The heater just stopped working in my 2001 TL the other day. I have checked the fuse. Also, the car is getting to it's normal temp so I don't think we have any kind of thermostat issue. What should I look for?

 

Fan stopped working?

 

Sorry - meant blower motor for the climate control.

 

The AC works fine. Everything is working ok but the air doesn't heat up. The AC is still freezing cold though.

 

If your heat/ac fan is blowing, check the coolant level in the radiator as well as in the overflow tank. Beyond that, check the hot water control valve underhood, near firewall, attached to a heater hose. Have someone operate the temp control from full hot to full cold while you watch the valve.(with the car running) There's also a self diagnostic procedure someone on here posted which might help. Sorry I'm useless posting links.

 

Very likely the heater control valve and cable actuation. Quite common issue. A little lubrication could fix it if that's the problem.

 

Yeah, if everything else seems to be functioning properly with the climate control and blower motor, than do as these guys suggested.

Go up underhood, locate the heater inlet hose and you'll see the valve and cable. Have someone switch the controls while you observe
the actual movement of the valve mechanism. If it does'nt appear to move, it's probably needing cleaned and lubed !

 

Is the heater control valve on the driver side or passenger side of the engine?

 

on the lower firewall, near the center but towards the passenger side. You can't miss it. Water hoses are there.

 

I found it! The valve was just stuck. I lubed it up and it instantly worked again. Thanks guys!

 

Such a bad design leading to such a common problem. They should have encased that valve in a box to keep dirt out.

 

I can let this minor issue slide. Makes sense you need to lube cables and moving parts after 5 or 10 years.
For me, the engineering snafu's with the 2G are the transmission, the EGR system, and the motor mounts. Who designs a motor mount to last 60k - 75k miles?
On the plus side, the engine seems to be bullet-proof. And the brakes and suspension are solid.
For a real PIA snafu - some of the recent BMW's headlights need to be removed if you need to change a turn signal bulb. No access - you have to pull the cowlings and remove the light bucket. And they have contact corrosion problems. So bad engineering is everywhere.

 

Did ya ever stop and think that perhaps a few of these"bad design areas" are incorporated by automotive engineers to intentionally have a limited time span so that the car's original owner will need to either return the car for service or trade up to a new car !!!!!

Engineers can't make them totally maintenance free, as it wouldn't be beneficial for increased profits from repairs and selling new cars.

 

Indeed, I've seen that first hand. My neighbor will trade in his car for a new one every time a little maintenance or service issue arises.....and lubricating a valve arm would qualify as far as he's concerned. Manufacturers want consumers to have a "black box" mentality towards vehicles. If the mysterious black box malfunctions, time for a new one.

 

Well I have had several minor issues lately that have popped up, but I am always just research it and I find that I can almost always fix the issue for cheap and I learn something new as well. There is no way I will get rid of my TL. I have 227,000 miles on it, and it still starts and runs like it's new. I have had other vehicles that had engine issues as early as 75K. I honestly feel like my car will get to 500K no problem as long as I continue to keep up the basic maintenence.

 

Yeah, once the big issues like the tranny and T-belt service are taken care of, Honda has really provided the basics for an extended period of durability. Most any car has it's inherent problems, sometimes even dying @ 100k.

It's like anything else mechanical in nature, there's bound to be a few quirks that need to be resolved at some point. Then add the electronics for good measure. But, overall, cars are much more troublefree than in the past.