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Heater worthwhile fitment?


grahammarchant

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I have a 2004 ex Academy car with the 1.6 K series engine, which does not have a heater, I believe they can be brought from Caterham for about £300 and retro fitted, but have heard of problems with bleeding the air out once you have a heater, is it a worthwhile purchase/upgrade?

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If you are cold then yes.

It will add weight so no.

Seriously it can be useful to keep the engine cool in extremely hot conditions and so avoid cooking the engine. You will become extremely hot with the blower going on a hot day but it could just be enough to save the day.

Happy new year to all.

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I used to have a heater in mine, but have since removed it (mainly because access to the engine is easier without it. Although the heater gives out a lot of hot air, I found that it heated my legs and perversely made my top end actually feel cooler. So, no, I don't think it is a worthwhile upgrade

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I liked the heater in my car, it definitely makes winter blats more enjoyable.  If you have an other half who you want to persuade to go out in the car, it's definitely a plus.

If you fit the heater, then bleeding the system is made easier by adding a bleed tee in the top hose which goes into the heater.  I had a quick look on eBay and could not find any, but they are usually available at a very low price somewhere on the internet.

When fitting the heater, make sure that the valve for opening/closing is the right way around (I assume the instructions will show this).  Also when fitting the hoses to the heater, don't use too much force as it could damage the heater matrix (so I've been told....)

 

 

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I had a heater but never felt the benefit as both vents were under the strict control of SWMBO so I used my thermal MTB tights under my trousers and a long sleeved base layer too, extemities hat and decent gloves.

SWMBO was nice and toasty and would often nod off mid blat summer or winter - a quick prod of the little pedal would soon waken her though................ *laugh*  

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It really depends on what and when you you intend using it.

My son YBNS nearly froze when he was using his 7 as a daily drive, It didnt take long for us to fit one!

Try Mick at Redline for parts. Excellent chap and knows more about parts than probably most of the CC staff put together.

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As has been said bleeding really isnt a problem particularly if you fit a bleed T in the top rad hose.

Grant

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Once you are going at a reasonable speed the heater is not that effective, too much airflow within the car. But it is lovely to get a blast of warm air once you slow down.

The most effective thing I have found to keep warm is to put the tonneau cover over my legs. That keeps the rain off if required and more importantly keeps the wind away from your legs. I reckon that without waterproofs over my legs once at speed I probably lose more heat from my lower body that from the top which is usually well wrapped in GoreTex.

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