Why would my heater blow cold air instead of hot air on my 96 Chevy Tahoe?

Answer 1

There could be a number of reasons for this. Most likely, the thermostat has gone out and is completely open and is never allowing the engine to warm up. Does the Tahoe have a temperature gauge on the dash? If it's reading cold, then your thermostat is stuck open. It is most likely safe enough to drive short distances, but you really should take it to a shop as soon as possible.

**Disclaimer** I am not a professional mechanic - I just had this happen to me one time in one of my older cars. I can't accept any responsibility if you should damage your vehicle by continuing to drive it in this or any other condition.

Here is another possibility. In my corolla, the service department did an inspection after I told them the same story, only my heater took a long time to heat up, and never really gave up good heat. They cleared out the coolant and radiator lines. It worked too. I too have to say, check with a mechanic to be sure.

I had the same problem in my 04 Avalanche. I was low on ANTI FREEZE by about a quart and it was fine once I added it to my over flow container.