I'm borrowing my sister's 7th gen until my car is fixed, and I've noticed that her heater doesn't work quite right. When the engine is idling, it blows cold air. When I get above 2000 rpms, it will get warmer. About 2500-3000 RPMs is where it will blow hot like it's supposed to. Any ideas as to what's wrong?

 

2 places I'd look at.

1. is the coolant color and level correct? is the thermostat open all the way all the time?
2. has the water pump been replaced yet along with the timing belt?

I'm sure there are also diagnostic tests you can do on the electrical side as well. go to the link in my signature and find the yr's fsm. it should have all the info you can imagine and more.

my understanding is that when there is heat issues, the coolant/radiator is the first place to check to make sure everything is working well.

 

I agree with mundy. Start by checking the coolant level in the radiator when the engine is cold. Top off the radiator and reservoir if needed. If the coolant level seems fine, then bleed the cooling system of possible trapped air:

 

Ugh, working third shift is killing my usual schedule. I went to bed at 0730 and just woke up at 1700. I don't have any daylight, but I'll get out there in a few and check coolant. I'm not too sure about the timing belt/water pump on this one. I'll be sure to ask.

 

Okay. Timing belt/water pump were both replaced in 06. I checked the coolant level. It was a little bit low, and the overflow reservoir was bone dry. (I have no clue where the engine is loosing coolant.) Coolant color was a healthy green. I added coolant to the radiator and the reservoir. When I let the engine idle for awhile, I did see some bubbles come out of the radiator. Unfortunately, this has changed nothing with the heating issue. Next step will be to swap out the thermostat. That'll probably be tomorrow because I have no daylight to work with and have to go to work in less than 4 hours.

I'm still trying to get the 01-05 manual from that site to work, but something isn't working right yet.

Sorry, I know one thread per topic, but I'm curious about 7th gen headlights. There is a turn signal/running light, a little round bulb, and then the headlight itself. What the heck is the point of the little round light? It doesn't blink, it's not part of the high beams or low beams. It's just there. wtf?

 

Might also be worth checking the heater valve cable adjustment: