Heater heat

[rdavis]

Hello everyone and thanks for all the information posted on this site.

I have now been the proud owner of a '98 burgundy Chimaera for two weeks and, although its hardly stopped raining am really pleased I took the plunge.

One question though: Can I get cold(ish) air out of the heater. I know the engine is (a) close and (b) hot but should I expect cold air when travelling at a reasonable speed? It seems to make very little difference what the heater is set to so I suspect the valve isn't closing properly. Advice on what is 'normal' would be helpful before returning to the dealer.

PS: anyone want to buy my old car: a magenta spitfire?

[P7ULG]

There is a difference between hot and cold on my control,so possibly you may have a problem.

[.mark]

Yep certainly a difference on my '96 model. Although you need the fan on position 2 to get any decent airflow.

[ATG]

On mine, hot is bloody hot and cold is only slightly warmer than outside air when on the move. The heater dial isn't very progressive, more of a switch. And the on/off position is pretty close to the cold position, if you see what I mean. So if it wasn't adjusted properly, I imagine you might easily be getting permanently hot air.

[manek]

My heater never goes fully cold -- I just close the vents under the dash if it gets too hot. Use the blower knob down under the dash on the far right and it will blast cold air out of the central vents and the one on the right.

[craigalsop]

In this sort of weather, I would expect hot to be really hot, and cold to be lukewarm - try putting the fan on max & waiting a couple of minutes. The air uses the whole passenger wing as an airpipe, so if there are any leaks, or if the silver insulation on the inner wing is degraded, then the air will be warmed more than normal by the heat from the engine bay.

cheers,
Craig