Check em out.
Heater Treater: Dodge Ram ’02-’08

[s53morris]

I had drivers side cold, and passenger side warm. Then my radiator tank cracked on the freeway and the water blew over the windshield.

I took it in to the dealership and they changed the radiator and I told them I had a heater problem, they looked at it and said it was the heater door broken. They wanted 1500.00 to take off the dash and change the diverter door. The price was too high so I came online and looked and found this thread.
Got a heater schematic and I took the cowling off the front of the dash and checked all the diverters and actuators. ALL were OK.
I then decided to try flushing the heater core as someone said on here, and IT WORKED. See below how I did it
I took the two hoses off the heater core at the firewall and back flushed it several times until a large clump of gel came out. Then I flushed it the opposite way and back to back flushing until it turned clear. NOW, my heater is super hot, IT WORKS GREAT.

Tony

[alexisgomez]

Heaters only blowing cold?? It blows out on both sides but just cold air

[Rockguy88]

Heaters only blowing cold?? It blows out on both sides but just cold air

If it's cold on both sides what does your temp gauge show after the engine is good and warm? If it shows cold, you could have a thermostat stuck open. You could have a bad pressure cap. You could be low on coolant. If the gauge shows about halfway between C and H after the truck has been running for awhile, then you could have a completely plugged heater core. Feel the heater hoses and make sure they are about the same temp as the truck warms up. This is a good place to start your troubleshooting. Make sure the coolant level is full. Get the engine good and warm and check the gauge. Post your findings back here.

[bigdaddyII]

I have everything out of the truck to change the heater core. If I had any better sense I would have gone ahead and got the stuff to do the blend doors as well. They arent broken but look in bad shape and I know that in a year or less I will be back in here fixing that. Maybe when I order a new dash to replace the one that fell apart during this job I can go ahead and fix them then. The thing about a job like this is that you get to know your truck wayyyyyyy better then you ever wanted to, should be easier next time though.

[Rockguy88]

Nice pic big daddy. Hope you didn't tear up your hands too badly taking the bolts out. How long did all of that take? Did you have a helper? You might want to look into these metal doors for a permanent door solution.

Heater Treater: Dodge Ram ’02-’08

[bigdaddyII]

I am planning on going the heater treater route. I will be looking at junkyards and whatnot for a complete dash as its easier to just pull it out and reinstall then try to get the dash pads themselves out, when I find one I will order the stuff from heater treater to fix the blend doors, hopefully I will be able to get to this before they break.

I still have a little skin on my hands and none on my knuckles, but cant complain for the $200 it cost me versus having someone else do it ($106 for the core, $35 for antifreeze, $60 for stuff to recharge A/C system). Its all back together now and aside from my duct taped piece of dash on the passenger side all is well. It took all day yesterday and the better part of today, I did have my 5 year old handing me tools and stuff yesterday until her attention span ran out and the Disney channel looked better lol, my wife handed tools and kept me company today. To do it again would take less then a days worth of sunlight.

[gary k]

I had the some problem with my 2000 ram 2500 the dash cracked and the blend door bushing call dodge customer care at 1877 656 4311 and ask for thier help or fax a request for help in paying for the repairs to 248 512 9080. I did and the people were very helpfull. good luck

[cbrzrule]

It's another +1 on heater core. This is the totally illogical fix. 2003 Dodge Ram with 4.7, no heat on drivers side for anything setting but defrost. I disconnected the hoses into the engine block and put the garden hose up to the lines to flush the heater core in both directions. And low and behold, I have heat on drivers side again! I put a coolant flush in the system to flush it better, and then I will refill with proper coolant and distilled water mixture in the morning. Don't pull that dash apart until you have spent 10 minutes trying this fix first!!!!!!

[ramheatfixed]

so if you have heat on the passenger side and not on the driver side take a garden hose and clean out ur heater core works everytime if air blows out of the vent it is not a bleed door

[manogolf]

Yep a 2002 Ram 1500 QC with no heat.

I read this thread a couple of years ago when my PU stopped blowing heat. No dual zone problem (doesn't have that option) no top bottom differences, just no heat...at all.

As suggested I flushed core even though there was no temp difference across hoses. Additionally I've replaced the radiator, rad cap, rad overflow tank, temperature control valve (thermostat), water pump, rad hoses.

