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Re. the heater discussion: There are a lot of different opinions about the heating system in Type 3's. So, I thought I'd compare some of them. SOME ARE COLD.... Gregory Merrit wrote: > My heater does great around 50F, even around 40F or so. Once >below freezing, though, my car doesn't get properly warm inside when >driving around town. Note that a previous owner removed the cooling air >control flaps & thermostat, so this is certainly making things colder than >they could be. When the temperature is near 0F (approx. -15C), you won't >really notice that the heat is on while driving around town. It is more >comfortable inside the car than out, but you'll be cold. It will >(eventually!) warm up at highway speeds when it's this cold. > Another big factor, particularly when the temperature is a lot >below freezing, is air leaks in your seals. With a little bit of wind >outside, combined with bone-chilling temperatures, a one-inch missing >segment of door seal along the bottom edge of the door will *not* go >unnoticed... > I should also add that I have headers on my car, which have >eliminated the smaller pair of heat exchangers. :( Toby Erkson wrote: >For my tastes I don't think the T3 heater puts out enough heat. Others >I've talked to say theirs is fine. ??? .... AND SOME ARE WARM (EVEN FRIED, SOMETIMES): Sonya Herrera-Wilson wrote: >The heater in my '71 Fastback warms up the car within a few blocks. Thats >just using the heater and the rear seat vents. When I open up the floor >vents I need to be sure there isn't anything near the vents as whatever it >is will be toasted. >Once when my husband was driving and we had all heater vents open, I was >sitting in the passenger side and my right foot was near the vent. When we >got out of the car, my sneaker had started melting! Keith Park wrote: >The T3 has rear heater boxes that the Bug don't. This means more hot air, and >if you put the front boxes side to side the T3's are longer (more time for >the air to get hot. > I can set fire to the rear passengers shoes on the highway, Quite literally >I smelled something burning in the front one day, Oh no! something electrical?,` >should I pull over? Wait **snif snif** its not electrical OH ITS MY LEFT >SHOE!!! > If you dont have enough heat somethings plugged or rusted out! And: > Well 1 peice of data, I drove home from buffalo once a few years ago >(about 4.5 hrs) it was -3F and I was toasty! the leaver was maybe 1/4 way >up, thats all. OK around town at those temps took a while to really warm up >and if your stuck in traffic (low rpm) it WONT warm up inside but thats what >the Gas heater is for. too bad they didn't sell them in the states. Theo Thepen wrote: >The heater system of a type 3 is adequate, period. As Hanno mentioned >it's darn cold overhere at the moment, but my notchback heats up faster >than my Volvo. The reason some people complain about it is that they >don't maintain it properly. As was said on this list before, ya got make >sure no hot air is leaking from the different ducts and tubes. Open a >window !!! preferably a rear pop out to get a good airflow. If you want >to defrost or defog (?) the windshield, close all outlets apart from the >ones under the window and also open the freshair outlets under the >window. If you want lots of heat, open all hot air outlets, especially >the ones in the back as they give the most and hottest air (no cooling >down in the heater ducts when they are -15 celsius. Yes indeed, watch >your passengers feet, they can get fried. Another thing to avoid, which I >learned from my own experience: never ever put a spraycan behind your >seat. Guess what happened after about 15 minutes??? BBAANNGGGG, it >exploded, scaring the living daylights out of me and making a pretty mess >in the back. Steven Ayres wrote: >Sonya >You may be missing the cool-air control flaps and thermostats that >regulate output heat. These are located in the mixer boxes ahead of the >large heat exchangers, where the big ducts plug in. In theory they hold >output air temp to about 70F. Jim Kepner wrote: >>I think we are missing something as our heater works too good! I usually >>have to turn it off as it gets too hot! >Perhaps you should check to make sure that the two ~1" paper hoses are >installed from the engine up to the heater junction boxes (just as the heat >enters the body. These mix fresh air with the heated air and >thermostatically limit the max temp of the heated air entering the passenger >compartment. >OTOH, what you are experiencing may just be the normal Type III heater. >They were VERY good when the cars were new. Aaron Britcher wrote: >I have never had a Type 3 with a bad heater set up ever and I have had >maybe six or seven road going T3's with heaters. I flick the 'S' heaters >on and instantly I am winding down the windows to cool down. What is the >deal, am I lucky or do you all have corroded or rusted out heater box's. >I have thrown a lot of early heater box's out so I don't know. Jason Renville wrote: > The heating system in a Type 3 is better than one in a bug. They are > still not the best in the world but At least one step above a bug. I guess we can conclude it is the same as with all air-cooled VWs: either one's car has a very old (leaky heat exchangers, missing hoses, etc.) or non-standard system, so it does not work properly (Usually, the car is blamed, but gladly some also blame themselves). And If one has repaired/replaced most parts, some can literally fry themselves. Of course it's also a matter of being cold-blooded or not, and if you need a heater geographically speaking. The lesson I learned is that if you want to keep warm, fix your heating system and you will! Hanno Spoelstra <H.L.Spoelstra@WbMt.TUDelft.NL> Bloemendaal, The Netherlands