Heater Not Hot Enough [Archive]

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Oka

11-21-2013, 08:18 PM

Just flushed the system clean and replaced with new coolant and thermostat.
The dealer gave me the thermostat that would be "right" for my cold region.
I filled up with Peak coolant.

Driving home from work at about 1 degree F for about twelve minutes at full fan blast would not give me a 'hot' car,
but just kinda warm. From experience in this region, after remote starting the car, after at least five minutes,
I should have the fan on at midway on the dial.

What's happening here?
Thanks.

JRL

11-21-2013, 09:21 PM

First, if it's cold it takes at least 7-10 minutes for the coolant to warm up
USE MANUAL control not automatic
Make sure your diffuser is set to floor or floor and middle
Next set the temp to full hot, when it gets too hot back it down to where you want it
They're all a bit different, your thermostat may need calibration.

Lastly, there is no such a thing as a thermostat that's "right for your region"
Get a proper Volvo thermostat, there is only ONE thermostat

Oka

11-21-2013, 11:59 PM

Well, five minutes of pre-warmup (remote started) and another fifteen minutes to home and it is still not hot, does not sound right.
I have used all combinations possible (seldom use automatic mode). The temp is set to the highest, the fan to the highest, and still
not hot enough to turn down.

The thermostat was from the Volvo dealer, about a month old. As much as I know about thermostats, there are two temperature types.
One would be better for colder region and the other for warmer climate . . . maybe Volvo does not have that choice.

I don't think I should keep to high fan, loud, annoying. Something is surely not functioning as should. The outside temp has just gotten
down to around 1 degree F and wonder what would happen when it gets to the -20 degree temperature.

I sure will find the reason.

Astro14

11-22-2013, 02:33 AM

nickbw

11-22-2013, 06:48 AM

Why Peak coolant? Why not Volvo? Further, how well did you flush out the old coolant? Not all coolants are compatible...

If the thermostat is working correctly (a guess, not all new parts work right), then I would guess that you've got blocked flow...which could have been caused by chemical incompatibility between old and new coolant causing a gel to form in the system. This has happened to many Mercedes owners, and the Mercedes coolant is an organic acid like Volvo's...

I would give Astro credit. In all my watching this site he has a pretty good track record of being both constructive and close to damn perfect in his diagnoses. All I can add is that through all the Volvo s I have had they have never had weak cooling sytems, water pumps or systems vulnerable to poor corosion inhibition. BUT, four years ago I had to take my youngest to a party at a venue in the country 20 miles from home.The weather was unseasonably hot (nice) but the vehicle was in great shape service wise - I am an ex empoyee of a multi-franchise dealer operation and during my working life have witnessed how the warantee department is the biggest customer of all (this was Renault not Volvo) so I do most all my own work and I overdo the service rather than skimp it, in the belief that thorough maintenance pays dividends. It was socially/emotionally very significant for my daughter as it was a birthday party for a close friend of a school chum. The school is a boarding school and the girls (although day pupils are very close) being girls, they all follow a certain protocol. Wel,l my XC which has coped everywhere from frost, snow, rain and shine overheated on the journey to such an extent I had to turn it off and wait ages (in terms of an hour or so) before it was safe to re-start the journey. Long story short vehical had to be recovered to prevent overheating causing real damage. The fix turned ot to be simple a new coolant thermostat. I replaced the coolant with Volvo spec coolant. I also disconnected the oil cooler hoses to the engine oil cooler because I have read that this is the point at which coolant fall out occurs, and this is not cleared by a so called coolant flush. The hoses are accessible but replacing the original coolant clips Otiker (or something like) is fiddly and difficult; if you don't have the correct tools. But I can say that more than any other mark I have found Volvos will start and function very reliably in any weather provided you do not cut corners on coolant spec or type and ensure the coolant is replaced at the specified intervals. That, in itself is not a claim that can be met by the majority of car marks. When I get the opportunity, I am taking my daughter to Sweeden for a holiday, in the depths of Nordic winter via Europe and the Oresund bridge. I am entirely confident that my elderly XC's cooling system will provide plenty of heat via the climate control, with no need to run the recirculation fan to agrivating levels. I bought my first Volvo on the strenghth of a near sub zero winter because, after several weeks sitting in a used car lot, it started, warmed up and worked correctly and felt very comfortable within a few minutes of turning the key.

