- My model of MX-5 is: __NC 2.0
- I’m based near: __Luton
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __ heater and interior. Hello newbie here, had first mx5 for a few months and loving it (despite the mid life crisis comments)
Heater is not blowing ‘what I call’ hot, changed thermostat and coolant, heater pipes from engine bay into car get hot after running for a while. I took the glove box out today to see if anything obvious and came across the item in the attached photo. Anyone help what is is? White has a spring inside and a cord not attached to anything. If I pull cord spring retracts. Should the cord be attached to anything? Any help welcome Simon
Just had a look at mine for you, the string attaches to the left side of the glove box. Should have a loop on the end. Seems to be just to dampen the opening speed.
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Thanks very much for quick response. Makes total sense I’ll rig up a fix. Worried it was something vital.
Have you managed to expel all the air from the cooling system. Heater not blasting hot after a stat change suggests an airlock.
Squeeze a few hoses with the front of the car on ramps (nose up) and with the engine running. I also squeezed the larger coolant hoses too, those near the battery box at the front of the engine but don’t touch those with the engine running for obvious reasons.
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Hi I will try that, when I refilled coolant I just one of the high level filler and had plenty of bubbles expelled with engine running. I will try the hoses again thanks very much Simon
Hi all, advice again please, heater is not blowing out hot air, if I turn it to cold it drops down but full up to hot just seems warm. Non a/c.
I know this is a common coolant too low (have completely drained,flushed and burped several times).
Thermostat changed at coolant flush.
Heater pipes at firewall getting hot (ouch)
If I take out glove box and feel bottom of heater unit it’s warm.
I’ve read it could be flap to open heat jammed/stuck and suspect that. Any way to get to it without full dash out?
Thanks in advance
Simon
Can’t help you with anything specific to the ND but more than one I have changed a thermostat and not got much heat because I put the thermostat in the wrong way round, might it be worth checking before you take the dash out ?
Can’t get it wrong on the NC, the stat comes as a complete unit in its housing.
To the OP, where does the temp gauge sit now, should be slightly below the halfway mark and never move once warmed up.
Last one I changed was an ancient Golf, glad to see they only fit one way now.
Yes sits just below halfway on the gauge
Do you have the air recirculate button pressed to on? That’s the centre dial, that’ll just circulate the air inside the car and you won’t feel much heat throwing out of the vents.
After around 3 miles driving you should have heat blasting out everywhere, it can get pretty warm in there full blast, I have to turn mine down so warm even with the top down sometimes.
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This is an important key point.
If BOTH pipes (inlet and outlet) are almost equally hot then there is no air in that part of the cooling system and it is circulating properly. Cross that off the worry list.
If you get a decent blower blast of outside cold air through the interior vents then “Air Intake” actuator and dangly flap are allowing flow, at least not jammed shut, and they and the blower are probably working OK. This is the first one that might suffer from a twig jamming it, on early NC it’s visible from inside behind that white tube (it’s the white bit behind the grille). This flap moves when the Ignition is on and Recirculate mode is selected. Its rest position is Open and your photo shows it Open. OK.
You then need to investigate the absolute utter pain of the “Air Mix” actuator and door (“damper”) which adjusts how much heated air is combined with the unheated air, and it could be as simple as a twig jamming the flap. Clearly the actuator is working if you can feel a difference, but maybe something is preventing full movement.
You might, just possibly, by dropping the blower motor, be able to gain access through its hole to a twig in the pivoting door with a slim hand from below. Easiest done lying on your back in the passenger footwell!
The only pics I have access to at the moment are for the US A/C box which is effectively a mirror of ours with a few other differences too! These could be misleading.
A vacuum cleaner with variable suck, a small nozzle and a long bendy hose might be useful.
Good luck!
Richard, thanks I’m down to your diagnosis that for some reason the mixer door is not opening correctly to add as much hot air as required. It’s in a great place isn’t it? I’ll try to look for debris and the hoover trick. Thanks again