26 replies to this topic

[Purple Tom]

Dayzee if its the car in your avatar it looks like an early-ish Mini, in which case keep the heater knob next to the headlight switch pushed IN. If you pull it out you will cut off the hot water from engine, and the heater will blow cold.

Mini's are notorious for having poor windscreen demisters, the best thing to do is have the heater blowing on your feet from the heater (which warms the footwells up, and obviously warm air rises, so it will warm the rest of you up!), and have a cloth handy to keep the windscreen clear until the car is warm.

[Dan]

Here we go again with the heater valve control!

Cars pre 1990, push the knob in for heat.
Cars post 1990, pull the knob out for heat.

That lets the hot water into the heater matrix. If that doesn't work then you have an air lock in the heater which needs to be released.

The blower switch turns the fan on and the distribution lever moves a flap valve inside the heater unit to send air to different parts of the car.

If you have a metal heater casing then the heater is 50% recirculating and so will heat the car up nice and quick. I don't think the later plastic heater case does any recirculating at all.


Minis84, all the mini's I've ever had have had really good screen demisters and cleared the screen in no time at all. If what you mean is that your car has a poor windscreen demister then I might tell you what to do about it if you're very good.

Edited by Dan, 25 November 2005 - 10:53 AM.

[dayzee]

cool - er... Hot.. I mean..

[miniboo]

oops my bad. i have a post 1990 car.

sorry to mislead you dayzee


*stands in the corner with head hanging in shame*

[dayzee]

Here we go again with the heater valve control!

Cars pre 1990, push the knob in for heat.
Cars post 1990, pull the knob out for heat.

That lets the hot water into the heater matrix. If that doesn't work then you have an air lock in the heater which needs to be released.

The blower switch turns the fan on and the distribution lever moves a flap valve inside the heater unit to send air to different parts of the car.

If you have a metal heater casing then the heater is 50% recirculating and so will heat the car up nice and quick. I don't think the later plastic heater case does any recirculating at all.

yeah, mines a D Reg 85/86 - so its Knob In then, which is where it is by default.

Knob In, Switch On, Shove slidey thing to Car/Screen...


(dontcha just love technical jargon!? Ill get better with time..)

[dayzee]

oops my bad. i have a post 1990 car.

sorry to mislead you dayzee


*stands in the corner with head hanging in shame*

no worries.. Mr Dayzee will understand when he's shivering all the way home!!

[Purple Tom]

Minis84, all the mini's I've ever had have had really good screen demisters and cleared the screen in no time at all. If what you mean is that your car has a poor windscreen demister then I might tell you what to do about it if you're very good.

well if its the same mod as I've already done then there's no need. Are you referring to removing the top dash rail and altering the angle of the steel tabs that direct the air to the screen? I've done that so they're angled much further back, and now the screen clears very quickly.

[Dan]

No because they work fine how they are built. I'm talking about adjusting the heater flap valve so that the right amount of air is directed to the screen. Do you by any chance have a metal case heater?

[Purple Tom]

Yes I have a metal case heater. I see what you mean now, do you mean by manually adjusting the heater flap so it doesn't let any air escape through the side and bottom vents on the case? Or by doing some sort of internal modification?

[binge]

My drive way is IN my garden, So I doubt it will get nicked. AND on tickover, the car is quiet, As soon as the throttle is touched, the car is VERY noisy and I can hear it from in my house.
I also leave it ticking over, but lock the door with the spair keys.

Changed the Coil, Wires, HTs and connectors last night. This morning it started great. However, it wasnt really that cold this morning.

I KNOW its not gona start when it snows!

[Jackman]

Yes I have a metal case heater.  I see what you mean now, do you mean by manually adjusting the heater flap so it doesn't let any air escape through the side and bottom vents on the case?  Or by doing some sort of internal modification?

Please do tell, mine only gets a small amount of air though the window vents, the rest goes through the bottm

Keeping it well maintained helps, Mine starts every morning easily (touch wood), just need to change the oil and top up the anti freeze.

[Wil_h]

I've got a 1989 with the pull out for hot system.

Just being pedantic.