Hi fellas,

Just bought another Magna wagon yesterday (2000 model TH 3.5).
I noticed on the drive home last night that the temp gauge rises about two bars above half way every now and then.
This morning I pulled out the entire radiator, flushed it, installed a new radiator cap then changed the thermostat to a brand new one.
The problem still persists and i still don't have any heat coming from the heater.

I'm unsure what else might be causing this.

Can anybody help?

no heat may be due to somebody bypassing a leaky heater core, should check that.

or, there may be a blockage in the heater core, that restricts flow to the motor, also stopping it from heating air.

does the car heat up while stopped, or while cruising or accelerating?

Thanks for the reply mate.
It heats up when i'm at idle for longer than usual.

hmmm, if you hadnt changed the thermostat, thats what i would have said, but since you have, i would make sure your fans are cutting in at the right time.

check this by turning the A/c off, let it idle so it gets to above average temp. while it is still at higher temp, turn the A/C on (making the fans cut in), and see if it drops the temp. this will let you see if your cooling fans are cutting in at the correct temperature. although this doesn't fix the no hot air issue, that may be cause by a broken cable in the ac selector unit itself, does the hot/cold nob have resistance when you twist it, or is it really lose and easier than normal?

and also, is there regular temp air coming from the heater (flowing but not heated), or no air flow what so ever?

Check your heater hoses to see if both are nice and hot when running, also as I said on the PM, check your engine running temp, actual real coolant temp, not just off the guage.

Thanks guys.

Now that you've mentioned it, i've never heard or seen the second fan (on the passenger side of the radiator) ever turn on. I've never heard it "click" and turn on during idle what so ever.
But could this be related to having no heater too? Or totally separate?

Like Madmagna said Dimi, check to see if there is water going onto your heater first. Two 1inch or so thick hoses off the back of the engine into the firewall. If they are both there put the heater on heat inside the car and check then if both hoses are warm when engine is at normal running temp (while car is running). That will give you a good idea of what is going on or what isn't going on.:-)

Thanks Jase.
The fans are not coming on so that's been sorted out. They're now wired up to come on when the ignition is on.
The heater has been bypassed. So i'm looking at getting it sorted out at the mechanics now.
Got quoted around $600 because they're going to have to pull the dash out etc. etc.

Thanks for your help, guys.

Thanks Jase.
The fans are not coming on so that's been sorted out. They're now wired up to come on when the ignition is on.
The heater has been bypassed. So i'm looking at getting it sorted out at the mechanics now.
Got quoted around $600 because they're going to have to pull the dash out etc. etc.

Thanks for your help, guys.

Pull the dash out.? Take heater is leaking inside the car.? Wow that suxs.

Should pop down here mate, I do them for $350 lol

Did you find the reason for the temp climbing so fast as a cold engine will not come up to temp in 20 seconds, especially when it is cold regardless if the fans are working or not

Should pop down here mate, I do them for $350 lol

Did you find the reason for the temp climbing so fast as a cold engine will not come up to temp in 20 seconds, especially when it is cold regardless if the fans are working or not

I have noticed my verada reaches temp really quick (within a few minutes) and it seems to use coolant... I only drive 15 mins each way to and from work so the car never sees high rpm or high speeds... any ideas?

Holy thread dig batman.

The car should warm up reasonably quick and its better if it does since you are only driving a short distance.

Using coolant, have you checked for leaks? Also whats your temp gauge look like does it go above halfway?

Holy thread dig batman.

The car should warm up reasonably quick and its better if it does since you are only driving a short distance.

Using coolant, have you checked for leaks? Also whats your temp gauge look like does it go above halfway?

Was just doing a search for what be the cause of my issue.

I cant see any obvious leaks, as for the temp gauge it appears fine goes to around halfway and stays there but i guess im not that trusting of a temp gauge/car that's done 322k kays and is 17 years old... :S

Could it be possible a previous owner has removed the thermostat?

if your using coolant, and you cant see any on the ground, have a feel on top of your ecu, its a box looking thing in the centre of the car near the firewall, also check to see if the corners of your passengers carpet is wet (check up near the firewall)

Could it be possible a previous owner has removed the thermostat?

Take the thermostat housing off and check...

In my experience no thermostat will make the engine take longer to get up to temp.

if your using coolant, and you cant see any on the ground, have a feel on top of your ecu, its a box looking thing in the centre of the car near the firewall, also check to see if the corners of your passengers carpet is wet (check up near the firewall)

So if i find coolant or dampness in either of these areas it means there is a leak in what component?

In my experience no thermostat will make the engine take longer to get up to temp.

Ahh righto cheers!

So if i find coolant or dampness in either of these areas it means there is a leak in what component?

Means theres a leak at your heater core area. Could be the hose or core leaking.

On Magna heater cores, the seals where the plastic elbows meet the heater core is what starts leaking.

Alot of places want around $1800 roughly to remove the dash and replace the heater core, annoying thing is the seals are only a couple of dollars each. When I did mine it took only a couple hours to get the dash out, the heater core takes about 30 minutes to fix itself, and then all the time to put everything back together. So while I had mine out I replaced the heater core and the plastic elbows aswell for piece of mind especially the elbows as they get very brittle with age.