heater related question - e36

[e30-EVN]

The heaters are blowing hot from the windscreen and feet but not the face... Why could this be??

And also when he first bought the car the temp gauge sat in the middle but now only quarter at most, I'm thinking the thermostat is the cause... Is this the case?

Also are the back callpiers push back piston or wind back? Doing pads tomoro

Cheers - ant

[e30-EVN]

Forgot to mentiion its an e36 323i

[TheHeap]

I'm sure they are push backs. not sure about the heater though

[Andyboy]

The heaters are blowing hot from the windscreen and feet but not the face... Why could this be??

And also when he first bought the car the temp gauge sat in the middle but now only quarter at most, I'm thinking the thermostat is the cause... Is this the case?

Also are the back callpiers push back piston or wind back? Doing pads tomoro

Cheers - ant

I've a feeling they're meant to be like that.

[e30-EVN]

Oh right, the heater issue seems a bit strange to me

[harry_p]

I'm sure thy changed at some point.

My '96 car has two wheels under the main centre dash vent, one to open and close it, the other is a heat setting, hot to cold, which affects all of the face level vents. Not sure if it's model, year or trim specific but I have noticed other e36s just have the single open / close wheel.

[Duke137]

Ant, stupid question but have you turned the dial at the "face vents" to hot?

We have a 323i and ours blows cold if you dont move it.

Also, check the coolant level to be sure (prob have already) and our temp needle sits lower in the winter.

Check the viscous with a rolled up newspaper as well just in case.

Sounds pretty normal to me tbh worst case with the heaters is an air lock I'd say

[e30-EVN]

Heaters set to hot and no maintanence done to coolant related system. Coolant level also is okay. They do blow hot from feet and windscreen but not on face mate. Its pickled me lol.
Are you saying there is a seperate dial for the face vent other than the 1 next to the speed dial? Cheers ferg

[Duke137]

Sh*t image off google but directly above the radio, if this is set to cold it will be cold mate, I never realised for a week or two when I first got the car

Everything else sounds normal mate

[harry_p]

As I said, I'm pretty sure some e36s don't have the heat adjuster wheel near the vent

[Duke137]

Oh and we have the aircon panel in ours (which you should have) and even with it set at 32 degrees it blows cold if the right hand wheel is at cold

[harry_p]

Here you go, proof I'm not going mad

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-E36-3-series- ... _500wt_922

[e30-EVN]

Thanx for the feedback on this 1 guys, my uncles car hasn't got aircon and definatly hasn't got the extra heat dial, just the 1 to open and close the vent?? Lol

[Duke137]

Don't know now then mate sorry

[e30-EVN]

Thas okay mate no worries lol

[Andyboy]

Sh*t image off google but directly above the radio, if this is set to cold it will be cold mate, I never realised for a week or two when I first got the car

Everything else sounds normal mate

That's the early pre climate control type aircon which was discontinued in 1995. Cars with aircon always have the two knurled control wheels, standard cars have one.

[Duke137]

His doesn't have aircon and our does and has 2 control wheels. Makes sense andyboy

[MattTheHat325]

my e36 is like this aswell, 99T 323i sport touring, takes aaaaages to get warm in the car and the face blowers never really amount to much. haven't really investigated mine yet. temp does sit low aswell when driving. mine's had an engine swap so could be air somewhere? i thought about the stat aswell mate, have you figured anything out yet bud?

[e30-EVN]

Not yet mate tbh, my uncle said when he first got the car it sat about halfway which I thought was right, this is what fellow m50 e30 boys are saying theirs is, but we drove from barry to cardiff yesterday (about 10 miles each way) and the temp didn't reach middle even in traffic. I don't reckon this is right tbh!

Also with the heaters, they are not exactly baking but nice from feet and windscreen but when the dial is set to face it blows like you select cold!!

[harry_p]

Sounds like a thermostat issue, taking ages to warm up and never getting properly hot. Could be that he fan coupling has locked up and the fan is constantly cooling the engine.

My compact had a dicky 'stat, it used to take ages to warm up, in the summer it'd eventually get to half way then never any further. When it was bellow freezing it might get close to half after a long time driing gently, but speed up and the temp would drop back to 1/4.

Re face vent problem, aren't they supposed to only blow cool air? I know a lot of oter cars are like this so you can have warm feet and screen but s cool breeze on your face to keep you alert.

[e30-EVN]

It could be that with the face vent tbh mate and a very wise point to which I would agree on thinking about it

I am thinking thermostat problem with regards to running temp ect.... I reckon just under halfway is normal running temp imo