heater not blowing hot air

hi everyone, i know this is an irrelevant question now but winter is coming up. my heater stopped blowing hot air-still blows air but i can't get hot air. Also-when i turn on initially for about 5 seconds it makes a funky noise and then doestn' make it again.

this is never really an issue as i usually only drive my car during the spring, fall and summer but i do want to repair. before i take in to dealership any thoughts? it is a 2002 V8

Check the coolant level - low coolant can have that effect . . . if not that you also might have a bad thermostat

If I were you those would be the first two things I'd check and in that order

coolants fine, i will replace the thermostat this weekend. any other thoughts? thanks

winter in Texas changes from hot to cold randomly. So i turned my AC on max one day and wondered why it was coming out hot. I had turned the thermostat all the way to hot.

Hmm, didn't know max AC could be hot. That's what i like to call wasting gas.

It is quite likely that the coolant lines in/out of your heater core have become clogged. These lines are of an unusually small diameter so you may need to have your heater core flushed to restore the function of your heater.

hey thanks, yes, i changed thermostat did nothing. i will take it in to the shop-any idea on costs?

ttt

Flushing the heater core is the first thing people usually do. A clogged core is common.

Yes, your heater core is clogged. There apparently isn't very good flow to the heater core so they clog easily. I've had to do this to mine twice now. The first owner of my car never changed the coolant and it was an icky brown color when I got it. Changed the coolant and the heater still didn't work. Took off the two hoses under the hood that go to the heater core and stuck a garden hose up to one of them and the nastiest brown water and chunks of snot looking funk came spewing out all over the ground, heater worked fine after that.

You may want to flush from one direction and then the other just to make sure to get all that funk out.

Edit: No need to take it into the shop, you should be able to do this yourself easily.

how?

Garden hose to the inlet side of the heater core. Two hoses coming out of the passenger side firewall. Put the hose on the inlet side and flush it. Easy job.