Poor heat in '00 DII

[troverman]

After a couple of years of working perfectly, the heat all of a sudden gives lukewarm heat only, except if you hold the engine to about 2500 RPM for a while the heat becomes hot.

We changed our own headgaskets on the car this summer, including new T-stat. Water pump? It feels tight.

Getting cold up here in NH...

Also, a coolant question--If I top the Dexcool up the full line in the reservoir, after a trip or two it will be down near the bottom of the tank. If I let the pressure out of the tank when the car is cool, the coolant comes back up near the full line. Is this normal?

[ArmyRover]

it would seem to me that there might be some sort of blockage in the cooling system. Judging by the need for increased rpms to achieve coolant flow into the heater core and the vaccum that appears to be created in the system.

It is getting chilly up here quick glad my rovers heat still works doesn't shut off very well but still works lol

[Disco Mike]

You have a coolant leak that is causing air to be trapped in the engine and little or no coolant to flow up into your heater core to give youe heat. First thing, top off the coolanr bottle, then go get a coolant pressure test run to see where you are loosing coolant, get that fixed them bleed your coolant system a couple of times. After that you will be fine.
Mike

[troverman]

Thanks for reply, I am guessing I know where the leak is. When we did the headgasket, the kit was missing the o-ring that goes on the metal neck of coolant pipe coming from the intake. We needed the repair done, so we used the old o-ring along with some permatex. We have been smelling coolant under the hood a little, but no leaks. Probably a small leak burning off on the valley gasket. We'll fix this and see if it cures!

Still, just before the water pump went on VW EuroVan, the heat acted like this...

[troverman]

When the engine is warm, the hose on the bottom of the t-stat is cold. The two hoses on the top are hot. Normal? Is it possible I switched the two hose connections on top of the t-stat? What would happen if I did? I have had no overheating all summer long.

The temp gauge does not work anymore either.