99 Tracker Heater Questions

[Ziggyz]

So I have a 99 Tracker.
the heater is either putting out full heat or full cold vent.
it does not have air conditioning just the heater.
I have traced the temp cable down to the the Damper box and it moves the arm and is properly adjusted to give full range. the control to recirculate to open air works fine I hear it thump.
so It seems that it varies per starting cycle. So if it's working on full heat and I turn off the engine then it most likely will not be on again when I start again. I sometimes hear a thump just as I turn on the system and that usually tells me there is a change it will either change from full hot to full cold.
I have the full shop manuals for this Tracker but there just isn't enough information on what is going on inside that damper box. I don't think it has the electric motors and it's all run by cables but i'm not sure. I think the heater core is good and the thermostat is ok . it's just there is no mixing of the air with the movement of the temp slider. Im getting good flow of hot water through the core as far as I can tell.
any help would be great!!!

[fixkick]

if the engine is at 180f, , then the engines thermostat is ok.
if the 2 hoses , both run near there, (there is no water valve on any track/kick) then the water if flowing and the core is hot. i use and IR thermal gun to do that but machanics, just fingers.
if those 2 are true, then for sure the dampers are failing.
it is that simple, (sure an fan blows)
the dampers do 2 things.
1: the hot cold blocks the hot water core. none- some then all.
2: the other damper mixings is outside air(for better or worse) so it too can fail.

one ther cause, is the core if blocked up, packed up in crap inside, blocking say 75% of the water flow.
ever back flush it? check that it does flow, good.
but with partial block there would be some hot are on low fan speed. on full speed, and clogged water, the exit water tube will get cold, so... back do square one on water.

some 99s had damper motors, and some are cables
the cables sheaths must be clamped down or the internal cable fails.

http://www.fixkick.com/AirCond/heater.html

most fsm books do not teach car repair.
only cover, what is unique on your car,


my page hase information in any FSM , factory service manual, even has core pull slide show, from nice guy contrib.

[Ziggyz]

When working its really hot.
how can i tell if it has a motor?
The temperature slide control moves the white arm on the damper box.
the cables are clamped and work.

What do you mean by hot cold blocks the hot water ..
how is this controlled?

I understand . the manuals don't teach car repair. but at the least it should show a parts breakdown of the damper box.

Thanks for your help

[Ziggyz]

http://mikrokopter.us/mikrokopter.us/images/mov1.mp4


short video

http://www.mikrokopter.us/mikrokopter.us...image1.jpg

Some images

http://www.mikrokopter.us/mikrokopter.us...image2.jpg

for now it seems stuck on hot all the time.

looking at the hoses going to the heater block I do not see any valve it looks like they just go to two differnt places on the engine block one near the firewall and one up towards the front i cant quite see..

http://www.mikrokopter.us/mikrokopter.us...image3.jpg

ive checked all the fuses and the fan runs fine..

just wondering if i need to tear into the dash and take out the damper box. if you look at the video the ams seem to move fine and diconecting the cable and moving by hand makes no difference.

ive looked at those pages many many times and just not seeing my particular situation.

thanks for any help...

[fixkick]

1999 is big change year, phase in,..
yours is all cable drive, if you look at the back side its has 3 cables.
hot cold
mode
and fresh, recirc.
all 3 must work right not just 1.
fore sure we do tests, that link i shows on my last post shows the 2 days work to remove a core... DONT, do the tests first SAVE A WEEKEND please.


but are the 2 hoses 180f hot. you get engine hot, and it must get fully hot.,
here is what I do.
get it hot., 20miles say.
see gage show fully hot.
then open hood,
hand grabs top rad hose , its too hot go hold for more than 3 seconds, had flies off, ouch, bingo not, if not FAIL.
end story, thermostat is NO GOOD, did you know they can be
good, bad, slow, and intermittant or stuck low? life span is 7 years (par) says president of STANT on the netflix movie , of there USA factory.
tells why too... in details
step 2 !
now using the same trick about put hands on the 2 hot hoses going into the fire wall.
they must be HOT, both, or the core IS PACKED IN CRAP ,as most are not coolant serviced every 3 years.

first is the thermostat it must be good, or there will never be consistant heat ever.

then CABLES. (end to end cycled, and eye balling it end to end, for FULL STROKE.

next is what, core flush.

last core out. always last. and max pain

GEo didnt use the motor , i think, my 04 had cables too, but VItara actuals did. oldly... but looking on both box sides in 5min, no motor yes motor.

http://www.fixkick.com/Cooling-engine/he...index.html


the fsm book here coveres this. 1996 is close.
1A15, 9J, 6B, 8C ,& 1B all chapters cover this. here. 1a18 is core page. (air bags are on above page)

http://www.acksfaq.com/HTML/trackerfsm.htm

[Ziggyz]

so I was able to take the duct off to the right of the damper box near the blower. From there i could feel the damper that would close off the heater core. The bottom of the flapper is hanging in the wind and the door swings back and forth. I can feel something move on the bottom when I move the levers but its not moving the flapper. It has had this problem since I have owned it. My first clue was the slider would not move clear to the left. My guess is someone forced it further than they should and broke the flapper on the bottom. I cant really see how it goes together , i even tried with a camera, but I can feel some jagged parts and they move when i move the levers. Now trying to decide how to get the unit out. It doesnt look easy even with the dash taken apart.. I will look into disabling the air bags before i get to much further. it was pretty clean in there.
its a pretty clean rig all in all.

thanks
Ziggy

[fixkick]

so I was able to take the duct off to the right of the damper box near the blower. From there i could feel the damper that would close off the heater core. The bottom of the flapper is hanging in the wind and the door swings back and forth. I can feel something move on the bottom when I move the levers but its not moving the flapper. It has had this problem since I have owned it. My first clue was the slider would not move clear to the left. My guess is someone forced it further than they should and broke the flapper on the bottom. I cant really see how it goes together , i even tried with a camera, but I can feel some jagged parts and they move when i move the levers. Now trying to decide how to get the unit out. It doesnt look easy even with the dash taken apart.. I will look into disabling the air bags before i get to much further. it was pretty clean in there.
its a pretty clean rig all in all.

thanks
Ziggy

well the parts inside are not sold.
only the box. sad how it got broke, very rare, never heard this ever...on any forum.
dash off.
i see only one short cut here,, in step 1 frame 1... keeping steering wheel in place trick.

http://www.fixkick.com/Cooling-engine/he...index.html

[Ziggyz]

I plotted the coarse through the manuals. its going to be big job. before I start Im going to go in with a scope and see if there is someway to preform a micro surgery and see if there is a way to epoxy it or something before i tear it all apart. Any help on where to get a new box?
Thanks for you help..

[fixkick]

I plotted the coarse through the manuals. its going to be big job. before I start Im going to go in with a scope and see if there is someway to preform a micro surgery and see if there is a way to epoxy it or something before i tear it all apart. Any help on where to get a new box?
Thanks for you help..

id do same then look at what is actually borken inside ,see if there an easy cure.

check this out.
put in 99 geo, + heater

http://www.car-part.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi