NO HEATING

[Yorkshire4x4]

Hi fellow Land cruisers I need your help

I have just bought a Toyota Landcruiser Colorado D4D engine JDJ95 90 serries. I love these cars it has always been a great desire to drive one. At the time I was buying the car I forgot to check the heating when I got home i noticed the heaters both front and rear ones were blowing cold air. My local garage who serviced my car pressure washed the pipes that are connected to the heater matrix and as a result of that the front heaters came on for a couple of hours not piping hot then went back to cold. Has some one come across this before as I am coming to the end of my tether with this problem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please some one help me

1. I suspect there may be a blockage some where!
2. There was quiet a bit of rusty brown water coming out of the pipes and radiator when the garage pressure washed the pipes.
3. The mechanic said the thermo and the radiator were ok!!!

Thank You

 

[Crispin]

Could the valve, normally mounted against the firewall in the engine bay be stuck / blocked?



Can you move it by hand? Does one side of the pipe get warm and not the other?

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

Could the valve, normally mounted against the firewall in the engine bay be stuck / blocked?

View attachment 104866

Can you move it by hand? Does one side of the pipe get warm and not the other?

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

Hi Crispin thank you for your response when I turn the temp button on dash the valve will move so I assume the that's OK!

However it could be blocked!!
How would I be able unblock this?

And yes one pipe is warm and the other pipe is cold!! When I start pressing both pipes I get a very little heat for about 10mins!!

 

[Crispin]

And yes one pipe is warm and the other pipe is cold!

If the valve moves and the other pipe is not warm then it might suggest the valve is broken inside? The vain is not actually opening.

It's a simple check to take the pipes off and peer in. If you can see the vane can you force it open thereby turning the heat on.

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

Thanks again Crispin I will try checking the Valve! I just hope it's not the heater matrix! I also noticed allot of mud and rust when I flushed the coolant! Thank you very much I shall update when the post as soon as I receive this issue

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

Hi I removed the pipes connected to the valve and couldn't see inside it! I put a screwdriver through it to try open it up and took it for a drive the heaters came on for ten minutes then started blowing cold again! So I've decided to bite the bullet and take it to Toyota for them to check what's wrong with it

 

[Steve H]

Hi. Before you go to Toyota try taking off the pipes on both sides of the valve and join them together with a piece of copper pipe and clips. Take it for a drive and see if you get heat then. That way you can see if its just the valve working or not. If it is just get a new one and fit it yourself.

 

[clivehorridge]

All as above, but I'd also want to flush the system myself, both ways, several times if there was as much sludge in there as the OP suggests.

 

[Crispin]

What @Steve H said was going to be my next suggestion. If they worked for a while then it may well be that.

It's not unheard of for the matrix to get blocked but Clive's suggestion of flushing it both ways is sound too. I would do it in reverse first to try dislodge anything?
If the rear is not working then I would not think it's the matrix - either the feed is blocked of both matrices are blocked (again - both possible)

Not sure a pressure washer is good either? It has no "reach" so is pretty much useless beyond the first bend in the pipe. The heating system is pressurised by sits at around 4 - 30PSI. A cheap pressure washer from ScrewFix is 1600PSI If you get a good seal on the nozzle and a valve is shut somewhere or there is indeed a blockage you're going to see lots of popping connections...
I may be wrong on the PW use though...

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

Hi. Before you go to Toyota try taking off the pipes on both sides of the valve and join them together with a piece of copper pipe and clips. Take it for a drive and see if you get heat then. That way you can see if its just the valve working or not. If it is just get a new one and fit it yourself.

 

[clivehorridge]

I don't think a pressure washer is needed Cris, just a good flow, high volume of water. The heater matrices can be done separately from the main system, so if sludge is in there, it won't be sent into the engine rad again.

 

[BobMurphy]

Those valves are very simple - its just a plastic cylinder with a hole through it, if the hole lines-up with the pipes the water flows, if its turned 90 degrees its shut!

It sounds as though you have sediment in the system which will block the smaller passages in the heater matrix.
As suggested, a back-flush is a good starting point .

Bob.

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

Hi all thanks for your advise I put a pressure washer through it for a couple of mins and the water on the other end was clear!! the heaters give off little heat at the start of a journey and then after 10mins nowt!! Steeve can you clarify which pipes I join there
are 4 altogether two attached to the black box the matrix valve and two join on to a metal pipe!! I've only touched the two pipes on the right one long attached to the valve and the short one attached to the metal pipe

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

Hi just to add to the info I have provided the car does not over heat I've been driving it around! Could it be a thermo stuck in an open position!! I will try the copper pipe trick first if that doesn't tell me any thing then I will change a thermostat and get the system properly flushed! ' thanks for your help guys I will update when I resolve!!!!!!! If I can resolve it that is

 

[clivehorridge]

There used to be a product called radflush made by the same people selling radweld. I don't know its constituents but it used to dissolve hardened sludge quite well.

You add it to the coolent then drive it for a recommended period before flushing.

It might help.

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

Hi to all who responded to my post. You were all right as a mechanic has checked thermo and the matrix valve they were OK! Apparently there is a blockage in both matrix's as the front and the rear heaters are not working!! I've told the mechanic to flush from both ends and a back flush for at Least half hour! Hope this gets rid of the sediments!!!! The previous mechanic did a flush but obviously must av done it through the wrong pipes

 

[Yorkshire4x4]

I have had the heater Martix flushed and now heating has been restored! The mechanic wasn't sure which pipes were connected to the rear heaters so that's still blowing cold! I would like to thank this forum and all those who contributed with this post!! Thanks to you guys I've just saved hundreds of pounds

 

[clivehorridge]

Just the beginning mate, stay tuned, you may be able to assist some other poor unfortunate in difficulties, or just even join in on some of the banter, it's a great forum IMO.

 

[Sag]

I'm sure you can disconnect the rear heater pipes at the back of the engine bay and do it that way,just go steady as mine were rusted and split so had to replace in rubber piping.