Weak heat

[Goodie]

I drive my '80SC year 'round as long as the roads are not ice covered or the forecast does not include the words " blizzard warning". My problem is that I don't feel I get enough heat in the cabin. I have new flappers, cables, hoses all around and the blower comes on as it should when I raise either of the levers between the seats. I can direct the luke warm air between the windshield and footwells with the dash control. It just doesn't feel as hot or blow as hard as others claim theirs do. I need some fellow Pelicans to help me out...if not for me, do it for my GF!!
Happy Motoring!

[timmy2]

Too much fresh air leaking in from front fresh air system?

[DRACO A5OG]

Temporary Fix, get an electric blanket via the cig lighter, GF will love it

Fix: ask GF to help you, raise the car safely with her in it and ask her to raise and lower the levers, check the flaps, once the levers are up, those flaps should be closed, if not, you found your culprit.

Test: if the flaps are fine, check the engine compartment heater motor, turn the key to ignition but do not turn on the car. Lift the levers, does the heater motor turn on? If not, that is culprit #2

But my experience tells me it is those flaps.

Jim

+1, make sure all dash levers are slid to the left "closed"

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by DRACO A5OG

+1, make sure all dash levers are slid to the left "closed"

Regarding dash levers, make sure the cables are held in place with the metal clips in the front boot behind the heater blower assembly cover. If the cables are not clamped down the wire that does the work inside cannot push and pull the mechanism parts as well as they should. That may create too much fresh air mixed with your hot air (as noted) or not seal off defrost from foot-well air giving the impression of a wimpy air flow.

In my car the passenger side was not flowing well (because of the missing cable hold down clips) but the drivers side was flowing well.

Start with the heater boxes as DRACO says.

[Goodie]

Bob, when you refer to the front boot, where exactly is the area you mean? I thought the only heater blower was located in the engine compartment.
I was not aware that there was anything in the front of the car that is associated with the heating system. Are these clips reached from under the dash?

[Flat Six]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

Start with the heater boxes as DRACO says.

+1

But you may also want to consider adding seat heaters (~$200 for both seats). My wife is always cold (we live in SoCal) and she still wears a sweatshirt when it's 70 degrees out. On our first date (in Seattle), I introduced her to heated seats in my Audi Quattro. Am pretty sure she liked me then, but I think the heated seats sealed the deal and got me a second date. The rest, as they say, is history.

Good luck

[Goodie]

I appreciate the heated seats suggestion...I have them in my othe vehicles...very nice indeed. My most common issue is is getting a good stream of hot air to blow mainly on the windshield to defrost/defog it. If I get in my car with wet hair, clothes or boots in the winter, the windshield just does not stay clear. I'll take a(nother) look at the flappers and control cables and clips and see if something is not opening or closing all the way.
BTW, where do you pull power from for the heated seats?

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by Goodie

Bob, when you refer to the front boot, where exactly is the area you mean? I thought the only heater blower was located in the engine compartment.
I was not aware that there was anything in the front of the car that is associated with the heating system. Are these clips reached from under the dash?

Air movement comes only from the alternator fan and the blower in the engine compartment. In the later 3.2 Carrers there are foot-well blowers but not on the 1980.

The gate keeper of the air flow is (are) the heater boxes. When they allow air to flow to the cabin the air flows through a tube in the rocker panels under the door up into the cabin side corners of the trunk. Definitely not accessible from under the dash.

Once just into the trunk, the air flows into the air distribution system behind that cardboard like cover that you will see if the trunk carpet is removed.

My suggestion, secondary to the heater box check, is to just make sure the cables that control the air distribution system are clamped down with the retainers I mentioned. If the system has not been messed with the hardware is still there - since you can move from defrost to foot blowing. If someone messed (or forgot to re-install) with these retainers, the distribution may not be optimal.

This is a poor pic but in the middle of the white circle, you can see one of the retainers. It just holds the cable fixed so the inside wire can move and actuate the air directional components.

This is probably not your problem so let us know how the heater box check goes.

[GothingNC]

How are the heater hoses underneath the car from the heat exchangers to the flapper boxes?


I replaced mine since they looked like swiss cheese and after the replacement I was able to wear a T-shirt with only the passanger side heat turned on-this is with backdated heat and SSI's

[Goodie]

Heater hoses are new.
This is good info! I will check the boxes and related hardware first but there is a good chance that I may find some issues in the trunk as well. As I've found since owning this car, the PO has really screwed a lot of stuff! (Like replacing the RH A strut with an M style!! WTF?!?).
Anyway, I will definiitely spend sometime this weekend looking things over. Thanks very much for the suggestions...keep' em coming if you see something that's been overlooked.

[Flat Six]

Originally Posted by Goodie

BTW, where do you pull power from for the heated seats?

Don't have any idea of the current draw (depends on what kit you get, I assume) but if it were me I'd run a dedicated lead from the (+) battery post and through a relay (which may/may not be part of whatever kit you might buy). Conceptually I'd treat it like I was installing an audio power amp, FWIW.

[pete3799]

Another thing to check is the flappers inside the fresh air blower.
The foam seals tend to deteriorate and allow outside air into the cabin. Not sure if the seals are available but you can make new ones if need be.
If you have a euro car you may only have one flapper in there like mine.

[Bob Kontak]

You could start at the exit point from the heat exchangers. There should be a huge CFM flow if there are no rodent nests in the heat exchangers. I don't know if they even can get in them.

When you nail the problem, you will be begging for less therms on your toes. It will blow you out, especially after a fast run (hot pipes and lots o' flow)

[1985RedTarga]

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[Pete H]

I've just read this thread with great interest. Since I dont have an owner's manual for my car I dont really have an understanding of what the three sliders on the dash control. Like the OP with the red floor levers up I've got plenty of warm air for my feet but there is cool air coming out of the windshield vents. Is there a way to split the warm air between the floor and the windshield?

[DRACO A5OG]

Welcome Aboard Pete H!

Answer is Yes.

At the Dash (3.2):

If you want only heated air to the foot and windshield, place the top (vent speed/volume) lever to the left/off.

Place the middle (directional vent) lever at the center to direct air to both feet and windshield.

The bottom (heat/defrost directional vent) lever to the center.

To control the heat volume, use the dial in between the seats.

Jim

[timmy2]

Originally Posted by Goodie

Bob, when you refer to the front boot, where exactly is the area you mean? I thought the only heater blower was located in the engine compartment.
I was not aware that there was anything in the front of the car that is associated with the heating system. Are these clips reached from under the dash?

Your fresh air system is what people have been showing you in pictures of the trunk behind the cardboard.
There is a fan there. That can be heard running after sliding top slider lever to the right.
You turn that off by sliding top lever(s) to the left.
Heat comes through putting bottom 2 levers in middle.
Full defrost is middle far left and bottom far right.
With AC there's another fan in the smugglers box.

[Bob Kontak]

Regarding the three dash levers, I thought the middle one mixed outside air with heated air. I thought you can blend outside air with the hot air and then the bottom lever directs it up or down.

[newms]

For cars with three slider levers the top lever is fresh air fan speed. The middle slider directs that fresh air either up or down. The bottom red slider directs the heated air from the heat exchangers either up or down. So to recap top to sliders are fresh air only. Bottom is heat direction. Hot air speed is between the seats ( or engine speed). I agree you should be able to roast if everything is working. I would also start with flapper boxes.

[newms]

Darn phone keyboard!! Top TWO sliders are fresh air related only. Bottom slider heat related. Good luck.