MR2 Roadster Owners Club

The Workshop => Maintenance, Problems & Troubleshooting => Topic started by: Anonymous on October 26, 2004, 08:27

Title: Slow to warm up
Post by: Anonymous on October 26, 2004, 08:27
It takes nearly 2 miles before even slightly warm air comes through the vents. The car is a European import, does anyone know if they fitted different thermostats for different countries?
Title: Re: Slow to warm up
Post by: Tem on October 26, 2004, 08:37
Quote from: "stevewarbs"It takes nearly 2 miles before even slightly warm air comes through the vents. The car is a European import, does anyone know if they fitted different thermostats for different countries?

They should be the same...and even if they weren't, it shouldn't make that big difference.

Those get stuck over time though and then it takes forever to warm up (and they might not never reach the proper temp anymore). Shouldn't happen before 100k miles, but maybe it's just faulty?

Has it always been like this, or did it change recently?
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Post by: heathstimpson on October 26, 2004, 09:39
Mine is always slow to heat up; I'm sure this is pretty normal.
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Post by: Tem on October 26, 2004, 09:43
Quote from: "heathstimpson"Mine is always slow to heat up; I'm sure this is pretty normal.

Mine's slow compared to some cars, but not this slow  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  
"2 miles before even slightly warm air comes through the vents"
Title: Re: Slow to warm up
Post by: Anonymous on October 26, 2004, 09:44
Quote from: "Tem"
Quote from: "stevewarbs"It takes nearly 2 miles before even slightly warm air comes through the vents. The car is a European import, does anyone know if they fitted different thermostats for different countries?


Has it always been like this, or did it change recently?

I haven't really needed the heater before today and the roof is normally down but this morning we left for work earlier than normal so it was really noticable.

I should have taken the Scorpio, heated seats and the heater is spewing out hot air by the time I reach the bottom of the road.

I'll change the thermostat and see if that makes any difference.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 26, 2004, 10:37
I would have thought that 2 miles is probably OK.  With the engine in the back and rad in the front it's not easy to sort out efficient heating quickly.  Have a ride in an Elise in winter if you doubt me!
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Post by: Tem on October 26, 2004, 11:22
Quote from: "Andy S"I would have thought that 2 miles is probably OK.  With the engine in the back and rad in the front it's not easy to sort out efficient heating quickly.  Have a ride in an Elise in winter if you doubt me!

Makes me wonder if there actually is a difference between UK/FI model then  s:? :? s:?  Mine's fully warm after some 2 miles, when starting on a cold morning...

It won't ever be like some front engined grocery getters, cause, like you said, the engine is in the back and the heater is up front. But 2 miles for the first warm breath would mean my car is broke  s:oops: :oops: s:oops:
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Post by: Anonymous on October 26, 2004, 11:27
Its got to depend on how cold it is also, if its been a really cold night and the radiator and pipes start off frozen, it'll take longer to warm up then if it was room temp.  I'd have thought.
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Post by: Darth Paul on October 26, 2004, 13:19
Sounds ok to me. Once, when sat in a motorway tailback (two winters ago), the vents actually started chucking out cold air, despite the heaters being on full heat.  s:evil: :evil: s:evil:   Obviously the radiator cooled so much that the air was no longer warm. I had to resort to a coat. Not good if I had been stranded somewhere remote...  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

Moral of this story? Hat, coat and gloves in the storage bins during winter.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 26, 2004, 13:49
I have ordered new thermostat from Mr T £8.19 + VAT which is a tad pricey but with the engine running so hot didn't want to compromise with a pattern but £4.06 + VAT for the gasket????? What a rip off even if it as O ring and not just a paper gasket.
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Post by: MRMike on October 26, 2004, 14:17
Mine takes at least 3-4 miles before it starts to put out any remote heat, but I have removed the rear trays. Shouldn't think that would make much of a difference though..
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Post by: Tem on October 26, 2004, 17:10
Quote from: "stevewarbs"I have ordered new thermostat from Mr T £8.19 + VAT which is a tad pricey but with the engine running so hot didn't want to compromise with a pattern but £4.06 + VAT for the gasket????? What a rip off even if it as O ring and not just a paper gasket.

Did you consider a higher temp thermostat for winter?
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Post by: filcee on October 26, 2004, 17:53
This sounds about normal to me - I usually reckon 8-10 mins before the temp. guage reaches horizontal/'go' pedal reaches the mat.

I seem to recall that Ford developed some way of using the exhaust heat, presumably from the exhaust manifold, to provide the heat for inside the car.  I suspect this must be some sort of heat exchanger.  This might explain why the Scorpio warms up so quick, as it uses the most immediate form of heat available once the engine is started.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 26, 2004, 18:52
Quote from: "Tem"Did you consider a higher temp thermostat for winter?

I did ask but they don't list one so I will try a normal version first.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 27, 2004, 09:40
I looked today, was about 2 miles before i got warm.
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Post by: Anonymous on October 27, 2004, 22:36
im quite surprised how quick the '2 puts warm air though the vents for a rear engined car. id say, about 3/4- 1 mile before warm air

though i do think the '2 seems to take forever before the coolant temp neeedle is in the middle!
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Post by: Tem on October 28, 2004, 07:12
Quote from: "Tomr2"im quite surprised how quick the '2 puts warm air though the vents for a rear engined car. id say, about 3/4- 1 mile before warm air

though i do think the '2 seems to take forever before the coolant temp neeedle is in the middle!

I was paying some attention to this...starting the car from cold, about 2C/35F. I can feel warm air from the vents at 0.4km/0.2mls and the temp needle is already touching the "thermometer image" at 2 miles. From that point to fully warm it seems to take forever, the thermostat probably opens at that point...?
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Post by: Anonymous on October 28, 2004, 09:32
Yes but doesn't al lof this also depend on how high you're reving the engine.

I'm sure if you canned it from start it'd warm up pretty quickly.
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Post by: Tem on October 28, 2004, 09:55
Quote from: "odub"Yes but doesn't al lof this also depend on how high you're reving the engine.

I'm sure if you canned it from start it'd warm up pretty quickly.

Yeah, it makes a difference. Another thing is if you keep driving the whole time, or if you have to stop. And do you start driving right after starting the car, so there isn't a straight answer to this...  s:? :? s:?

Anyway, I try to keep the revs below 3000rpm until the engine is warm...and I start driving right after starting the car. That's why I keep wondering about possible UK/FI difference...