Too much 'Hot air' !!

[VSP90]

I can't get anything other than hot air from all the heater and ! fresh air vents on my new toy.
Griff 500,96 car, bought it three weeks ago.
Has any one any ideas? The TVR owners handbook says I should get fresh air from the three vents in the dash and that the right hand centre vent is connected to a separate 3 speed fan which supplies fresh air only. The fan is activated by a switch located under the dashboard on the drivers side, the fan also supplies an eyeball vent in the drivers footwell. I can find eyeball vents in the drivers and passenger footwell's but not the 3 speed fan switch!! the only switch under the drivers side dash on my car is the one to the left of the steering column that turns the dash lights on and off. Help ! I don't think I am going mad but I am definitely gettin hot !!

[crackedfinger]

Hi - The fan can be turned on and off by depressing the top right rotary switch on the centre consol, and the speed varied by turning the switch. (Well at least mine does!)

[jeffsy]

Hi...I know exactly what you mean. I think I had had my Griff around 3 weeks when I asked the same question (Iv only had it 2 months now!)

Check out some of the posts on this forum there is one on about Page 6 and also one that I started on about page 7 or 8 - on exactly the same subjects.

The bottom line seemed to be - tuff !! Griff's get hot - live with it!! I replaced my front number plate with a 3/4 size one (good when moving,not much use when stationary). Also I have bought a 5 inch plug in fan for when things get desperate!! I also drive in shorts with the roof off

oh...I have also asked my garage to give it some thought.

My Griff is a 98 and doesnt have the option of the switch to cut the fans in early

[catretriever]

Yep, it's a common problem with Griffs. The early fan cut in is actually an aftermarket modification, usually supplied by Modwise.
I find the biggest problem with mine is when the engine cooling fans cut in in slow moving traffic and send a wash of hot air up the bonnet, around the screen and into the cabin. Leaving the windows up about 2" alleviates that a bit though.
I also think the internal/external air valve is knackered on mine as whenever I turn it to 'external air' I just get a continuous 'back and forth' type whirring sound from the passenger footwell. Does anyone know how I might fix this?

[mikedavis1]

Good news and bad news ....First the bad, I'm now into the second summer of sweating it out in a griff. ('96 500 G500X) Mine has no second cooling fan and no swith for the drivers footwell, read steve heath then spent 4 hours convincing myself that they wern't actually there...and that I wasn't going nuts! (carpets out etc etc). In my car the drivers vents are fed from the passenger side - so the air gets nice and warm while passing behind the engine. However what I did find while rummaging was that the ducting to the various vents had at some time been "worked on" and that the metal ducting behind the vents was not fixed onto the vents so when the vents were closed hot air was leaking behind the dash and heating up both the dash area and the footwells: Cured this and it has made a noticable difference - particularly at Le Mans this year at 35 degrees! - worth a look.

It may finally be time for griff owners to rise to the challenge and find a solution to this one - there must be an alternative way to feed cool air to the drivers side..any champions out there?

PS the comments about fans / more air for cooling small no plates etc do help. Mike.



>> Edited by mikedavis1 on Tuesday 12th July 15:13

[richb]

VSP90 said:

I can't get anything other than hot air from all the heater

This is a common problem but you don't have to put up with it. I had cool air coming from mine all the time I was down in France for Le Mans and it was bloody hot that weekend!

The problem is that there is a valve in the hot water inlet pipe to the heater matrix, this is driven by a motor which is in turn controlled by the alloy knob on the dash panel. Usually it is a simple case of the valve being out of alignment with the motor which allows warm or hot water to pass into the heater matrix no matter where you turn the control knob!

So, if you dig around under the glove box you will see the motor and valve. The valve is fixed to a spindle with a grub screw. loosen the grub screw and make sure the valve is in the closed position - there should be a blob of white paint to mark the closed/off position. Once the valve is in this position but with the grub screw loose turn the control a few time hot to cold and back to make sure it is moving OK, and then with it in the cold position on your dash tighten the grub screw. Et voi la. It sounds complicated but as long as you can find the valve it will all become apparent what I am talking about! Rich...

>> Edited by richb on Tuesday 12th July 14:25

[Dutchone]

VSP90,
I also have a 96 Griff and like you I had a few queries concerning cabin ventilation which I am still in the process of clearing because I am trying to get it to do what it was designed to do i.e supply hot or ambient air on demand through the various outlets. I am not ready yet to just accept (unless proven otherwise) that after 9 years the Griff ventilation system cannot be simply refurbished to get it to do what it supposed to do.

As mentioned above there have been various discussions recently on the subject of cabin ventilation during which a reference has been made to a second vent for cool air only located on the offside footwell bulkhead which is connected to a second fan which in turn is activated by a switch by the drivers left knee. I gather the air from this fan can also be switched to the dash vents.
I do not have this second vent, second fan or second switch, so it seems quite possible to me that you don't have them either, but check to make sure.

I have got a check sequence from Stringbag for the switches, vents and associated motors:
To save a long diatribe here, send me a pm if you would like some info on the checks he suggested. I am sure he would not mind me passing them on.

Cheers, Paul

[VSP90]

Thank Guys, some interesting info which I will act on. Its also nice to know that I am not going mad. It seems that my car may not have the extra cold air fan that the handbook mentions. I have got a passenger and drivers footwell vent though ! The heater water control valve motor that Richb has mentioned works and the spiggot turns but it is not turning off the hot water to the heater. This I hope is the source of the problem. I will let you all know how I get on.
I agree that it can't be 'rocket science' to work out a way of getting fresh air from the outside of the car to the inside without heating it first. I shall put my white coat on this weekend and look to the sky for inspiration !!
Once again many thanks for your input.

[richb]

Did you get the pictures that I sent you ok? Rich...

[VSP90]

Richb,
Yes I have got the pics and having read the info I think I will be able to 'have a go' this weekend. Once again many thanks.

[The Griffalo]

So which is the "closed" position for the valve? Mine points vertically, in line with the arrow on the body of the valve when I turn the dashboard knob fully anti-clockwise and horizontally when I turn it fully clockwise. It doesn't help that the dashboard LED's seem to contradict the drivers handbook.