Its getting cold out :?

[ryan26]

I never noticed this before because i didn't use it too often, i probably shoulda checked before i need it though lol..When i have my heat on, i can put it to the defroster and it'll blow hot, or to the floor and it'll blow hot, but when i put it to the vents in the dash, all i get is cold, Ive let it run through the vents for about 5 minutes waiting for it to heat up and it never got any warmer....any ideas on whats wrong?This makes for a cold ride to school everyday

[Guest]

man.. search.. even just a little... about 10 threads down is a "no heat" topic.. http://www.fordfestiva.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3412

[ryan26]

i apologize, i was at school n rushing, anyways, does this mean my cars gonna be an ice cube on wheels all winter?it takes a while to heat her up inside

[Andrew]

the idea back then was that you put it to the floor and the heat rises. it works it just isn't so quick.

[Tim]

When the engine warms up it does a fairly good job of heating the car.

Getting the engine to warm up in subzero temperatures is another story, though....


Regards,

Tim

[nonamekid]

Oh come on now Tim, you live in Texas. Most people in Texas, when they see an electrical plug hanging out of a car, don't know what it is for. These cars warm up fine in subzero weather. Just make sure your thermostat is good and you can wait 5 minutes before you need heat. I keep a blanket in my car though so I don't have to wait.

[Tim]

Yeah, I know....

I'm from Iowa originally and have seen my share of blizzards and freezing temps, though.

I have seen the plugs hanging out of the cars, but I've never seen them on any Festivas...


Regards,

Tim

[gdawgs]

I used to be a waiter at a restaurant located inside a hotel. You wouldn't believe how many times I heard "Wow you guys sure have a lot of electric cars up here" from southerners.

[darkdan]

Last year on one of the neg 40F days in MN I seriously drove 7 miles (highway), idled in a parking lot for 15 minutes, drove 7 miles home, and 7 miles back to work and my car never blew hot air. That's with cardboard in front of the radiator.

Yeah, my the assistant manager picked a great day to wake up late. And I forgot my cell phone at home and I had to go get it.

Tim, I'm originally from Waterloo. I moved up here two years ago.

[gdawgs]

I used to drive 65 miles one way, and on those -40° days, by about the time I got home, the inside of the car was just starting to get almost get comfortable, maybe 50°. You gotta bundle up when you own a Festiva in the north-land.

[HappyMom]

Has anyone tried one of those car heaters you plug in the cig lighter? Are they worth it? They aren't cheap $30 to $50. At that price they'd better blow a lot of hot air

I had planned a floor to center dash heat mod but then hubby said that floor heat was better than dash heat :cry:

[Tim]

Tim, I'm originally from Waterloo. I moved up here two years ago.

Nice to find another Iowan here!!

I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids. Moved to Texas in 2000 b/c of my dad's job.


Regards,

Tim

[gdawgs]

Has anyone tried one of those car heaters you plug in the cig lighter? Are they worth it? They aren't cheap $30 to $50. At that price they'd better blow a lot of hot air

I have never tried a $50 dollar(Canadian or American?) one, but I had a $15 one, and that is worthless! Makes no significant difference as far as cabin temp.

I don't remember what the cig. lighter is fused at, but I'm guessing that you couldn't put enough power through it to run a heater that would make a significant difference.

[nonamekid]

Those plug in heaters are worthless. I work at a auto parts store and we get them back all the time because they don't push out any heat. Get one of the ones you can plug into an extension cord, those push out heat. Mind you, it can only be used while your sitting in the driveway, but it can heat your car before you get in it. Make sure you get one that is designed for cars and not the type for the house.

[qaking]

Recirc/Fresh air lever

You will also want to keep the recirc/fresh air lever in the recirc air position, (middle lever - all the way to the left), in winter time to keep the outside air out! Check that your recirc/Fresh air door is functioning correctly also, you can usually hear it slam shut.

Try this the next time you are driving at highway speeds: with the fan off and the recirc/ Fresh air lever in the Fresh air position, put your hand up to the dash vents and feel how much air comes thru. Now slam the Recirc/Fresh air lever over to the recirc position and feel for air at the vents, if it is working properly, it should have cut the air flow thru the dash vents down drastically.