2000 gs300 heater issues

[Jplax]

Hello everyone I’m new here and a new Lexus owner if I’m posting this is the wrong place I apologize. I just bought my grandmas old 2000 Lexus gs300 it has 174k miles and has been well cared for there are some minor issues I need help trouble shooting but the main one I need to fix right now is the heater because I cannot defrost my windows. I’m not sure where to start with figuring out the issue no matter how high I turn up the climate control I cannot get the air to blow hot. The first day I drove it to work the passenger side was blowing warm air but not as warm as it should have been and the driver side was blowing cold now neither is working. I am mechanically inclined but a complete noob to working on cars especially diagnostics. Also I will attach a picture of two hoses going to the radiator that are collapsing in on themselves and am wondering if this issue is related to my heater issues. Maybe air in the cooling system? Thanks in advance for your help. 

[Lexus Owners Club]

Hi Jim

Yes, definitely air in the cooling system which has left a vacuum in the hoses once the coolant has been evacuated from the radiator.

You need to fill the cooling system and run it until it is expelling air from the hoses.
You need to be careful not to scold yourself on hot water being expelled but if you loosen off the heater hose clamps and carefully allow a certain amount of the hose to become loose (but not come off) then this should allow the air out. Do this on the heater hoses with the heater set to hot on the controls.

When you see coolant coming out after all the air has been evacuated then tighten the hose clamps and feel the hoses for a similar temperature.
If you find the hoses contract again, then the system is drawing air from somewhere (potentially the pressure cap is failing and not allowing the pressure to be maintained).

 

[Jplax]

3 hours ago, Lexus Owners Club said:

Hi Jim

Yes, definitely air in the cooling system which has left a vacuum in the hoses once the coolant has been evacuated from the radiator.

You need to fill the cooling system and run it until it is expelling air from the hoses.
You need to be careful not to scold yourself on hot water being expelled but if you loosen off the heater hose clamps and carefully allow a certain amount of the hose to become loose (but not come off) then this should allow the air out. Do this on the heater hoses with the heater set to hot on the controls.

When you see coolant coming out after all the air has been evacuated then tighten the hose clamps and feel the hoses for a similar temperature.
If you find the hoses contract again, then the system is drawing air from somewhere (potentially the pressure cap is failing and not allowing the pressure to be maintained).

 

Thank you do you think this is the cause of my heating issues? And are the heater hoses you are talking about the ones in the phot or are they different? Also how much coolant do I want to add and where do I want to pour it in directly into the radiator? Or to the reservoir I’m asking because the reservoir says it’s full. 

[Lexus Owners Club]

If the reservoir is full then it could be the thermostat being stuck closed which is causing the issue.

I would not run it for too long with coolant starvation to the engine....rather take it to a local garage for them to run some tests.