Heater issues - LK help :)

[Twitchin Kitten]

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So yesterday I had the car at the dealer for some crap that needed fixing. I read them the list of grievances and only one issue was taken care of. The other things didn't cooperate - go figure. Doesn't help that every time I go to check in at service I get the grumpy fuck who acts like he has the hardest job in the world. Fucking desk jockey - STFU. I worked manual labor all my life and I sure as fuck don't shirk manual labor now when it needs doing and I'm a tiny woman that's as old as dirt.
The fun part is watching all the mechanics come out of the shop with a piece of paper in their hand acting like they have something to do with the car to check it out and give me "the nod". Every time. Started up a chat with one of them who does the trucks. Nice guy.

LK or anyone else with knowledge if you have any idea of the cause from my description would you please speak up? I want to go in armed for bear this time.

First: the front end moans. It moans when I have to turn hard to the left. I KNOW not to ever turn the wheels as far as they could go and it's also ingrained habit from having the truck with the 4x4.
This moan is throwing out a vibration through the drive shaft into the steering wheel. I CAN FEEL IT. It kind of feels like when you have a dry bushing or a bunched up hunk of rubber and something is rubbing against it causing friction.
The car didn't moan when they checked. go figure.

Second: The goddamn heating system. Now this has been going on since I got the car but I thought it was simply heat coming off the tranny housing. Nope. Why? Because when I switch the heat from the defroster or middle vents to floor only, the defrost stays ON. This is consistent. There is ALWAYS some kind of heat coming out the vents WITH THE HEAT TURNED OFF. When I start the car and there is steam on the windows INSIDE the car's defrost is blowing and I CAN SEE IT. This apparently means nothing to him when I describe all of this. ALL systems are habitually shut off before turning off the ignition. When I'm driving I get gusts of hot air coming from the floor into my face. I rarely need the heat in the winter. Seriously. I usually have to turn on the AC until the cold air comes out to stop that gush of heat temporarily.

I tell this to Mr. Grumpy and do you think he was listening? Of course not.

He checks the car with his electronic gadget and tells me they found no unusual readings and I should watch this. He also says all the vents in the middle were shut. BULLSHIT. I know for a fact they were open and the driver side set to blow right in my face because on Tuesday while waiting for Matt in the hot sun, I had the AC on blowing in my face. Regardless, the defrost vents should NOT be throwing air when the car is turned off.
I wanted to yell at him, "Did you try using your hands to feel the heat coming out?"

asshole.

So, I get in the car start it up and get the blast of hot air in my face. The dials are set to COLDEST. The system is OFF. The vents are EXACTLY as I left them the night before.

lazy assholes.

They did fix the broken pony lamp.
They will call me when the rim repair guy comes in. Turns out the guy who does my summer to winter tire change fucked up the holes where the lugs go.

[Biker Dude]

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The moan: Power steering pump.  Maybe as simple as air in it.  But can always change the fluid.  Easy way it just suck the old out with a turkey baster, refill with new.  Turn car on, turn side to side, ALL THE WAY.  Go to a parking lot, do a couple figure eights.  Pull cap, check level.  MIGHT fix it.  Ford power steering pumps are notorious for making noise.  By the way, there is nothing wrong with turning the steering wheel to the lock.  Does absolutely no harm.  It was designed to be driven that way.

The heat:  In one place you said with the heat off, and in another you said with the car off.  VERY different problems.  Heat going to the wrong place, or defrost always on can be a vacuum leak. 

Does it have the slushbox tranny? No that's right, the post about the block for the clutch pedal. Your manual doesn't really generate heat, so if you ever do feel it doing so, stop, shut the car off. Some major shit is wrong. Specially through the floor of the car, shit be broken.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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OK that was a mistake where I said car is off. Always with heater off.

Heat coming from tranny is on the side, not floor. I'm going to talk to my private mechanic then because now that I think about it, I never had heat coming from the tranny housing on the truck. It gets pretty hot. Not enough to have to back my hand off in a hurry, but goddamn there is always gusts of hot wind coming up from the floor with a window open.

Now I'm pissed.

[Biker Dude]

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The more I thought about it, as new as the car is, I think it is unlikely it has a vacuum leak. Just seems like something with the computerized control is off.

But yes, a manual should not be generating heat. And not so that you can feel it through the floor. Has to be from something else you are feeling. Has to be. Because that would be one fucked transmission.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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The more I thought about it, as new as the car is, I think it is unlikely it has a vacuum leak. Just seems like something with the computerized control is off.

Well they put their little gadget on the car and said nothing was wrong. again, I was biting my tongue asking them why they just didn't use their hands and actually FEEL it coming out the vents. I guess they can't think for themselves without gadgets to sleuth this out?

But yes, a manual should not be generating heat. And not so that you can feel it through the floor. Has to be from something else you are feeling. Has to be. Because that would be one fucked transmission.

I know, but since this heat issue has been going on since I bought the car, that tranny would be toast by now, right? Could it possibly be however they have the heat from the engine piping in, passing along side or near that area where the housing is just being part of the heat I feel from the heater? The heat vents on the floor are right there too.

Either way, IMO they're being very lazy about figuring out why it's doing this. I say that with confidence since the guy lied to me about the middle vents being off - off meaning the little levers were shut. That has nothing to do with a damn thing and they were NOT off when I got to the car and started it. They were exactly where I had them. If they "discovered" this "anomaly" and opened those levers, I'm pretty damn sure they wouldn't have them exactly as I had them, especially since I'm so short and my seat had to be exactly where I like it to have them blow on me in the exact same way. No way the mechanic was able to figure that out. That seat had to be readjusted for ME when I got in the car.

[LKTraz]

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Heat blowing from incorrect vents is likely as said, malfunction in control directing heat. Most likely electrical but POSSIBLY could retain some vaccuum controls (probably not).

Heat from tranny area: A hot slushbox is a fucked slushbox. There may be exhaust pipe(s) routed nearby and if this is the case they SHOULD have heat shields. No heat shields.....there ya go!

My Ram has exhaust running right alongside the tranny but lots of shielding between the two.

The steering pump might be the culprit OR since it sets up a vibration there may be an issue out by the wheel end. If it only does it in one direction, that's more likely.

If it IS the pump then it may be one of the check valves is sticking.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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I don't have enough clearance to get my head under the car to see about that shielding.

[Biker Dude]

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I figured you could just walk under there.

[Twitchin Kitten]

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I figured you could just walk under there.

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[LKTraz]

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I don't have enough clearance to get my head under the car to see about that shielding.

Yeah you'll at the very least need to have the front end up on ramps.  Better still on a lift.

Independent mechanics will care more about finding the problem.  They make their money by repairing.  Dealerships get paid to sit around and jerk off while trying to look busy and important.  The dealer mechanics make nothing for repairs and it's only the dealership making out at all with the labor charges.  (Trust me....I worked in a Chevy dealership and saw the same shit at every other dealer around us.)

As far as the steering issue,  you'd really have to take it for a ride then put it up on a lift running with someone in it working the wheel to get a 100% picture of the problem.  A decent mechanic could get it 85% right without the lift, but at least around the parking lot would be in order.