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Heater Not Working???
XXX-1.8T - July 7th, 2003 at 02:27 PM

Hey guys my heater isnt working - well it never worked for as long as ive had the cazr but im freezing my nuts off

So im wondering does this cost a lot to get fixed?

Does it take long to get working?

BTW its a 66 Bug with 1300 12v

cheers
Costa....

Bizarre - July 7th, 2003 at 02:42 PM

Costa

U need to get under the car and see if the heater hoses are connected to the heater boxes and if the heater cables are connected (and working)

Are the air hoses connected from the shroud to the heater boxes??

Andy - July 7th, 2003 at 02:45 PM

Hey Costa,
Not sure, but I assume it's similar to my '73 1600TP.
As long as you have all the original gear there it shouldn't be too hard to get it working again.
You need the pipes from the fan shroud to exhaust (in engine bay), stock exhaust (the heat exchange part), the cable operated flaps to turn on/off, the hoses from there to the heater ducts on the body, and all the cables hooked up and adjusted properly.
If not, you will need to get what's missing. The heat exchanges will be the only expensive bit if you can't find good second hand ones.
If it hasn't been used for a long time, be ready for the horrible fumes that will be blown through for a while!!!
They work well and are worth having when set up correctly.
:thumb

XXX-1.8T - July 7th, 2003 at 03:00 PM

I dont know anything to be honest i know that the piping is connected but still no heat, how much do heat exchanges go for?

Cheers
Costa....

Che Castro - July 7th, 2003 at 07:29 PM

well the way it works is that the fan pushes air through the heater boxes (via those hoses coming out of the fan shroud in the engine bay).

The heater boxes basically have the exhaust pipe passing through them, the exhaust pipe is finned. This transfers heat to the air inside the heater box. Basically it is a box with a finned pipe running through it, its a lot like a water to air intercooler.

The air is then pumped through the heater boxes into pipes underneath the rear luggage space. This is connected to the heater channels which are below the door sill. Hoses branch along this on the way, underneat the rear seat supplying heat to the rear passenger footwell, and hoses going up to the windscreen. There are also vents with shutters at the front seat footwell as u know.

The heater boxes have flaps on them with springs which close them. Cables open the flaps, these cables go through the tunnel and end up at the knob next to the gearshift. It is an early beetle so the knob is threaded and an anti-clockwise twist opens them up. It usually takes quite a few turns :)

Thats basically the ins and outs of the heater system in a beetle. The amount of air coming through depends on the fan speed, so basically the faster the engine is spinning the more hot air u get.

Yes the heater is actually half decent for an old car, the defroster does work (at least in our climate). It usually takes about 2 min for the air to get decently hot and about 5-10 for it to heat up the inside nice and cosy in this weather right now.

Before you turn on the heater, make sure that your Donut seals and all your exhaust joints are tight!

MAKE SURE!!! because if you dont, the fan may suck in exhaust fumes and this will end up in the cabin and then in your lungs! Carbon monoxide is a poison! I learnt this the hard way when i first got my car, i just left the heater off after a while.