Heat problem fix!

I think i finally fixed the heat issues in my festiva! When I first bought my festiva (almost 9 years ago) the heat was great in the winter. Then suddenly one winter it wasn't. I froze my knees that winter pretty bad ( hour each way commute and a week of below -30c), then started driving other cars during the winter after that and just drove the festiva in the summer. Then I did quite a bit to try and fix the heat in the fall and winter 2014, drove it that winter but it was still super cold. Worked on it again this fall 2015 but still no luck . ( replaced heater core twice, whole blower box, water pump, coolant flushs,*radiator, rad cap, thermostat, insulated coolant hoses, blocked entire grille) but none of that made much of a difference, it still got*uncomfortable*below -6c ambient. Tons of heat at zero and above, but sharply dropped off going down to -6c. Then the other day i was driving my civic (which has great heat) to my job so i could work on it after hours and my wife had left one of the back windows down just a crack. (crank windows) I was a bit late so i never got out to roll it up but i noticed that i couldn't get the car warm. Then i realized that i have had the back plastic panels and hatch cover out of my festiva for like 5 or 6 years and the rockers and rear bumper area is rusted right through and the wind just blows inside. It looks like its just open from the holes in my rockers to inside the car and i could see out the rear quarter panels pretty good through the holes. Even with the plastic panels on and holes in the rockers it looks like a ton of air would blow in. *So i made a plan and sprayed a whole bunch of*spray foam*into my rockers to re-inforce the rust from the inside (bad idea btw). i removed my rear washer tank and sprayfoamed the holes in my quarter panels up as well which worked. when that was cured i smeared seam sealer over it all on the outside to protect it and also anywhere i thought needed it to hold the rust*together*and plug the holes that were letting the cold air in. Then when that was cured enough i sprayed rock-guard*over the seam sealer on the outside to harden it up a bit as the seam sealer is quite soft. then i took roxaul house insulation and insulated everything i could in the rear quarters and back hatch. then i re-installed the back plastic panels that have been off for half a decade, put plastic over the rear hatch hole and the cover back on it. Then i bought a quilt and put it on the back floor and up the sides.
I just did this and it hasn't been real cold yet but it is definatly way warmer in the 0 to -15c range. it is also a ton quieter! lol, I can hear my radio now. Before i did this i had to have the heat setting on defrost and floor so my face was kinda ok if i had a touque on and my feet were good but my knees and hands were real cold. If i put it just on defrost it would be like there was a cold breeze blowing through my car. Now i can have it just on defrost and its ok and my knees and hands are good when its on both defrost and feet. i can actually take my touque, gloves and knee blanket off while driving now! lol. But i have to wait until it gets real cold to know if this fixed it for sure. I have a feeling that the first winter my car was suddenly cold was the first winter i had the rear panels off.
This morning was -15 and it was comefortable in the car with no snowpants. I even took my gloves off and probably could have taken my touque off too. So i decided to take the temperature of the air blowing out my windshield vents. Should have done it before i insulated the car, but whatever. Anyone want to compare? I used a digital meat thermometer.*
So when it was -3c outside (26f):
145f fan on 3rd speed
150f fan on 2nd speed
160f 3rd speed on recirculate
When it was -10c outside (14f):
138f 3rd speed
142f 2nd speed
150f 3rd speed recirculated air
158 2nd speed recirculate
115f 3rd speed after idling for 2 min.*
When it was -15c outside (5f):
134f 3rd speed
138f 2nd speed
148f recirculate speed 3
133f 2nd speed cruising through town at a low rpm.*
117f lowest it got at a stoplight speed 2.*
It was about 22c (72f) in the car by the passenger seat area. I think thats decent for it being -15 outside, but i never checked what the cabin ambient temp was the other 2 times, it was definatly warmer inside the car when it was -3 and -10 out. I think this insulating made a huge difference. Nothing different except no insulation or back panels at -15 i used to wear a snowpants and blanket over my knees and be cold all the way to work except for my feet which were sweating... Now its nice.*
All the saltwater sitting in there rusted the inside bad. I already vaccumed a ton of salt out before this pic
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906340.183247.jpg
Thats a big hole for wind to come in...
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906405.730278.jpg
That hole from the outside
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906467.918485.jpg
Pass side rocker panel was pretty bad
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906497.995332.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906534.752735.jpg
The insulation i put in drivers side
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906572.507820.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906625.117079.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906662.411198.jpg
Passenger side. You cant really see it but also i seamsealed a ton inside the car cos it rusted through
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906736.998040.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1452906755.920685.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Announcement