Chimaera Heater Issue
Discussion
Th chim heater is normally very powerful. What does the temp gauge say in normal driving? If it's around 80, then I'd suspect a blockage in the heater somewhere. As previously posted, the usual culprit is the valve - it isn't blocked internally is it? Next step would be to flush though with a hose. I'd want to ensure that there was a decent flow before changing thermostats etc.
The V8 heater usually ensures mine is toasty in traffic and going slow. If your commute is at higher speed, the cold airflow would be countering some of that.
My heater doesn't produce much heat, the fan is close to useless, but my passengers do get a nourishing spray of foam and seed husks at higher speeds thanks to the local rodents having nested in my heater. So my problem may well be airflow. However, I have noticed that the engine temp only reads 60 at speed on a cold morning, it needs traffic or town driving to get it up to 70-75.
One stupid thought - you have pushed the heater fan switch to turn it on??? Of course you have.......
My heater doesn't produce much heat, the fan is close to useless, but my passengers do get a nourishing spray of foam and seed husks at higher speeds thanks to the local rodents having nested in my heater. So my problem may well be airflow. However, I have noticed that the engine temp only reads 60 at speed on a cold morning, it needs traffic or town driving to get it up to 70-75.
One stupid thought - you have pushed the heater fan switch to turn it on??? Of course you have.......
tonyperry57 said:
Not too bad at slow speeds but you're right once on the open road its pretty chilly! Maybe the are all like that.
tony
+1 on that. tony
Toasty for town driving but not so hot on the motorway. Seems like a common problem although I believe a 'fault' is probably to blame in all cases. When I say fault, this is probably sticking / partially open valve and or a blocakge or air lock in the system.
I reckon these heaters should work efficiently if all items are checked and resolved first. Ultimately if all else fails then the heater matrix could be at fault. That said, with an alloy engine there'll be no rust to crud up the heater... Interested to know what others reckon as well.
70 sounds a tad cold to me - although the temp sensor is in a dead end and not the most reliable of devices. What temp is your first stage fan cutting in at? From memory I think about 85 degrees is the ideal operating temperature for these engines. The thermostat only opens at 82 degrees.
The best tool for checking is an infra red thermometer if you can beg/borrow/steal or get one off ebay.
Having said all that, if the head has been off recently I'd go with the air-lock theory initially. Instructions for topping up are in the SH 'bible'.
The best tool for checking is an infra red thermometer if you can beg/borrow/steal or get one off ebay.
Having said all that, if the head has been off recently I'd go with the air-lock theory initially. Instructions for topping up are in the SH 'bible'.
Naybr said:
70 sounds a tad cold to me - although the temp sensor is in a dead end and not the most reliable of devices. What temp is your first stage fan cutting in at? From memory I think about 85 degrees is the ideal operating temperature for these engines. The thermostat only opens at 82 degrees.
The best tool for checking is an infra red thermometer if you can beg/borrow/steal or get one off ebay.
Having said all that, if the head has been off recently I'd go with the air-lock theory initially. Instructions for topping up are in the SH 'bible'.
If I set off and go fast (50-70) within a mile or two, then the temp never rises in winter above 60 on the gauge. If I then hit traffic it gets up to 70. In summer it gets up to 80-90 on a hot day at slow speeds in town, 70-75 out of town. Fans cut in at between 85 and 90. The temperature gauge always registers hotter after the temp has got to 90 and then cooled.The best tool for checking is an infra red thermometer if you can beg/borrow/steal or get one off ebay.
Having said all that, if the head has been off recently I'd go with the air-lock theory initially. Instructions for topping up are in the SH 'bible'.
I will see if i can get a better thermometer when i get my refund from Halfrauds - I bought a multimeter from them on Sunday for £19.99, then saw the exact same product in Maplins on Monday for £8.99. Halfrauds will honour their price promise as it was high street, not internet!
