Topbannana Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 Hi again, sorry to be such an incompetent female who needs supporting and nursing every couple of weeks but here goes (again!)......... My heater is broken (my husband is a heating engineer and reliably informs me that central heating only ever packs up in weather like this, I guess this is a similar thing!) When I turn the dial up it makes all the right noises but puffs out very little air even when on number 4. What does come out is only luke warm even after driving for an hour or more. I have a Haynes manual but have concluded that it is of no use whatsoever to me AT ALL. I have read and re-read the relevant section but the book assumes you have a little knowledge in the beginning (wrong!!!) It tells me many things but not why my car is freezing, in essence I need some sort of diagnostic advice to tell me what is most likely to be the problem, then use the manual to see if this is the case etc etc. We have checked the water levels (fine) and the engine is fine, temperature needle goes up as normal so my stunning logic leads me to assume it is only to do with the heating? Can anyone supply me with any pointers or advice on other stuff made for over enthusiastic, over optimistic folk like me? Once again, many thanks, TopBannana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco Sam Posted December 22, 2009 Share Posted December 22, 2009 totally unsure of freelanders but i'll give it a shot firstly is something electrical isn't working properly always check the fuse first (my little pug 306 the fan's are always partially on even with the fuse removed) so check the fuse. secondly does the car overheat at all? the gauge even go a little higher then what you are used to? if so it could be that thermostat is stuck closed meaning that the hot water can't circulate properly(to test this look in the haynes book of lies and find out how to remove the thermostat, then when you have it out put is in a boliling pot thingy make sure it is compleatly covered with water then get it to boil and you should see the innerds of the stat move if it is still working, if they don't move then get a new stat in there and problem should be fixed) when you put a stat back in don't forget to bleed the coolent system to get all the air out now this is all a total guess and i'm hoping that the coolent/heating system on a freelander is plummed the same as other car's i've worked on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viorelluta Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Hi, there are (I think) the following possible issues: a)if the airflow is low (you say only some "puffs" come out when the knob is set to 4) then probabily the fan is broken, or some mechanical obstacles stop the air; this, I'm afraid, can only be solved by a specialist. The fan must be measured first; unfortunately I don't know how, never did it. It can be a simple problem such as a wire disconnected. Is there any change in the air flow when switching from 1 to 2, 3, 4? If not, then the vent is broken (or not powered). b) once the airflow problem is solved, if the temperature is also low, then for some reason the coolant flowing inside the pipes is cold; a possible reason could be the thermostat, which stays closed (but this depends on the engine/model you have). good luck viorel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EggNChips Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Hi again, sorry to be such an incompetent female who needs supporting and nursing every couple of weeks but here goes (again!)......... My heater is broken (my husband is a heating engineer and reliably informs me that central heating only ever packs up in weather like this, I guess this is a similar thing!) When I turn the dial up it makes all the right noises but puffs out very little air even when on number 4. What does come out is only luke warm even after driving for an hour or more. I have a Haynes manual but have concluded that it is of no use whatsoever to me AT ALL. I have read and re-read the relevant section but the book assumes you have a little knowledge in the beginning (wrong!!!) It tells me many things but not why my car is freezing, in essence I need some sort of diagnostic advice to tell me what is most likely to be the problem, then use the manual to see if this is the case etc etc. We have checked the water levels (fine) and the engine is fine, temperature needle goes up as normal so my stunning logic leads me to assume it is only to do with the heating? Can anyone supply me with any pointers or advice on other stuff made for over enthusiastic, over optimistic folk like me? Once again, many thanks, TopBannana Hi if it's making noises, you can assume that the motor is running, maybe one of the cables has broken at the control knobs and it's in between settings, like inbetween the bit for the screen and the dash vents if you know what I mean???? The other option would be that the fan has become detatched from the motor, pretty uncommon tho. If the air is only luke warm, is the temp gauge on the dash reading in the middle? If not then it's probably just the thermostat. If the gauge is climbing properly then it's probably a blocked or air locked heater matrix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol209 Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 When I turn the dial up it makes all the right noises but puffs out very little air even when on number 4. Remove or change the pollen filter and check that the air intake grille is clear. I assume the fan gets louder as you turn it up and the fuse doesn't blow in the process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookdale31 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 This has happened to me. Now it could be that the trunking from the heater matrix has come adrift and the air the fan is sending out is just dispersing under the dash but it might be that the cable is stuck between two settings. Now listen very carefully because I'm going to get very technical. Get down under the dash from the passenger door and hit the the heater unit as hard as you can with your hand or something heavy but soft. It worked for me using the handle of a rubber hammer. It may take a couple of strikes but it should free the mechanism. Please don't be tempted to use anything more solid because you'll break the casing permanently. Be warned though, it'll happen again unless you get it sorted properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topbannana Posted January 10, 2010 Author Share Posted January 10, 2010 Well it was too cold to poke about, I didn't fancy plonking my delicate bottom on the road so I ignored it for a while. Then it got REALLY cold and I got desperate so we took the most technically complex route first. Thanks Brookdale31, walloping it seems to have done the trick nicely for now What a great forum!! TopBannana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zippo105 Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 try reversing the heater hoses so the flow goes the other way so many peaple use leak stopper with the head gasket problems it bungs the heater up so the heater matix becomes clogged up try adding coolent flush as well so the matix gets cleaned inside.better flow more heat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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