kombi heater

coolaride Casual Dubber

26 posts · joined Apr 2003 · 29 Mar 2005, 9:08 pm

#326968

hey there

did kombis come out with another heater besides the standard one that runs off the heater boxes ? like some sort of electric heater accessory ?

cheers

coolaride

vwtyp2 Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,504 posts · joined Sep 2003 · 30 Mar 2005, 10:28 am

#327225

aircooled kombi's only have the heaterbox heaters.
I've seen advertised in Pommy VW magazines, an electric booster for factory heaters.

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 · 30 Mar 2005, 10:37 am

#327230

Well, not that I know of in Australia. Later Bay kombi's had a booster fan in the engine bay to push more air through the heat exchangers though.
VW did have an optional petrol fired heater in the engine bay that blew hot air into the rear of the cabin.
http://www.espar.com/htm/specials/bn2bn4.htm
http://www.conservatory.com/vw/manuals_nyx/
They can be dangerious if in poor condition.

You can buy small electric heaters, but they either draw way too much current or are not very effective.
Put the effort in to get the stock one working correctly, they are not too bad.
Type 4 heat exchangers are much more effective though and type 1.

mnsKmobi Wolfsburg Wizard

589 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 30 Mar 2005, 11:57 am

#327283

It is actually possible to get enough heat (and tangy engine smell) out of the stock system to stay warm. Things you may want to look at:

- are the heater cables fully opening the flaps on the heater boxes?
- are there any leaks in the various pipes, junction boxes, etc that the heat has to travel through to get to the front?
- are there any gaps leaking fresh air into the cabin at the front? I replaced what was left of the plastic sheets inside the doors with artfully cut pieces of garbage bags sealed around the edge with silastic to top a few annoying cold breezes!
- do you have the booster fan and is it working? It will only run when the engine is running and the heater lever on the dash is full on (or close to it)

coolaride Casual Dubber

26 posts · joined Apr 2003 · 30 Mar 2005, 12:56 pm

#327340

hey thanks guys

that`l keep me busy.

might try and find the booster fan that mnsKmobi mentioned.

cheers

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 · 30 Mar 2005, 2:09 pm

#327401

Looks like you have an early bay kombi (from pic). If you have a type 1 motor, they never had the booster fan that I know of, and they have smaller heat exchangers (same as beetle). They still work fine, but not as good as the larger heat exchangers in a type 4. Type 4 motors also had extra ducting so you could use the booster fan.
😉