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I have a 1996 (P) mark 4 Fiesta, 1.8 diesel which has done 50,000 miles (supposedly genuine?!) The blower and demister motor works in that it is blowing, but only cold air. Every now and then you get a blast of luke warm air but most of the time they are just cold. I have just renewed the anti-freeze and the coolant level is fine but it was doing this before I changed the coolant anyway. The engine temperature always runs somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 of the way up the guage so I am assuming this is OK. Does anyone have any ideas? I have got a Haynes manual if I need to change any parts - if so which ones and where do I get them from? Many thanks! Mark.
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mark
You could have a problem with the electric heater valve. Have a look at the engine's heater hoses as they reach the bulkhead and see if there's a black plastic cover over a twin-pipe valve.
If so; the valve can sometimes be unstuck, but a new one [around £50 from Ford] is often required.
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I had a similar problem on a 98 Zetec Fiesta and it was as Screwloose says the heater valve on the bulkhead.
Easy to remove and replace though and didn't involve draining the coolant as very little spillage.
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Thanks Screwloose and Snakey. After having driven the car for 20 mins I just checked the 2 hoses coming off the back of the heater valve and they were both hot (well very warm anyway). Does that mean the valve is working correctly? The heaters were blowing out warm air (but not very hot) on slow speed but if you turn them up to maximum speed they turn ice cold. I am worried I am going to have to start dismantling the dashboard to get to the heater controls. Could it still be the valve do you think? Thanks for your time. Mark.
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hello mate
this is an extremely common problem with these cars it can either be the switch in the car or the valve on the bulk head that the other guys mentioned i have had this problem loads of times and every time it has being the valve not the switch its that common that fords keep the valve in stock at a cost of about £50 but you can check by using a probe to see if the valve is getting a + feed from the switch when you turn the heataer to hot if it is then defo valve if not switch hope this helps andy
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Thanks Andy, I think I'll try a new valve as that would be the easier of the 2 things to try. This is the first time I've used this site and everyone seems really friendly and helpful, cheers mate. By the way, just rang local Ford dealer and the valve is only £27 + VAT! Bargain! Beware of some on ebay, they actually work out dearer than using a genuine new Ford part!
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Mark
In that case; welcome to the forum.
The valve has a by-pass tube, so even if faulty, it will still divert hot water back to the engine. [On Zetec-engined versions this a is vital feature.]
You can get one for only TWENTY-SEVEN POUNDS!!! I know a certain Ford Parts Manager that's going to have a VERY bad day tomorrow!!!
Most of the e-bay sourced parts; [sold on e-bay for more than the "genuine article"] that my customers have turned-up with have been unusable - poor quality or just outright counterfeit. Just where do they think Bosch manage to "lose" all those "genuine" air-mass meters? Fell off the back of their lorry? [Or part of the £mega-million counterfeit car-parts industry?
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Hi Screwloose
Thanks for the advice. It was Essex Ford Rayleigh branch that gave me that price if you want to quote me at all! Even when I went to tell the parts salesman which model Fiesta it was he said they were all the same and were £27 odd plus the VAT. I understand from various ebay sellers that this valve fits other Ford models as well, it seems as though it is a common fault on them. The guy at Fords said they always keep them in stock, at the moment they have around 40 there. I'll get a valve from them tomorrow and give it a go, I sincerely hope that's all it is, as I really don't fancy having to start stripping the dash down. Once again, many thanks for you help, and everyone's 'keen to help' friendly attitude on here too.
Mark
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Ford at Rayleigh are excellent-like a supermarket-most items on shelves for you to help yourself-pay on exit -partsman in one corner to assist or order less common parts-also good selection of secondhand parts and old stock.
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jc2,
I'm afraid not, well, not for the past four years or so.
You are quite correct in your description of the previous "Perrys" set-up but, when they became Essex Ford, it was all changed, I'm sorry to say.
Now you walk in and tell the chap on the counter what you want. He then walks out the back (what used to be the supermarket bit) and collects it from their stores.
The second hand and old stock parts are, also, long gone!
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Thanks Galaxy, I'm glad you said that, I thought I was going mad - I don't remember ever seeing 2nd hand car parts there (in fact I can't think of any main dealers that sell 2nd hand bits otherwise they'd never sell any new ones?)
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Since I moved I've not been down there;I now rely on Chelmsford Dovercourt who have got two of the most knowledgeable and helpful people on the counter I have ever come across in a dealer.
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Screwloose - just thought I'd let you know I just bought that valve from Essex Ford and it was £28 including the VAT! So even more of a bargain than I anticipated!! Just hope it cures the problem... Mark.
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Hi guys - just fitted the valve and the heating works fine now. Thanks everyone for your help. A 15 minute job and a £27 part so not bad. Cheers all.
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