The Ford Capri Laser Page

Does anyone have any tips for improving the effectivness of the heater, the fan works fine and the pipes going to the matrix are hot and i have checked for any airlocks that might be in the matrix, yet the air coming out of the vents in no warmer than my breath, and as the weather is getting colder id like something a little warmer!

The driver and passenger vents do not blow hot air - common frustration, they are only fed air from outside which isn't much use this time of year. The heater unit only delivers warm air to either your feet or the window to demist. Since I flushed my matrix out I have to say my feet have been toasty and warm!

I think if you were stationary long enough and there was no wind however, that you may get warm air coming through the main 'vents' but that isn't much use unless you are into dogging.

The heater in mine is shit too . Flushed it , cleaned it , resealed it ( foam tape ) to ensure no air was bypassing the matrix , good water flow , just a shit heater ( my escort one was brilliant ) . The only time it even gets close to warm is slow driving up a steep mountain road ( the crown range ... NZ's highest highway ) .... low road speed and fan motor switched off , but then the air flow was shit ...................needs a bigger matrix

benjames94 wrote:Does anyone have any tips for improving the effectivness of the heater...

Have you tried flushing. I've had two heaters (one replaced as a unit as the fan went), and they have both given off good heat, I'm always surprised when people say they are not very warm (unless you are comparing to a modern car, which you just can't do with something 30 years old). So, if your pipes are hot as you say, then I think I'd try flushing the heater. It's often easier to remove the heater pipes 'further up', i.e. not at the bulk head, connect a garden hose to them and flush both ways. See what crud comes out.

You need to back flush your heater matrix, its easy enough, disconnect the pipes, stick a hose pipe in there and wait till you get clear water I then swap pipes and so on till its really clear! I disconnect the pipes at the engine block and carb end so the risk of damaging the matrix inlet pipes is reduced, they get brittle with age.

Thanks for the help! I did flush it about 5 months ago and got a bit of crap out, will give it another go and see if it helps

So hot air was never meant to come through the vents on the dash, only at the top and bottom ones?

That's....stupid...oh well, 'least i know now and i haven't put it back together wrong.

Mine is lovely and warm as long as i keep the dash vents closed lol.

Arya2.0S wrote:So hot air was never meant to come through the vents on the dash, only at the top and bottom ones?

That's....stupid...oh well, 'least i know now and i haven't put it back together wrong.

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I guess that if we had the option of recirculating air it might help . Dunno about yours but with a bit of road speed there is no need to use the fan motor .It is handy on dusty roads as I figure with the fan on and all that air blasting into the cabin via the heater must pressurise the cabin a bit and it must be getting out thru the holes that dust would normally get in .....sort of . I have 6 km of dusty road to my house and after a week I could grow spuds in Crapi , where as the new Toyota ..... clean as a whistle , but then you don't get a breath of air without the fan motor ( 7 speeds,.... same as the trans I think the japs like '7's .. good fing sway or sommat ). I seem to remember the heater matrix on my Escort was about twice the size of the Crapi one ...... might have to look for an esky heater

Arya2.0S wrote:So hot air was never meant to come through the vents on the dash, only at the top and bottom ones?

Yes, that's right. It's just the way it is on these old cars. Close those vents and the cabin should become nice and warm and mist free.