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1998 Fiesta - How To Disconnect The Heater


TheOptimist
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My apologies if this is in the wrong forum. I believe that this is most appropriate, and given the fact I need to do this by tomorrow hopefully the high traffic should yield an answer. Hello to everyone.

I have an R reg, 1998, 1.25ltr Fiesta Ghia.

I found recently that my heater was stuck on hot. This would not be a problem, if it were not for the fact that air seeps through the vents even when the blower isn't on, as is the case in numerous cars. It gets very hot very quickly inside the cabin. I thought it was probably the heater control valve.

I took it to a Ford dealer (the only place that could do it yesterday, I need the car by afternoon tomorrow) and they diagnosed the problem as the heater control panel. They then wanted to charge me £290 for parts and labour. I promptly said no (thieving sods). I then asked him whether I could disconnect the heater completely, so it's impossible for hot air to get near the vents. I can keep the blower off but as long as air can bleed through the vents it still gets hot. He said that I could disconnect the two tubes in the picture I've annotated below, then attach them together with a cheap pipe connector from B&Q, and this would stop any air getting to the vents whatsoever.

Can someone confirm for me that this would work? I'm sorry to say that I find it hard to trust someone who just tried to charge me almost £300 for replacing the heater control panel on my car.

Thank you in advance.

Here are the two types he said I should unclip, then connect them together;

p0608101916.jpg

Here is where they are in the engine bay;

p060810191601.jpg

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if you could find pipe fittings of the correct diameter then it would work, the coolant passes through what is essentially just a radiator so you will just be bypassing this. you will need to top up and bleed the cooling system though

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if you could find pipe fittings of the correct diameter then it would work, the coolant passes through what is essentially just a radiator so you will just be bypassing this. you will need to top up and bleed the cooling system though

I thought it was just air going through those pipes!

Is topping up/bleeding the cooling system a big job? And why exactly would I have to do it?

Thanks for the reply.

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I thought it was just air going through those pipes!

Is topping up/bleeding the cooling system a big job? And why exactly would I have to do it?

Thanks for the reply.

those pipes pass coolant through the heater matrix, which is where the fan gets its heat from, by blowing air through it.

bleeding isnt a big job but its important to get it right or you could cause the engine to overheat and do some serious damage.

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Hi

Why disable the heater ? totally wasteful.

Go on eBay and buy a used working heater board and a new heater valve and replace them.

I can certainly tell you that having had a car without a working heater (1969 morris minor) That its total madness what you are planning.

You will probably freeze to death in winter. The windscreen will not be able to be demisted properly.

Jamie

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Hi

Why disable the heater ? totally wasteful.

Go on ebay and buy a used working heater board and a new heater valve and replace them.

I can certainly tell you that having had a car without a working heater (1969 morris minor) That its total madness what you are planning.

You will probably freeze to death in winter. The windscreen will not be able to be demisted properly.

Jamie

i think the big give away is that he needs the car for tomorow afternoon and doesnt want to roast himself, a quick fix will do until he can source the parts required and get time to fit them

what size are those pipes? you can get hose clamps that you could fit on one of the hoses to stop or heavily restrict the flow of coolant?

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I should have gone to spec savers.

Jamie

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I should have gone to spec savers.

Jamie

i need to go :lol:

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i think the big give away is that he needs the car for tomorow afternoon and doesnt want to roast himself, a quick fix will do until he can source the parts required and get time to fit them

what size are those pipes? you can get hose clamps that you could fit on one of the hoses to stop or heavily restrict the flow of coolant?

The pipes are about 2cm diameter. They are also flexible, so clamping them and stopping the flow would be doable.

I take it that if I did this I wouldn't have to flush the coolant? And that there would be no adverse effects in terms of overheating etc?

I'm hesitant to bleed the coolant because I can't afford for the car to overheat tomorrow if I do it wrong (which there is a good chance I would). Also, the ford main dealer didn't say anything about draining the system, he just said to connect them. It's not that I don't trust you Stef, and thank you very much for your opinions, but I have two people I don't really know telling me that I have to do different things!

