Club 80-90 Forums

I've read through the article linked in the wiki, about insulation and heater, but I am still unclear as to whether the problem is that I have the stock heater/insulation still in my van, or if its something else.

Basically, warm to slightly hot air comes out of the blower that heats the windscreen (so by following the instructions in the write up I can make that hotter) but the blowers on the dash that face the driver/passenger, and the ones in the door, only blow freezing cold air! Also the air coming out of the vents is very.... burning oil smelling, presumably a hole in the pipe that I've not yet found.

Any light on the matter would be greatly appreciated, 'tis bloomin' chilly!

Sounds like you have a rocker cover leaking oil over one of your heat exchangers

I would check that as a matter of urgency as it will give you a headache if you keep smelling that.....

I would not expect the heater to be great.....mines ok but..I still have frost inside my windscreen and on my eye lids in a morning.

Glenn.

If you can smell fumes coming through with the warm air this is most likely the exhaust pipes which run through the heat exchangers have corroded through, causing exhaust gasses to be pulled through to the cab. If this is the case disconnect them immediately. Carbon monoxide kills! Unfortunately this will mean replacing the heat exchangers before you can have any warm air in the van and they're not cheap. About £225 - 250 each. May be worth scrapping them out altogether and fitting an alternative heating system (which I have done) such as an Eberspacher. These can be picked up second hand for around £250 - 300 and have the added bonus of being used to heat the van when parked up / camping, without running the engine.

You will be pleased to know also, that you can only get cold air from the side and door vents! Hot air comes out from the footwell, defrost and two small side vents for the quarterlight windows.
There is also a 'hot' air vent in the rear of the van controlled by cable from the heater controls, located behind and between the driver and passanger seats at floor level.

Make sure you have the rubber bellows looking item fitted between the fan on alternator and fresh air vent box section that runs accross the back of the van. Other wise your sniffing the air from around the engine rather than from outside. If i wasn't so busy you could pop over and compare with mine, unless your not too busy during the week.

Thanks all for the replies, given me a few ideas of where to look tomorrow.

Cheers Damien, but Im pretty busy this week, got to drive to Chester, then to Brecan, then back down here, then up to the Cotswolds and back again, and in between I need to find time to get a painting done. If iv'e still not sussed it by next week, I'll let you know!

I don't think it smells like exhaust fumes, I would say it's definitely burning oil. I had assumed that it was seeping through the engine bay cover and drifting through to the cab, but it is definitely from the blower. I drove it up to Coventry and back last weekend and I didn't get a headache. The worst of the oil leakage drips down to just in front of the exhaust, in about the centre (widthways) and another which drips down to what I assume is the breather pipe (little dangling bit of tubing??)

Thanks again!