2 replies to this topic

[paulray]

This might possibly be the most rediculous question anyone has ever asked on a forum!!! Sorry!

I have a 1986 998 auto that I have just bought. I used to have a very similar auto mayfair but have an extra knob next to all my light switches. Right next to the headlight switch there is a knob that pulls out exactly the same as the choke knob. It has 3 little flames on it. I presumed it was the heater control. It pulls a cable that is attached to a valve on the front left of the engine.

When I bought the car, that cable has actually slipped from the valve so was just hanging free and not controlling the valve. The heater system in the car works, it blows air, but not hot! I have connected the cable back to the valve so that it opens and shuts but this doesn't seem to affect the heating!

I know this is probably a rediculous question and you will probably all be laughing but some help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[charliedurrant]

I know this is probably a rediculous question and you will probably all be laughing but some help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Not a stupid question at all. It is probably blocked at the valve or along the heater matrix line. I removed mine about 2 months ago and it was completely blocked with crud. I would:

1) Take off the pipe going to the valve - not a lot of water will come out.
2) Connect a hose pipe to the tupe you took off with a simple hose connector or a bit of copper pipe. Ideally seal the connections with jubilee clips else they will leak...
3) Connect a piece of hose to the valve and then to a bucket. Open the valve (move it towards the front of the engine bay)
4) Gently turn on the hose / mains water and collect the first 3 litres in the bucket (anti freeze mix)
5) Once the first 3 litres are gone, let the hose drain to the floor.
6) Up the water pressure and remove the radiator cap
7) Kink the hose you have draining to the floor and let some water come out of the top of the radiator
8) Unkink the hose and then you will see more brown crud draining out
9) Repeat 7) and 8) until you don't see any crud
10) Remove your temporary piping
11) On the valve add some grease to the valve rod that moves in and out of the valve and move the valve back and forth a few times to make sure it all moves freely
12) Connect the pipe back (cut off the end if its not so good)
13) Start the engine with the radiator cap off, wait 1 minute, and fill up the rad (you probably wont need to) to just above the top of the cores of the radiator.
14) Repeat 13 if required - ideally you wait for as long as you can before things start to get hot...!
15) Replace the cap and get the egine to normal temperature and see if you get hot air in the car. If not check the pipe you took off to see if it's hot. If not have a
beer and come back here. If it's okay you need to get some antifreeze in there.

Getting antifreeze back in.... you've got to drain off a litlre of water and replace it with glycol. Come back and we can advise on that step if all is well.

Charlie

[paulray]

Excellent, I'll give it a go and let you know.

Thank you so much!