Utterly indequate heater
Discussion
Ever since I have had my Chimaera, it has been a case of wear thermals for anything other than a short journey at this time of year.
In my ownership, ie the last 7 years, the car has covered 42,000 miles to add to the 67,000 on it when i bought it, so it is no garage queen and no spring chicken.
The car is currently with Mat Smith for a new heater fan - the bearings were failing on the old one, which increased current draw and so resulted in several blown heater control boxes, and some very hot wiring running through the fibreglass of the inner wing
I hasten to add that the failing fan bearings weren't the thing that was stopping heat getting through.
Mat and James currently have the old fan out of the passenger side inner wing for replacement, and have removed the heater matrix as well, and the reason for bugger all heat has suddenly become crystal clear - Mat sent these before and after cleaning photos.
So, to anyone else with frostbite of the nuts syndrome, this might be the reason.....
Before
After
As you can see if you look carefully, every single gap between vanes is blocked with fine dust in the first photo, due to the car not having the pollen filter we all hate paying for at services on modern cars.
In my ownership, ie the last 7 years, the car has covered 42,000 miles to add to the 67,000 on it when i bought it, so it is no garage queen and no spring chicken.
The car is currently with Mat Smith for a new heater fan - the bearings were failing on the old one, which increased current draw and so resulted in several blown heater control boxes, and some very hot wiring running through the fibreglass of the inner wing
I hasten to add that the failing fan bearings weren't the thing that was stopping heat getting through.Mat and James currently have the old fan out of the passenger side inner wing for replacement, and have removed the heater matrix as well, and the reason for bugger all heat has suddenly become crystal clear - Mat sent these before and after cleaning photos.
So, to anyone else with frostbite of the nuts syndrome, this might be the reason.....
Before
After
As you can see if you look carefully, every single gap between vanes is blocked with fine dust in the first photo, due to the car not having the pollen filter we all hate paying for at services on modern cars.
Edited by QBee on Thursday 21st February 15:38
Hi Anthony, that can not help.
Also check for cold air getting into the car via the inner wing and in through the inner sill by the door pillar. If you feel along the carpet there, just above the floor plan, some cars have holes in the fibre glass. Through those, all cold air from the openings at the front gets channelled into the car. My blue car had several and even though the heater put out a lot of heat, it was still cold on the drivers side until I blocked those holes!
Also check for cold air getting into the car via the inner wing and in through the inner sill by the door pillar. If you feel along the carpet there, just above the floor plan, some cars have holes in the fibre glass. Through those, all cold air from the openings at the front gets channelled into the car. My blue car had several and even though the heater put out a lot of heat, it was still cold on the drivers side until I blocked those holes!
TV8 said:
Hi Anthony, that can not help.
Also check for cold air getting into the car via the inner wing and in through the inner sill by the door pillar. If you feel along the carpet there, just above the floor plan, some cars have holes in the fibre glass. Through those, all cold air from the openings at the front gets channelled into the car. My blue car had several and even though the heater put out a lot of heat, it was still cold on the drivers side until I blocked those holes!
Some of those holes are for using a socket on the door bracket bolts so nothing stopping you blocking them as long as it can be removed. A big old plastic plug will do nicely I’d have thought. Also check for cold air getting into the car via the inner wing and in through the inner sill by the door pillar. If you feel along the carpet there, just above the floor plan, some cars have holes in the fibre glass. Through those, all cold air from the openings at the front gets channelled into the car. My blue car had several and even though the heater put out a lot of heat, it was still cold on the drivers side until I blocked those holes!
How you doing Al?
I knew I had some air leaks - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... and https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Both the holes and from the fresh air vents themselves!
I knew I had some air leaks - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... and https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Both the holes and from the fresh air vents themselves!
TV8 said:
How you doing Al?
I knew I had some air leaks - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... and https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Both the holes and from the fresh air vents themselves!
Hi Graham I knew I had some air leaks - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... and https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Both the holes and from the fresh air vents themselves!
Haha, mine blow the carpet off but I’ve not done much about it probably because the heater is very effective.
The duct tape might be coming out soon though.
I took mine out a couple of weeks ago as I'm fitting air conditioning. To get the heater box out you really need to take the passenger seat out, battery out and drop the fuse board out of the way. Mine had two screws tucked up behind the glove compartment holding it in place and lots of silicone every where else. It was a bit of a fiddle to get out but worth the effort my heater matrix wasn't as bad as Anthony's but it was still pretty clogged up.
