2004 Chrysler Sebring sedan heater issue

mbreedlove

Noticed my windows would not defrost last week, and then when I got into the car the air was blowing cold. However, as I drove down the street the air warmed up and worked fine. Same problem continues. We thought it might be a problem with the thermostat being stuck open. Went ahead and replaced it, but that was not the issue. The thermostat when removed was fine. Any ideas?

PF_Flyer

mbreedlove said:

Noticed my windows would not defrost last week, and then when I got into the car the air was blowing cold. However, as I drove down the street the air warmed up and worked fine. Same problem continues. We thought it might be a problem with the thermostat being stuck open. Went ahead and replaced it, but that was not the issue. The thermostat when removed was fine. Any ideas?

How much time was involved in "drove down the street and warmed up"? Are you talking about right after starting up in the morning?

mbreedlove

Our driveway is about 1/3 of a mile long. By the time I get to the end of the drive and turn onto the main street of our subdivision, the heat is already blowing warm and then hot after a couple of minutes.

PF_Flyer

OK, so it sounds like we're talking about the time it takes a car to start blowing warmer air from a cold start. It doesn't really sound like you're seeing anything unusual.

It was below freezing this morning at my house, and the inside of the windows on my hatchback were actually frozen over because we had picked up a Christmas tree in the rain on Saturday and the inside of the car was still really humid. It took roughly the time it would have taken to drive a half mile or so before the defroster air was warm enough to start clearing the windows. Perfectly normal.

mbreedlove

Perhaps I did not explain correctly in the first post. No matter how long the car runs while parked, the heat does not work-that is why the windows would not defrost the one morning when it was iced over. The heat only works while the car is in motion. I am in SC, and while it was a little chilly here this morning, it is no where below freezing-pretty mild weather here so far this year. So far only one morning when I needed to defrost my window-the car ran in park for 15 minutes that morning while I got ready for work.

ray80

mbreedlove said:

No matter how long the car runs while parked, the heat does not work-

With the new info I would be wondering if coolant level is correct, air bled out of system if needed on this vehicle.

PF_Flyer

ray80 said:

mbreedlove said:

No matter how long the car runs while parked, the heat does not work-

With the new info I would be wondering if coolant level is correct, air bled out of system if needed on this vehicle.

Ah yes, different question entirely. Start with the simplest solution. Check that coolant level and that there's no air lock in the system.

Points for ray80!!

mbreedlove

The coolant level was checked and topped off after we replaced the thermostat.
How do we check to see if there is an air lock in the system?

PF_Flyer

Gotta love the internet! Here's a pretty good video on bleeding/burping the coolant system

04sebring24

I have an 04 sebring 2.4 liter. When my car did this around 105,000 miles it turned out to be my water pump.