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Metro won't warm up, poor heat.; Bad MPG as well
Topic Started: Dec 3 2010, 12:19 AM (6,364 Views)
Bad Bent
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Facetious Educated Donkey

Some factors which will affect your winter FE are going to be...
Winter Blend Gasoline
Idling to Warm Up
Low Tire Pressure
Air Density
Friction from snow or snow tires/studs
Greater use of electronics
Frozen/cold bearings/grease and fluids (friction)
Frozen combustion chamber will reduce compression.

Maybe not to a large degree but it adds up.

If your idle is 2000 rpm and drops down to only 1100-1000 you may have a vacuum leak. You could find the idle adjust screw and adjust the base idle to see if it corrects the range. My '91 high idles at 1500 and the base is 850-900. Factory is 850 +/-50. Since the temperature is below freezing it is possible the vacuum hoses have cracked.or since metal contracts it could be a gasket leak. The first hose I would replace/check is the one for the MAP sensor.
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undgsx-R
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Self Certified Garage Mechanic

I did not get a chance to flush the coolant. I did block off the radiator, then drove home from work, 6 miles, barely got above the hash mark above the "c". This is with the fan off, rad blocked, no heat on. I am pretty sure that it should be close to operating temp.
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nerys
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Grr

what kind of temps? (ie air temps) if its 10-20' 6 miles home I could see the car never warming up. Going to murder your FE but then again with a commute that short won't matter much either. probable be healthy for the car to try and put a heater in it so its already warm (you might even be able to plug in at work)
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undgsx-R
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Self Certified Garage Mechanic

I have a block heater for I might have to get one of those heaters that plugs into the acc plug to warm up my car. I dont know the temp, but I think that it was around 10 today.
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zcrayfish
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undgsx-R
Dec 5 2010, 09:15 PM
I might have to get one of those heaters that plugs into the acc plug to warm up my car.
Those buggers don't put out much :-(
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MR Bill
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I used a small ceramic heater and set a time to turn it on 30 min before time to go to
work. Even at 10 the car would be warn inside and by time it started to cool off the engine
temp was up to par.
You need to flush the heater core and the radiator out , sounds like a circulation problem.

Bill
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nerys
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Grr

oh yes they do :-) my little 750watt heater warms up the whole car interior in 30 minutes and I mean WARM WARM :-) toasty warm.

it needs to be an ACTIVE heater (IE with a fan) not a passive heater (radiator radiant)

this is exactly what I use

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sunbeam-Compact-Personal-Heater/15126049

and its only $11 plus 15 cents per hour to run it.

as for warming up the engine. you need the 1000watt katz heater and it also need TIME (at least 1 hours 2 hours better more if its colder)
Edited by nerys, Dec 5 2010, 09:55 PM.
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nerys
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Grr

hey guys I am looking at one of these for super simple installation.

http://www.amazon.com/Kats-14400-Lower-Radiator-Heater/dp/B000I8TQ0O/ref=au_pf_ss_1?ie=UTF8&Model=Metro|469&n=15684181&s=automotive&Make=Geo|50&Year=1994|1994&carId=001

what size is our lower radiator hose? (I see 1 and 1/16th and 1 and 1/8" either way I guess I need the 1" heater? any chance I could make the 1 and 1/4" one fit? (its 600watts)

I am thinking install 2 of them. on mild days plug in one on cold days plug in both 400 or 800 watts of heating. what do you think?
Edited by nerys, Dec 5 2010, 10:08 PM.
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zcrayfish
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nerys
Dec 5 2010, 09:52 PM
oh yes they do :-) my little 750watt heater warms up the whole car interior in 30 minutes and I mean WARM WARM :-) toasty warm.
I thought the other poster was talking about a 12VDC one that plugs into the accessory/cigaret lighter plug?
I'm sure the little sunbeam you're using works great. :-p
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obaja
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Diesel Power

fantastic idea! will save years on that engines life
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nerys
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Grr

Oh yeah the 12v plug in ones don't do squat shnit. they are damned near worthless :-)

something like this MIGHT do something especially if its the case of the heats fine but not quite enough for the back seat passengers??

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PORTABLE-AUTO-CAR-HEATER-BACK-SEAT-HEATER-12V-300W-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2c52958cfeQQitemZ190364093694QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

or this

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Universal-Heated-Pad-Kit-Seat-Heater-Car-2-seat-Kit-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem51968a7d0dQQitemZ350418009357QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
Edited by nerys, Dec 5 2010, 10:12 PM.
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nerys
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Grr

Timed it this morning. I always stop at Wawa in the morning. its less than 2 miles. in under 1:30 the gauge had already risen from its detent and was touching the bottom marker. by the time I got to the light at wawa it was half way to normal operating temps.

within moments of leaving wawa I was at full operating temps. so I would estimate 4:00 to 4:30 or less to 100% full operating temps and available heat over less than 2 miles.

probably a little faster if I had just gone and not stopped at wawa.

the car was "ice cold" had not been started in over 1.5 days and it was around 20'-25' so mildy chilly

to showcase the difference this evening I will start the car and let it "idle" till warm and report the time. If I can stand to wait that long :-)

IE moral of the story. NEVER IDLE to warm up. it don't work. :-) these cars and most cars actually pump very little coolant (flow rate) when idling and generate low heat when idling.
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KY Metro
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What sort of route to the Wawa? hilly, flat, stoplights, etc?

I can't get fully warmed up before ten miles, country driving @ avg 30mph.
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nerys
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Grr

ahhh I don't think you fully comprehend when I say "around the corner" :-) let me show you

1.2 miles totally 100% flat

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=6992+headly+court+19057&daddr=Green+Ln&hl=en&geocode=FVpRZAId2hGK-ymvH4Oiz1HBiTGMxPaRJNwjnA%3BFXMoZAIdK_mJ-w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=15&sll=40.120365,-74.844615&sspn=0.022086,0.038238&ie=UTF8&ll=40.123339,-74.837494&spn=0.022085,0.038238&z=15

2 lights

half a mile after I leave wawa or so its fully warmed up.

OK tried to warm up the metro just idling. The gauge reached the bottom mark after 9 minutes I waited 20 minutes and gave up and came back inside. never got past 25% (ie little less than half way to "full op temp") after 20 minutes still no heat either. was not freezing but not warm either.

its just below freezing. so yeah you MUST drive it to heat it up.

when I leave tonight there will be no stopping so I will know exactly how long it takes to "warm up" driving it but the car might not be fully cooled down before I leave so it might be a tainted test.
Edited by nerys, Dec 6 2010, 08:24 PM.
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Barton
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put some CLR in the coolant and let the engine idle for about 10 to 15 min let it get good and warm then you need to flush, this should help clean things up real nice just can't leave it in there much longer.
Today my car didn't warm up until I was driving it for almost 5 miles thought something had got frozen but then the needle started moving. I live in MN and right now it's about 7 degrees here so I froze my but off all the way home.
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