Putting heating back into a car

[MikeyC]

Thanks guys, and no problem James if you want to link it to the 'How To's'. If it's becoming official, I'd better add a few extra notes and observations (and health and safety warnings!), now that I've had the chance to take the car for a few drives and explore this luxurious new feature:

- Before taking it out for the first time, make sure it's well warmed up with windows and doors open, give it as many throttle blips as needed to 'clean out the pipes' as it were. I got quite a bit of white smoke from moisure/cleaning fluid/old oil or whatever coming through EVERY vent hole AND the exhaust pipe at first, which took quite some time to burn off/run through.

If you're not expecting it, it's quite an alarming sight, and you don't want to be in the car whilst it's happening. If you're using brand new exchangers, then you probably won't have this problem, but if you do, start it up outside, and advise the growing crowd of concerned onlookers that it's nothing to worry about and it will all be ok in a minute!

- Once you're happy that it's cleared, make sure you're not in your best tuxedo and you've something to protect your eyes (safety glasses, specs or shades). The first time I accelerated through 5000rpm with the top screen vents open all sorts of debris came flying up out of the dash straight into my face and lap. Hilarious! Get used to wiping the dash, brushing yourself down and vacuuming the interior regularly until x years of accumulated debris in unused heater channels has all cleared out.

- I can now play tunes on the rear demister jets! They seem to transmit a fair amount of engine noise into the cabin, which is not surprising when you consider they are now plumbed into a direct acoustic path from the exhaust. Depending on the position of the lever by the handbrake, I can affect how much noise comes through. I should point out that at the moment I don't have the correct engine bay insulated tubes feeding into the demister jets, just thin-wall flexible air pipe. I suspect the right tubes would help to reduce the noise levels here. Something else for the next shopping list, but in the meantime, hilarious fun on any journey, a practical alternative to the sound from an original radio, and years ahead of modern synthetic engine sound generators.

- Finally, the performance of the system is REALLY GOOD. Heat output at motorway speeds is really, really hot, and I would be concerned about keeping anything heat sensitive anywhere near an open sill vent, it's almost too hot to touch when the flapper valve is fully open and the engine is working hard. Closing the vents also doesn't appear to fully stop the warm air flow immediately, not sure if that's because there isn't a complete shut-off seal at the flapper valve, or if just takes some time for the residual heat through the pipes to dissipate. Need to experiment with this a bit more at other speeds and with the valve closed for longer.

- At the other end of the performance envelope, with a cold start and nothing more than idle speed directly into queuing traffic for 20 mins at about 5 deg ambient with windows closed, conditions that would previously have misted up both front and rear screens and kept me in multiple layers, the front screen cleared well and cabin warmed up to comfortable levels very quickly - quicker than waiting for coolant fluid to heat up in one of those newfangled water-cooled things, that's for sure. Rear screen took longer, just two clear patches around the nozzles at first, then after about 10 minutes the row of cabin air exit apertures at the back of the roof also started to help clear the screen from the outside, which was a bonus I wasn't expecting.

Overall, some pretty successful first drives, and now looking forward to much more enjoyable winter use! As a rookie heater operator, interested to hear how my initial experiences compare with any other cold weather users of the SWB heating system, and if it ever really shuts off in the summer!

All the best,

Mike.