heater not getting hot enough

[len]

hi
am under the impression the heater in stags should get very hot.is this correct ?
i have opened the valve manually on the heaterbut it still doesnt get very hot .
i was planning on using my car during winter but i dont think i can bear the cold !
is this normal ?
len

[Stagdad]

Something is wrong ,the stag heater is very good if working correctly,I would take off both hoses in the engine bay and try blowing through it,i expect it is blocked ,the valve isn't opening properly or you have an air lock .

Cheers Steve

[AlanD]

Hi Len,

it should be like a volcano, mine will burn your legs if you keep them too close, have you tried opening it both ways to get the best, other than that all i can say is to flush the system through. i did notice with mine though when i replaced the seal fully open is not against the stop on the valve, try turning it back a little.

hope this helps

Alan

[jleyton]

The linkage or cable can slip and give you the impression that the valve is fully open. As Alan says, make sure it opens all the way to the stop (disconnect the linkage and turn it manually if necessary) and, as long as the water is getting to it properly, you should have a toasty winter

I had the same problem but now my Stag heater is far better than my modern car.

Cheers

Julian

[milothedog]

Check that the heater valve is moving when you move the lever. if it's not used during the summer it can get stuck and when you go to use it either the cable slips through the clip or the inner cable will bend underneath the radio housing. you will have to take the radio out to check this.

If it is working correctly you should be able slow roast your dinner in the footwells of a Stag

Ian.

[len]

have checked valve and its open ok ,pipes are hot but i certainly wont get burnt legs , maybe heater is knackered. cant see how though .

[Bob Heritage]

Sounds like either a blocked mattrix or an airlock. You could try Rad Flush if it is the mattrix or else it will need replacing.

[ChasR]

I would go with an airlock or blocked matrix too. How hot are your heater hoses? Like most my heater puts a couple of daily drivers to shame, almost making it the perfect winter hack .

Have you changed the coolant? If so how mucky was it?

[len]

thanks
coolant changed regular,clean as a whistle !
must be air lock or matrix ,never really used the car in winter so never bothered with heater until now.i really thought it had to be better than what ive got.
to check for air lock do i simply take hose off heater under bonnet and blow until its clear ?

[AlanD]

did you put the heater slide on the hot position when the coolant was changed Len, not doing this this can cause an airlock in the matrix, i tend to jack the front up too so as the water flows backwards and fill steadily.

just a thought, i had a 5 series and it was a bu---r to fill, heater on hot position, jack it up, fill slowly etc etc

Alan

[len]

yes .heater was on hot

[ChasR]

I filled mine up on the drive with a downward slope. No joke there! I may have checked it however when I had a chance to point the car in the other direction.

What can help is having the correct thermostat. The correct Stag thermostat (which most motor factors do not suggest for the Stag) should have a foot at the bottom for the bypass hose and a jiggle pin (although a 1/16" hole can do the trick drilled into the thermostat) so as to make filling the car with coolant easier. It is said that it is best to put the jiggle pin towards the top (12 O Clock position) when fitting the thermostat.

Here is what I bought :

[len]

yes ,have correct themostat

[Seaking]

maybe check the hoses to and from heater poss kink or restriction inside these small pipes causes poor flow i thought me=ine was broken till i fitted a (stagdad) belt driven water pump now i have burnt legs

[Moraystag]

Check the valve down at your left foot. Mine was warmish for quite a while but never hot hot. I removed the valve, cleaned it out and set it up so that the hole was in line with the piping, basically it previously indicated hot which would should be fully open, but was not fully open, only partially about a 1/3 rd

Mike,