Heaters what's the "Problem" exactly ..

[JustinMinor1000]

Is it the Matrix is too small or inefficient ? Or is it that there is simply not enough hot water ?

The reason I ask is that I was playing with a Series two landrove the other day and the owner has fitted a a Cavalier heater, Allegedly it clears the windscreen in seconds ..

If such a unit were fitted to a moggie (besides being reversable which is important) would it be likely to give out any more heat than the standard heater?

[Cam]

Yes, if the matrix is a more modern design and larger, then it should give more output. Have you checked yours though? Maybe it's full of crud and not letting much water through. Cleaning it out makes a huge difference. Kate & Nikki did that a while back and there is a video of it on Kate's website.

[catsoup]

My first minor had a great heater. When the car was fully warmed up, it was unconfortable to put a hand for long in the air stream from the heater output. My second minor was very poor, and the air was just warm.

I eventualy nailed the problem to the thermostat. Once replaced it, was as hot as my first minor. This was after replacing the marix because I thought that was the problem.

Nither car was very good at clearing the windows, which I think is more to do with the ducting. However I find that a minor windscreen is easily cleared with a bit of rag I keep in the car for the purpose anyway.

[Cam]

Or by opening the quarterlight...

[JustinMinor1000]

Yes, if the matrix is a more modern design and larger, then it should give more output. Have you checked yours though? Maybe it's full of crud and not letting much water through. Cleaning it out makes a huge difference. Kate & Nikki did that a while back and there is a video of it on Kate's website.

Have I checked it lately .. well I did a year ago .. Unfortuanatly SOCO presently have my car and won't give it back ..

[MikeNash]

Don't you find that in the winter with the heater coming on the first thing that happens is that the screen mists up? Probably a damp heater drying off! Cured by opening the quarter light, of course but then you need to wear a glove on your right hand... And a rag to clear a patch on the screen quick! Mike N.

[Willie]

If you are talking about the last type of heater (with the 3 position
control lever) then we have had long discussions on this and the
answer, certainly for me, was that you disconnect the fresh air intake
trunking where it joins the heater inside the car during the winter.
If you do this and THEN BLOCK OF THE FRESH AIR INTAKE AT THE
FRONT GRILL END you have converted the heater to a recirculatory
system and the increase in efficiency is quite considerable. This is
necessary because, strangely, the late Minor heater had no means
of cutting off the incoming cold air.

[Handy]

My heater was pants until I flushed the entire cooling system. It's now very good! You really do need an 88 degree thermostat to obtain maximum efficiency though.

Ian

[paulg]

My 64 Minor heater was useless at first - very little heat and very little air throughput. Using the electric fan made almost no improvement. Then, when at a scrapyard, I noticed that the air trunking (from the grille) on the scrapped Minor lacked the shredded appearance of mine. No holes, and not "collapsed".
So I bought and fitted it and the heater has since been really hot - and in summer we get a nice cooling blast. OK, only when moving! I have had both warm and cold thermostats in and didn't notice a difference in heat output. I never use the fan.
Windscreen is not cleared by the heater - I think its a ducting problem too.