My brother in law has an el fairmont and it will only blow cold air. doesn't matter how warm car is or how hot you set the CC, it still only blows cold air. Anyone got an idea what the problem might be?

I have the same problem. You can to a diagnostic on the climate control module by turning the car to accessories mode, and holding 'mode' and 'off' at the same time until all the display lights come on (will show 88.8 degrees). It will then do a diagnostic and recalibration. When it is done, if there are no probs with the actual climate control bits it will turn off. If there is something wrong it will show up an 'E' with a number. The numbers all mean different things and i cant remember what, maybe someone else does.

If you get E2, it means there is a fault with the blend door or blend door motor, and i hate to say, but you have a good chance of being up for plenty of $$ (have heard anything up to $1,000) or alot of buggerising around as it requires the entire dash board out to fix.

That being said, i have heard of them miraculously beginning to work again, however as i said above, i have the same damn problem, and it hasn't come good, not to mention it may go west again. So seriously, cross you fingers and hope its not E2!

It is also possible that doing the diagnostic/reset will fix the problem all together.

BTW, this is just one possible problem, and the worst to get. There are many other simple things that others will be able to tell you about, but first step is to do the diagnostic and come back with the error code.

Check the heater tap is working and the vacuum hose is connected. First thing I would check anyway!!

+1...most simplest to check. If the heater tap is jammed closed, there will be no hot coolant going into the heater box to give you the heat you need. Heater tap is in the engine bay underneath the BBM and has a vacuum hose connected to it. Check that the vacuum hose hasn't come off and check if the tap actually opens and closes...you can do this by moving the actuating (I think that's the name for it) arm on the side of the tap. Should be fine if it moves back and forth.

Another thing could be that the heater core is blocked...if it is, then it is a dashboard out moment just like blend door motor.

heater tap

I came across this thread.....................I have pretty much the same problem.

Mine is an XH Ute, does not have climate control - just ordinary heater.

I thought it to was most likely the heater tap as well, so I changed it, plus I also slapped in a new thremostat and overflow filler bottle.

Before I swapped in a new heater tap I ran some water into the top heater pipe located on the manifold to see if the core was blocked - but water poured out fine through to the bottom heater hose - so the core doesn't appear to be blocked.

Am I right in assuming the hot water travels through the bottom hose where the heater tap is located, then the heater tap is opened via the vacum line (i.e. switch on the dash), travels through the heater core and back out into the engine bay into the manifold?

If that is the case, when I put my hand on the top hose, it was quite hot.

But...............still no hot air....................still blowing cold.

Anyone got any ideas about what could be the issue?

The default setting for the heater tap is open. So when no vaccum is applied, the thing opens. And obviously when vaccum is applied, it closes and you get cold.

So either there is vaccum being applied to the tap all the time, which doesn't sound like it is.

Or you might have the equivalent of a non climate E2 error... The blend door actuator may be broken and the door stuck closed.

Simple fix I bet ?

I had a bit of a look around behind the dash on the weekend............pulled the front facia off around the stereo and removed the glovebox. From memory the heater switch had a 3 pronged vacum switch and a mechanical lever attached to it.

That mechanical lever ran to a switch behind the glovebox, which appeared to move free and easily, but still felt as if it was connected to something.

Are you saying what that lever is connected to is busted?

How do I fix this issue?

Yeah, the heat control in the dash has a vacuum switch and a cable attached to it.

From memory the vacuum switch has a vacuum supply in, an out that goes to the heater tap and a vent. So when on heat, make sure the line to the heater tap has no vacuum. I think its a green line.

The cable runs to a boomerang shaped actuator behind the glovebox. The top of this actuator has a rod that connects to the actual door inside the heater box. So you'd have to make sure that top rod is connected to the door, and when you move it back and forth, you should hear/feel a thud as the door travel ends.

No thuds, door broken.

I will have a good look to see if I can feel/hear the thud.

What do I do if I can't though? We talking pulling out the dash, pulling out the heater box and replacing a flap?

That would be tedious.

Yep.. Its a heaterbox out job.

Although chances are you'd change the entire heater box, but thats upto you.

Tested the heater tap operation when a mate turned the dial from hot to cold, heater tap is working fine (it should it is brand new) but more importantly, the vacum lines are obiviously working as there was full articulation of the heater tap.

I popped off the glovebox, disconnected the cable and moved the lever backwards and forwards and could certainly hear a thud - something is opening and closing in the heater box for sure!

Whatever is causing the hot not to come out of the heater, it isn't that.

Anymore suggestions ?

you have no coolant,

No, thats not it !

Pretty sure it is the heater core - Pretty much tried everything, gotta get the dash out and have a look at what is going on.