
Improper heater hose routing.
Plugged heater hoses or supply and return ports at the cooling system connections.
Plugged heater core.
If proper coolant flow through the cooling system is verified, and heater outlet air temperature is low, a mechanical
problem may exist.
MECHANICAL PROBLEMS
Possible locations or causes of insufficient heat due to mechanical problems are as follows:
Obstructed cowl air intake.
Obstructed heater system outlets.
Blend-air door(s) or actuator(s) not functioning properly.
Faulty blower motor system
Faulty A/C-heater control
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
If the heater outlet air temperature cannot be adjusted with the temperature control on the A/C-heater control, the
following could require service:
Faulty A/C-heater control.
Faulty blend door actuator(s).
Faulty, obstructed or improperly installed blend-air door.
Faulty related wiring harness or connectors.
Improper engine coolant temperature.
SPECIFICATIONS
A/C SYSTEM
Item Description Notes
A/C Compressor Denso 10S17 (3.7L/4.7L/5.7L/8.3L
engines)ND-8 PAG oil
Visteon HS-18 (5.9L engine) VC-46 PAG oil
Freeze–up Control Evaporator Temperature Sensor A/C evaporator mounted
High psi Control A/C pressure transducer A/C discharge line mounted
Refrigerant Charge Capacity Refer to the A/C Underhood
Specification Label located in the
engine compartment.R134a refrigerant
A/C Clutch Field Coil Draw 3.2 - 3.3 amps @ 12V ± 0.5V @
21° C (70° F)3.7L/4.7L/5.7L/8.3L engines
3.1 - 4 amps @ 12V ± 0.5V @ 21°
C(70°F)5.9L engine
A/C Clutch Air Gap 0.35 - 0.60 mm (0.014 - 0.024 in.) 3.7L/4.7L/5.7L/8.3L engines
0.35 - 0.75 mm (0.014 - 0.030 in.) 5.9L engine
TORQUE

WARNING: The engine cooling system is designed to develop internal pressures up to 145 kilopascals (21
pounds per square inch). Do not remove or loosen the coolant pressure cap, cylinder block drain plugs,
radiator drain, radiator hoses, heater hoses, or hose clamps while the engine cooling system is hot and
under pressure. Allow the vehicle to cool for a minimum of 15 minutes beforeopening the cooling system
for service. Failure to observe this warning can result in serious burns from the heated engine coolant.
CAUTION
CAUTION: Never add R-12 to a refrigerant system designed to use R-134a. Do not use R-12 equipment or
parts on an R-134a A/C system. These refrigerants are not compatible and damage to the A/C system will
result.
CAUTION: Never use R-12 refrigerant oil in a A/C system designed to use R-134a refrigerant oil. These
refrigerant oils are not compatible and damage to the A/C system will result.
CAUTION: The use of A/C system sealers may result in damage to A/C refrigerant recovery/evacuation/re-
charging equipment and/or A/C system. Many federal, state/provincial and local regulations prohibit the
recharge of A/C systems with known leaks. DaimlerChrysler recommends thedetection of A/C system leaks
through the use of approved leak detectors and fluorescent leak detectiondyes. Vehicles found with A/C
system sealers should be treated as contaminated and replacement of the entire A/C refrigerant system is
recommended. A/C systems found to be contaminated with A/C system sealers, A/C stop-leak products or
seal conditioners voids the warranty for the A/C system.
CAUTION: Recover the refrigerant before opening any fitting or connection. Open the fittings with caution,
even after the system has been discharged. Never open or loosen a connection before recovering the refrig-
erant.
CAUTION: If equipped, do not remove the secondary retention clip from any spring-lock coupler connection
while the refrigerant system is under pressure. Recover the refrigerant before removing the secondary
retention clip. Open the fittings with caution, even after the system has been discharged. Never open or
loosen a connection before recovering the refrigerant.
CAUTION: The internal parts of the A/C system will remain stable as long as moisture-free refrigerant and
refrigerant oil is used. Abnormal amounts of dirt, moisture or air can upset the chemical stability. This may
cause operational troubles or even serious damage if present in more than very small quantities. Before
disconnecting a component, clean the outside of the fittings thoroughly to prevent contamination from
entering the refrigerant system. Keep service tools and the work area clean. Do not open the refrigerant
system or uncap a replacement component until you are ready to service the system. Immediately after
disconnecting a component from the refrigerant system, seal the open fittings with a cap or plug. This will
prevent contamination from entering the A/C system.