Edit: I've got a massive amount of driving to do in the next few days, so I'll need a solid fix - not one that can just let me limp to the garage!

James - when I have some time I intend to get the heater fixed as you say, but I don't have the time right now.

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The pipes are about 2cm diameter. They are also flexible, so clamping them and stopping the flow would be doable.

I take it that if I did this I wouldn't have to flush the coolant? And that there would be no adverse effects in terms of overheating etc?

I'm hesitant to bleed the coolant because I can't afford for the car to overheat tomorrow if I do it wrong (which there is a good chance I would). Also, the ford main dealer didn't say anything about draining the system, he just said to connect them. It's not that I don't trust you Stef, and thank you very much for your opinions, but I have two people I don't really know telling me that I have to do different things!

Edit: I've got a massive amount of driving to do in the next few days, so I'll need a solid fix - not one that can just let me limp to the garage!

James - when I have some time I intend to get the heater fixed as you say, but I don't have the time right now.

i dont think its the dealer being dishonest, he just isnt letting on about all the work invovled, and airlock in the cooling system is bad news. you dont need to drain the system, not fully anyway but disconnecting those hoses will result in lost coolant.

there will be no adverse affects in bypassing or blocking the flow of coolant into the heater matrix, after all when you have the heater control on cold there shouldnt be any flow of air over the matrix or if it has a heater control valve then no flow of coolant through it

your looking for something like this - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sykes-Pickavant-Hose-Clamp-Plier-Set-3-Pce-New-/310165780399?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item48375237af

clamping the hose is the quickest and easiest fix i can think for you to do, providing it doesnt damage the hose there will be no issues.

got a Halfords local to you? they sell one of these clamps although i cant gaurantee it will open wide enough for a 20mm diameter hose

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i dont think its the dealer being dishonest, he just isnt letting on about all the work invovled, and airlock in the cooling system is bad news. you dont need to drain the system, not fully anyway but disconnecting those hoses will result in lost coolant.

there will be no adverse affects in bypassing or blocking the flow of coolant into the heater matrix, after all when you have the heater control on cold there shouldnt be any flow of air over the matrix or if it has a heater control valve then no flow of coolant through it

your looking for something like this - http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sykes-Pickavant-Hose-Clamp-Plier-Set-3-Pce-New-/310165780399?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Hand_Tools_Equipment&hash=item48375237af

clamping the hose is the quickest and easiest fix i can think for you to do, providing it doesnt damage the hose there will be no issues.

I think I'm going to go for the clamping option.

Do I need to clamp both of the pipes or just one of them?

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I think I'm going to go for the clamping option.

Do I need to clamp both of the pipes or just one of them?

just the one of them, you are just trying to interrupt or stop the flow of coolant. one of them is a feed and the other is a return.

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just the one of them, you are just trying to interrupt or stop the flow of coolant. one of them is a feed and the other is a return.

Great. Thanks a lot Stef, you've been a big help.

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Great. Thanks a lot Stef, you've been a big help.

no worries mate, let us know how you get on :)

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no worries mate, let us know how you get on :)

It didn't work I'm afraid. I clamped off the relevant hose, went driving and within 30 seconds I had to pull over before the temperature went into the red.

I suppose it makes sense really, clamping part of the house will cause pressure lock in the rest of the system. A full bypass is needed to keep the flow. No great catastrophe, I'm just in for a warm afternoon.

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It didn't work I'm afraid. I clamped off the relevant hose, went driving and within 30 seconds I had to pull over before the temperature went into the red.

I suppose it makes sense really, clamping part of the house will cause pressure lock in the rest of the system. A full bypass is needed to keep the flow. No great catastrophe, I'm just in for a warm afternoon.

looking at a heater control valve in more detail, it looks like it might divert the water back to the engine when the heater is on cold...

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