JRL

11-22-2013, 07:57 AM

You need to break up that one paragraph, VERY hard, no IMPOSSIBLE to read.

Anyway the OP neglected to mention his year and mileage.
As Astro said, many things could be causing this but also a generally clogged (if original) heater core could be the issue.
The CCM thermostat may be way off (especially if it's an 01-02) so no matter how far to the right the knob is turned it only thinks it's calling for low temperatures. It may need calibration (at Volvo or by VIDA)
At 1 degree F any heater is going to take a while to heat up. Try driving this for 20 minutes and see.
I'll tell you my 07 in our current weather takes a good 10 minutes or 5-8 miles of highway diving to start to get really hot

Also a 5 minute warm up means nothing at that temp, try a 15 minute warm up and report back

Oka

11-22-2013, 01:59 PM

Guess "OP" means 'original post(er)". Acronym are really nice but when one reads an old post with some great information and embedded with acronyms one can't recognize, we can't go back to ask what the initials mean. Kinda scratched my head to figure out what it meant (am from the old school era).

I thought the signature is there to show what equipment in reference. I have the car, year and mileage there.

I would accept that the heater core could be an issue. Don't know what the "CCM" means, but whatever it might be, I got the thermostat from the Volvo dealer. I have dealt with lots of thermostats and don't know one needs to calibrate it. I thought it has always been plug-and-play. I have a VIDA tool (can I check it with it)?

Guess I am new to Volvo which has a different system. Having lived here for more than twenty two years now, a five minute remote warm up gives me some warmth and even melts the ice on the windshield if any. It's just at above zero degree.

Driving it for twenty minutes would have taken me home to find out. Usually, by the time I get to the second light, I would have to turn the fan knob down (in the other cars I have been used to). Again, I have done a twenty-two minute drive and had the fan to full blast and still it was not hot (can't even enjoy the music with the fan that high all through).

The differences from then to now are, I flushed the system and replaced the old thermostat. I feel that the Peak coolant or the new thermostat would be the culprit.

I'll keep searching for solutions!

JRL

11-22-2013, 03:20 PM

Climate control module
The 2006 V70R I just sold was a great P2 but I had to turn the thermostat to 75 -80 to get ANY heat at all when usually 68 will easily suffice.

I had the CCM (Climate Control Module) calibrated at the dealer during the oil change and now it's normal.
This takes 5 minutes, dealer charged me nothing.

I don't know if this is your problem or not but it helps to have this properly calibrated
I've had 2001s where I had to turn it all the way to the right to get any heat (before calibration).

I suggest you get in the XC either tonight or tomorrow and just drive it.
If you get full hot heat at some point, note the time and the mileage that it took and report back.
(Set one of the trip odometers to 0 and check your watch or clock at start up)

Oka

11-22-2013, 04:34 PM

Will do that, probably tomorrow. Today is the first very icy roads we have and hopefully the roads with clear up by tomorrow.
As soon as I can do that comfortably (even with the studded tires) I will report back.

JRL, when you mentioned "calibrated" I thought you were referring to the physical thermostat and that was why I mentioned the "plug-and-play".

Thanks.

billr99

11-23-2013, 07:11 AM

CCM calibration is available via VIDA/DiCE. Takes less than a couple of minutes to do. Basically hit the button in VIDA and it does it. Done.

Cheers,

Bill

Oka

11-23-2013, 08:47 AM

CCM calibration is available via VIDA/DiCE. Takes less than a couple of minutes to do. Basically hit the button in VIDA and it does it. Done.

Cheers,

Bill

Sure I can do that. Would you remember which of the menu (on VIDA/DiCE) to go to do the calibration?