Today I removed lower dash and viewed fully functional panel doors and actuators, all four seem to be working fine. I was certain it was the blend door but after warming to operating temp I held in upper and lower position and checked actuator for forward and reverse movement. To my disappointment all seems well.

I would rather not park the truck again this winter. Any ideas?

[hdc-Innisfil]

Puzzelled me. Read many threads. No dual heat controls. Flushing heater core didn't make any sense since there was heat on the passengers side. HOWEVER.. I did flush it anyway. AND...IT WORKED. No broken doors to replace. Now we're cookin'. This heater core must be suseptable to blockage on the side with the drivers air flow. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but THANKS TO YOUR THREAD, I am drivin' warm again! And with NO CHARGE / no big bills!

[goosehntr]

Ok, a little different I think then some posts here. On mine, it will start up and temp gause is working fine, heat will blow warm in all areas then just turn cold, will stay cold for a while then back to warm then cold. No ryme or reason, just goes from cold to hot to cold. Any ideas?

[equinox]

Is the temp guage staying constant? Coolant level where it needs to be? When was the last time the coolant was replaced? Any possibility of air in the system from a recent flush and fill? It sounds at least to me that you either have a coolant flow problem from air, or a low coolant level, or if the overall engine temp is variable perhaps a failing themostat.

[jsimertz87]

Hi, my name is Jake. I've gone though pretty much all the posts and most seem to be just a little different then mine. I've got a 2002 Dodge ram 1500 4.7 4x4 manual. My Heater controls now only work on High Fan, Full Temp and Defrost/floor. My A/C Button does not turn on, and neither does my heated mirrors. I just replaced my thermostat, but that should not affact my fan not turning on unless its on high. Does anyone have any ideas? My thought was that maybe the circuit board may have gone bad. Any other ideas??

[jktune]

this chart might help members HEATER PERFORMANCE
Before performing the following tests, refer to Group 7 - Cooling for the procedures to check the engine coolant level and flow, engine coolant reserve/recovery system operation, accessory drive belt condition and tension, radiator air flow and the fan drive operation. Check for any DTCs in the A/C-heater control or the powertrain control module (PCM). If any diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) are found, repair as necessary.

MAXIMUM HEATER OUTPUT: TEST AND ACTION
Engine coolant is provided to the heater system through two heater hoses. With the engine idling at normal operating temperature, set the temperature control to maximum heat position, the mode control to the floor position, and the blower motor control to the highest speed position. Using a test thermometer, check the temperature of the air being discharged from the floor outlets. Compare the test thermometer reading to the Heater Temperature Reference chart.

HEATER TEMPERATURE REFERENCE Ambient Air Temperature 15.5° C

(60° F)
21.1° C

(70° F)
26.6° C

(80° F)
32.2° C

(90° F)

Minimum Air Temperature at Floor Outlet 62.2° C

(144° F)
63.8° C

(147° F)
65.5° C

(150° F)
67.2° C

(153° F)



If the heater outlet air temperature is below the minimum specification, refer to Group 7 - Cooling. Both of the heater hoses should be hot to the touch. The coolant return heater hose should be slightly cooler than the coolant supply heater hose. If the return hose is much cooler than the supply hose, locate and repair the engine coolant flow obstruction in the cooling system. Refer to Group 7 - Cooling for more information.

OBSTRUCTED COOLANT FLOW
Possible locations or causes of obstructed coolant flow are as follows:

Faulty water pump.
Faulty thermostat.
Pinched or kinked heater hoses.
Improper heater hose routing.
Plugged heater hoses or supply and return ports at the cooling system connections.
Plugged heater core.
If proper coolant flow through the cooling system is verified, and heater outlet air temperature is low, a mechanical problem may exist.

MECHANICAL PROBLEMS
Possible locations or causes of insufficient heat due to mechanical problems are as follows:

Obstructed cowl air intake.
Obstructed heater system outlets.
Blend-air door(s) or actuator(s) not functioning properly.
Faulty blower motor system
Faulty A/C-heater control
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
If the heater outlet air temperature cannot be adjusted with the temperature control on the A/C-heater control, the following could require service:

Faulty A/C-heater control.
Faulty blend door actuator(s).
Faulty, obstructed or improperly installed blend-air door.
Faulty related wiring harness or connectors.
Improper engine coolant temperature.
most of the time clogged cooltant system,as far as dash cracking call dodge customer service and ask for assistance on repair of dash they may help you