CAUTION: Refrigerant oil will absorb moisture from the atmosphere if leftuncapped. Do not open a con-
tainer of refrigerant oil until you are ready to use it. Replace the cap on the oil container immediately after
using. Store refrigerant oil only in a clean, airtight, and moisture-freecontainer.
CAUTION: Do not overcharge the refrigerant system. Overcharging will cause excessive compressor head
pressure and can cause compressor noise and A/C system failure.

CORE-HEATER
DESCRIPTION
The heater core (1) is a heat exchanger made of rows
of tubes and fins. The heater core is positioned within
the HVAC housing through the panel (2) located at the
front of the HVAC housing. The heater core tubes (3)
are attached to the front of the heater core and are
secured to the HVAC housing by a bracket.
The heater core can be serviced by removing the
HVAC housing assembly from the vehicle.
OPERATION
Engine coolant is circulated through the heater hoses to the heater core atall times. As the coolant flows through
the heater core, heat is removed from the engine and is transferred to the heater core tubes and fins. Air directed
through the heater core picks up the heat from the heater core fins. The blend-air door(s) allows control of the
heater output air temperature by regulating the amount of air flowing through the heater core. The blower motor
speed controls the volume of air flowing through the HVAC housing.
The heater core cannot be repaired and, if faulty or damaged, it must be replaced.
REMOVAL
WARNING: On vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the airbag system before attempting any steering
wheel, steering column, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the
negative battery (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the airbag system capacitor to discharge before
performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the airbag system. Failure to
take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deploymentand possible personal injury or
death.
NOTE: Disassembly of the HVAC housing is not required to remove heater core.

CATALYST MONITOR
To comply with clean air regulations, vehicles are equipped with catalytic converters. These converters reduce the
emission of hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide.
Normal vehicle miles or engine misfire can cause a catalyst to decay. This can increase vehicle emissions and
deteriorate engine performance, driveability and fuel economy.
The catalyst monitor uses dual oxygen sensors (O2S’s) to monitor the efficiency of the converter. The dual O2S’s
sensor strategy is based on the fact that as a catalyst deteriorates, its oxygen storage capacity and its efficiency are
both reduced. By monitoring the oxygen storage capacity of a catalyst, itsefficiency can be indirectly calculated. The
upstream O2S is used to detect the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gas beforethe gas enters the catalytic con-
verter. The PCM calculates the A/F mixture from the output of the O2S. A low voltage indicates high oxygen content
(lean mixture). A high voltage indicates a low content of oxygen (rich mixture).
When the upstream O2S detects a lean condition, there is an abundance of oxygen in the exhaust gas. A function-
ing converter would store this oxygen so it can use it for the oxidation of HCand CO. As the converter absorbs the
oxygen, there will be a lack of oxygen downstream of the converter. The output of the downstream O2S will indicate
limited activity in this condition.
As the converter loses the ability to store oxygen, the condition can be detected from the behavior of the down-
stream O2S. When the efficiency drops, no chemical reaction takes place. This means the concentration of oxygen
will be the same downstream as upstream. The output voltage of the downstream O2S copies the voltage of the
upstream sensor. The only difference is a time lag (seen by the PCM) betweenthe switching of the O2S’s.
To monitor the system, the number of lean-to-rich switches of upstream anddownstream O2S’s is counted. The
ratio of downstream switches to upstream switches is used to determine whether the catalyst is operating properly.
An effective catalyst will have fewer downstream switches than it has upstream switches i.e., a ratio closer to zero.
For a totally ineffective catalyst, this ratio will be one-to-one, indicating that no oxidation occurs in the device.
The system must be monitored so that when catalyst efficiency deteriorates and exhaust emissions increase to over
the legal limit, the MIL will be illuminated.
TRIP DEFINITION
The term “Trip” has different meanings depending on what the circumstances are. If the MIL (Malfunction Indicator
Lamp) is OFF, a Trip is defined as when the Oxygen Sensor Monitor and the Catalyst Monitor have been completed
in the same drive cycle.
When any Emission DTC is set, the MIL on the dash is turned ON. When the MIL is ON, it takes 3 good trips to turn
the MIL OFF. In this case, it depends on what type of DTC is set to know what a “Trip” is.
For the Fuel Monitor or Mis-Fire Monitor (continuous monitor), the vehicle must be operated in the “Similar Condition
Window” for a specified amount of time to be considered a Good Trip.