Not enough use so cobwebs build up, need to drive it more Anthony 
I’m glad you sorted that out as the heater is usually the best bit of the car.
With a good heater you can forgive a few drafts except when it’s in an MGB roadster travelling up the M6 to work in Manchester at 4am, I used to have blankets wrapped round my legs and still froze!
A decent heater makes all the difference, even during our summer it’s useful
I’m glad you sorted that out as the heater is usually the best bit of the car.
With a good heater you can forgive a few drafts except when it’s in an MGB roadster travelling up the M6 to work in Manchester at 4am, I used to have blankets wrapped round my legs and still froze!
A decent heater makes all the difference, even during our summer it’s useful
Classic Chim said:
Not enough use so cobwebs build up, need to drive it more Anthony
Cheeky sod......!!But I haven't driven it for a while, as it has had loads of niggly bits done over the winter and I have been flat out with work.
i had forgotten just how quickly our cars complete overtaking manouvres ( a word I can never spell correctly).
And how planted mine is, even on bumpy moorland roads, and despite my having forgotten to adjust the dampers since my last track day.
Now where did I put that dentist's phone number?
QBee said:
Cheeky sod......!!
But I haven't driven it for a while, as it has had loads of niggly bits done over the winter and I have been flat out with work.
i had forgotten just how quickly our cars complete overtaking manouvres ( a word I can never spell correctly).
And how planted mine is, even on bumpy moorland roads, and despite my having forgotten to adjust the dampers since my last track day.
Now where did I put that dentist's phone number?
Sometimes an enforced lay up can remind you of what you’ve got rather than become tainted by familiarisation. But I haven't driven it for a while, as it has had loads of niggly bits done over the winter and I have been flat out with work.
i had forgotten just how quickly our cars complete overtaking manouvres ( a word I can never spell correctly).
And how planted mine is, even on bumpy moorland roads, and despite my having forgotten to adjust the dampers since my last track day.
Now where did I put that dentist's phone number?
Instead of focusing on the faults it can often remind you of all thats good about something.
Now you have a warm heater everything should feel better imo.
Classic Chim said:
Sometimes an enforced lay up can remind you of what you’ve got rather than become tainted by familiarisation.
Instead of focusing on the faults it can often remind you of all thats good about something.
Now you have a warm heater everything should feel better imo.
It was lovely......always love winter drives, especially with the sun shining, even if the 80% club were out in force.Instead of focusing on the faults it can often remind you of all thats good about something.
Now you have a warm heater everything should feel better imo.
Classic Chim said:
QBee said:
It was lovely......always love winter drives, especially with the sun shining, even if the 80% club were out in force.
80% club ? You will have seen their members everywhere.
Their one object is to drive all single carriageway roads at 80% of the speed limit, causing maximum frustration to other road users.
In a 60 they drive at 48.....not 49 or 50, 48.
In a 50 they drive at 40
and so on
Loubaruch said:
And in 30 limits still drive at 40!
LOL - that is sooo true!My mother in law fits that profile exactly. God love her, she's still very active at 88, plays badminton, goes to a Scrabble class and art class, helps all her friends by taking them to hospital....However, even on the motorway, it's still a max 50/60 mph. Enters the village and, yup, nudging 40.
Very game, but is realising her limitations now. As concerned relatives, you just want the decision to hand in the licence to be made by them....of course it's a problem in rural areas where public transport is poor/non-existent (and likely to get worse as gov't support is reduced or withdrawn entirely).
Frustrating though!
Nick
It's a woman thing - I used to drive to Cambridge on a 25 mile country road route - wonderful driving roads, and of course i wanted to do 60.....at least!
But 30 something Mum of two, with Tarquin and Tamsin on board, in the 1990s equivalent of an Evoque, would be driving down the middle of every lane at 45 mph, no way past her wide rear.
Come to a village with a primary school and I would slow down to 20/30.
Not so Evoque Mum - she carried blithely on at 45 past the primary school, chattering to her kids, not looking at the pavements.
But 30 something Mum of two, with Tarquin and Tamsin on board, in the 1990s equivalent of an Evoque, would be driving down the middle of every lane at 45 mph, no way past her wide rear.
Come to a village with a primary school and I would slow down to 20/30.
Not so Evoque Mum - she carried blithely on at 45 past the primary school, chattering to her kids, not looking at the pavements.
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