Thanks.

JRL

11-23-2013, 09:22 AM

You have to find some things for yourself!
(I don't know the answer).

It's Sat morning, did you take it out for a longer drive as I suggested you do first?

Oka

11-23-2013, 12:24 PM

Well JRL, if I could find all answers by myself, I would not waste my damn time on forums. I am not perfect, I join forums for answers so do you. You have asked questions here too. Besides, my question was to billr99 and not you. We all (maybe just me) sometime feel it's relevant to get to somewhere quicker. The application memu is not that easy to understand. I maybe computer servy, but still would like to know what area (tab) to find it. I must admit the VIDA/DICE application is not that easy to fully comprehend especially when one is very new with it. I have googled and found some links to read - may not be relevant but will still read them. In life, a little directives won't hurt, would it?

No "Sir", your "majesty" I know it's Saturday morning, and I don't have to take the ride when you want me to. I have a family and two little ones also. In my house, family comes first! The car is not an emergency and it's chilling cold in the early mornings in my region; and why the rush on a Saturday morning after a long busy week? I get to it when I get to it. Is this an issue?

JRL

11-23-2013, 12:33 PM

I just wanted you to take it on a longer drive to see if it heats up FULLY after a certain amount of time.
Then we can try to rule out of it's something in the cooling system itself, the CCM or it's just plain too cold out to heat up that quickly

Oka

11-26-2013, 11:24 AM

Could get to it this morning. Unfortunately, the dash says it was 30degrees, not cold enough, for our standard, just had to do it.

Dropped my daughter to school, about half a mile, back to the highway exit, stopped, set the mileage to zero and too off at full blast at about 50MPH (icy highway). I did some ten minutes, exited, stopped then back on the highway back. Total to the office was about twenty miles.

At full blast, the inside temp was not hot, it was really warm. For outside temp, the setting would have been not higher than the half mark or a quarter way. At ten/fifteen degrees below, the current heat won't be efficient enough.

Bye the way, for this test, I purposely parked the car outside overnight.
Thanks.

JRL

11-26-2013, 11:56 AM

It's probably OK
I went out a couple of days ago at 6:00 AM, 19 degrees (F) outside!
It took a solid 10-15 minutes at speed to start to warm the interior up

Oka

11-26-2013, 12:22 PM

Where was your air flow at full blast?

I noticed this issue after flushing and replacing the thermostat bout a month ago. Owned the car since March of this year.

sjonnie

11-26-2013, 12:42 PM

The CCM thermostat may be way off (especially if it's an 01-02) so no matter how far to the right the knob is turned it only thinks it's calling for low temperatures.
When turned completely to hot there is no thermostatic control over the air temperature, it just blows all the air through the heater core. Thermostatic control comes through blending fresh cold air with hot air to get the right temperature. Assuming the cooling system is adequate, the engine heats up quickly and the coolant pipes to the heater core are nice and hot indicating the core is working fine, it may be that you have a stuck or broken blend door such that you always have a mix of cold and hot air coming through the vents. At Alaska temperatures that would always feel like it's not getting hot enough.

Astro14

11-28-2013, 05:50 AM

Was out last night in Stowe, VT in a friend's 2005 XC...at 20F, it took about 3 minutes of driving before heat was felt, but I had the temp knobs full right/CW....in less than 5 miles, engine temp was normal and heater was hot.

skibo

01-14-2014, 08:17 AM

I suspect a partially clogged heater core - a problem I'm dealing with these days. Suggest warming up car to normal temp, turning heater blower on full for several minutes, and then feel the inlet and outlet hoses going through the fire-wall. If the temp is significantly different, then I think the core is plugged.

ironmike

01-06-2018, 07:08 AM

Silvestris66

01-06-2018, 09:49 AM

For me, in the past with various cars, having the heater not getting hot enough or taking a long time to work was a symptom of a leaky thermostat in the engine's cooling system. Ideally, you want hot water circulating through the engine and heater core before the route to the radiator opens. At least that's always what I'd try first.