If a Non-Continuous OBDII Monitor fails twice in a row and turns ON the MIL, re-running that monitor which previ-
ously failed, on the next start-up and passing the monitor, is considered tobeaGoodTrip.Thesewillincludethe
following:
Oxygen Sensor
Catalyst Monitor
Purge Flow Monitor
Leak Detection Pump Monitor (if equipped)
EGR Monitor (if equipped)
Oxygen Sensor Heater Monitor
If any other Emission DTC is set (not an OBDII Monitor), a Good Trip is considered to be when the Oxygen Sensor
Monitor and Catalyst Monitor have been completed; or 2 Minutes of engine run time if the Oxygen Sensor Monitor
or Catalyst Monitor have been stopped from running.
It can take up to 2 Failures in a row to turn on the MIL. After the MIL is ON, it takes3GoodTripstoturntheMIL
OFF. After the MIL is OFF, the PCM will self-erase the DTC after 40 Warm-up cycles. A Warm-up cycle is counted
when the ECT (Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor) has crossed 160°F (71.1C) and has risen by at least 40°F
(4.4°C) since the engine has been started.

If the MIL is ON and a DTC was set by the Fuel Monitor or Misfire Monitor (both continuous monitors), the
vehicle must be operated in the Similar Condition Window for a specified amount of time.
If the MIL is ON and a DTC was set by a Task Manager commanded once-per-trip monitor (such as the Oxy-
gen Sensor Monitor, Catalyst Monitor, Purge Flow Monitor, Leak DetectionPump Monitor, EGR Monitor or
Oxygen Sensor Heater Monitor), a good trip is when the monitor is passed on the next start-up.
If the MIL is ON and any other emissions DTC was set (not an OBD II monitor), a good trip occurs when the
Oxygen Sensor Monitor and Catalyst Monitor have been completed, or two minutes of engine run time if the
Oxygen Sensor Monitor and Catalyst Monitor have been stopped from running.
Fuel System Good Trip
To count a good trip (three required) and turn off the MIL, the following conditions must occur:
Engine in closed loop
Operating in Similar Conditions Window
Short Term multiplied by Long Term less than threshold
Less than threshold for a predetermined time
If all of the previous criteria are met, the PCM will count a good trip (threerequired) and turn off the MIL.
Misfire Good Trip
If the following conditions are met the PCM will count one good trip (three required) in order to turn off the MIL:
Operating in Similar Condition Window
1000 engine revolutions with no misfire
Warm-Up Cycles
Once the MIL has been extinguished by the Good Trip Counter, the PCM automatically switches to a Warm-Up
CycleCounterthatcanbeviewedontheDRBIII.Warm-UpCyclesareusedtoerase DTCs and Freeze Frames.
Forty Warm-Up cycles must occur in order for the PCM to self-erase a DTC and Freeze Frame. A Warm-Up Cycle
is defined as follows:
Engine coolant temperature must start below and rise above 160° F (71.1°C).
Engine coolant temperature must rise by 40° F (4.4°C)
No further faults occur
Freeze Frame Data Storage
Once a failure occurs, the Task Manager records several engine operating conditions and stores it in a Freeze
Frame. The Freeze Frame is considered one frame of information taken by an on-board data recorder. When a fault
occurs, the PCM stores the input data from various sensors so that technicians can determine under what vehicle
operating conditions the failure occurred.
The data stored in Freeze Frame is usually recorded when a system fails the first time for two trip faults. Freeze
Frame data will only be overwritten by a different fault with a higher priority.
CAUTION: Erasing DTCs, either with the DRB III or by disconnecting the battery, also clears all Freeze
Frame data.
Similar Conditions Window
The Similar Conditions Window displays information about engine operation during a monitor. Absolute MAP (engine
load) and Engine RPM are stored in this window when a failure occurs. There are two different Similar conditions
Windows: Fuel System and Misfire.
FUEL SYSTEM
Fuel System Similar Conditions Window— An indicator that ’Absolute MAP When Fuel Sys Fail’ and ’RPM
When Fuel Sys Failed’ are all in the same range when the failure occurred. Indicated by switching from ’NO’
to ’YES’.
Absolute MAP When Fuel Sys Fail— The stored MAP reading at the time of failure. Informs the user at
what engine load the failure occurred.
Absolute MAP— A live reading of engine load to aid the user in accessing the Similar Conditions Window.
RPM When Fuel Sys Fail— The stored RPM reading at the time of failure. Informs the user at what engine
RPM the failure occurred.