I have never been able to get my heater to work properly. In the winter it emits a vaguely continuous parp of lukewarm air, in the summer it pumps out heat like a furnace.
I've had it looked at a couple of times now by different specialists and they haven't found anything wrong. We just concluded it was a TVR trait.
I've had it looked at a couple of times now by different specialists and they haven't found anything wrong. We just concluded it was a TVR trait.
First off the heater in these cars is extremely effective, there is nothing wrong with the design of the system at all.
If your heater is not performing well, then there is most definitely something wrong.
When I first bought my Chimaera the heater wasn't very effective, especially at speed on a very cold day where things could get uncomfortably chilly.
A rad blind helped, but it was always a bit of a compromise between being warm on the move & running the engine too hot when city driving.
I assumed they were all like that
I was wrong
After bleeding the cooling system properly the heater proved itself to be a proper little furnace even on the coldest day.
I now only ever use the full hot setting on the very coldest day when on the motorway for sustained periods, as soon as I slow to pass though a town it's essential to turn it down or you absolutely cook.
I don't use that rad blind any more, the heater works perfectly without it and the car runs a maximum 85* on the TVR temperature gauge idling in traffic.
It does seem these cars can run perfectly well with air still trapped in the cooling system, and the place that air sits is the heater matrix.
There is definitely a drop in cabin temperatures as speed increases, but if your heater fails to keep you warm on a cold day at speed you need to bleed the air out of the matrix.
If your car has recently has a top end rebuild, it's extremely likely they didn't bleed the cooling system properly, there is a proven process that if not followed will almost certainly leave air trapped in the heater matrix.
Follow these steps, then tell me your heater is still ineffective.
If your heater is not performing well, then there is most definitely something wrong.
When I first bought my Chimaera the heater wasn't very effective, especially at speed on a very cold day where things could get uncomfortably chilly.
A rad blind helped, but it was always a bit of a compromise between being warm on the move & running the engine too hot when city driving.
I assumed they were all like that
I was wrong
After bleeding the cooling system properly the heater proved itself to be a proper little furnace even on the coldest day.
I now only ever use the full hot setting on the very coldest day when on the motorway for sustained periods, as soon as I slow to pass though a town it's essential to turn it down or you absolutely cook.
I don't use that rad blind any more, the heater works perfectly without it and the car runs a maximum 85* on the TVR temperature gauge idling in traffic.
It does seem these cars can run perfectly well with air still trapped in the cooling system, and the place that air sits is the heater matrix.
There is definitely a drop in cabin temperatures as speed increases, but if your heater fails to keep you warm on a cold day at speed you need to bleed the air out of the matrix.
If your car has recently has a top end rebuild, it's extremely likely they didn't bleed the cooling system properly, there is a proven process that if not followed will almost certainly leave air trapped in the heater matrix.
Follow these steps, then tell me your heater is still ineffective.
- Jack & support at the front so the nose of the car is as high as possible (this helps encourage a good flow around the heater and force the trapped air out)
- Remove the brass plug from the swirl pot & insert a large funnel
- Open the heater valve fully by putting the heater control to it's hottest setting (it may be worth checking it's truly fully open at the valve itself)
- Fill your large funnel you the brim with coolant and start the car
- Increase engine revs and wait for the thermostat to open (you can feel the hoses to establish the thermostat has opened)
- Keep filling your funnel (IMPORTANT: Don't let the coolant in the funnel drop to the level of the swirl pot)
- Rev the engine to get the water pump spinning, this will aid circulation & help burp the air out
- Keep adding coolant to your big funnel as the level falls and the trapped air gets burped out
- Go back inside the car & check the heater performance, if all the air has burped out you should have a continuous column of water circulating around the heater matrix and an extremely effective heater
- Switch off, remove the funnel, replace the brass swirl pot plug, then drop the car back on it's wheels
- Go for a drive to test the heater performance at speed
Edited by ChimpofDarkness on Wednesday 14th November 09:18
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