No Heat when at a stop??

[Puddles]

Hi everyone!

I've had my NBC since July. So, I'm just getting into the days of needing heat. I've noticed the past month or so that when I come to a stop and have to sit more than 30 seconds, my heat turns to cold air.

Is this a VW thing, a NB thing, or do I have something wrong?

I also don't feel heat at all coming from the floor when I have it on the feet mode...

I'm a chilly person to begin with, I thank goodness I have the seat warmers, or else I'd be in some deep doodoo...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much!
Dana

[Black Cat]

I can't help you because I'm having the same problem and it also seems that we're not alone. From researching on the forums as well as the problem being "found" by the VW techs, I've come to understand it's an air bubble...but it doesn't seem to want to go away LoL It totally sucks, I know I live in Jersey for god's sake and it's now November...I need my heat! I just have to get around to making an appointment to bring my car in (again!) for this. I will make sure to post any info I'm told though.

[Puddles]

Oh Dear...I'm thinking that's not what I wanted to hear "they don't know how to fix it". We're neighbors, I'm in PA... so I know you know the pain of the cold already settling into the area. UGH.

I'm taking her in on December 9th for her first lube/oil/filter and will definitely be bringing this to their attention.

Air bubbles usually pass...this doesn't seem to be passing...

As much as it stinks, I'm glad I'm not alone. Hopefully, they'll be able to come up with a solution for us - sooner rather than later!

Thanks for keeping me posted. I'll do the same.

Dana

[Mortville]

Yikes! Hope you pass your bubble!

[SilverSportNOLA]

Yes .... passing gas always helps me warm up.

That's weird though ... on my Del Sol there is a bleed valve to get the air out of the cooling system, I have always wondered why VW hasn't put one in, I have never had the problem you're having in any of the 3 weeks stretchs of winter we have .. I have owned Dubs for 15 years.

[Susie F.]

Please let us know what they say. I noticed this in the last couple of weeks in my NBC 2006. I start the car in the morning and it will not clear the frost off the windscreen and only if i rev up the engine will it start to blow warm air.

It was minus 5 when I got up this morning, so I really need my heat. I never had this issue in my 98 Bug.

Susie

[Puddles]

Originally Posted by Susie F.

I noticed this in the last couple of weeks in my NBC 2006. I start the car in the morning and it will not clear the frost off the windscreen and only if i rev up the engine will it start to blow warm air.

Granted...it's not minus 5 here! But, yes, I've had that issue too, where the frost is not defrosting. I have to squirt the windshield wiper fluid to get it off.

I'll definitely let you know if I hear anything... I think you need the heat more than any of us at this point, yikes!

Only in AK once, in Anchorage back in August 2003...I was wearing turtlenecks and sweaters then...

[Lugnutx5]

Didn't you hear, VW went retro on the heat this year. They went back to the original bug - heat is convection only so no fan. You have to be moving to get heat. Back to using the credit card as you drive for defrost.

[blackonblack]

[from Margaritaville...]

Guess I'd better get my 8-tracks off the vinyl floor then...

[Mortville]

Originally Posted by Puddles

...I was wearing turtlenecks and sweaters then...

Eww...sorry to hear about THAT!

[yelojkt]

My wifes "06" had this problem but she said she thiks it just started working right so she never said anything about it to the dealer. I just started her car an let it idle in the garage for a few minutes and at idle after about 3 minutes had heat. But it is suppossed to get pretty cold here next week so we will see how it goes in stop and go driving.

[Black Cat]

I'm so glad this thread is being noticed I only say that because the other threads that have been about non-heating heaters have seemed to fizzle out. Don't let this one go down that same path!

[Puddles]

Hi Everyone -

I promised I'd post after I took Ladybug for her first service. So, here I am.

They "recharged" the air coolant system. Whatever it was that they did, works for now. So, I have heat when I come to a stop and heat when I'm idling.

Do they recharge or refill an air coolant system...and why was it not fully charged or fully filled when I first received my NBC, that is the question.

We'll see if this helps with the gas mileage issue I started to have over the past couple of tanks of gas too. I went from 28 - 30 miles a gallon down to 24. Not a joyous thing since the price of gas is going up again.

Thanks for all of the responses. I hope this helps others that have the same issue. We'll see if it happens again. If so, I'll revive the post once again and go another round.

I was also a wee bit peeved when I asked if they had time to wash it - I went to pick her up, not only did they apparently not have time to wash her, they left dirty greasy fingerprints all over her hood.

Puddles

[SilverSportNOLA]

Wish I could have seen that .... sound like a load of .... well you know, an animal with four more letters after it. Glad it is working, hopefully pencilneck will interpret that operation for us guys that have been working on cars since we were 12 years old ... wow ... that almost 30 years for me. Wonder if they would have done that on my 76 Monza .... it only had heat, no A/C.

[yodabug]

Mine does the same thing unless is the engine is really warmed up. Say you just started it on a cold day and a mile or so down the road by some miricle you do get some heat from the vent. But until you have driven from quite a while say 20 minutes when you come to a stop you will get some cold air from the vents as soon as the engine RPM's come down.

[BUGSTUFF]

When you have the heat on, have the recirc button pushed in as well. This will recirculate the warm cabin air through the system instead of letting in the cold outside air. This also works in the summer when you have your A/C on. The A/C doesn't have to work as hard because it recirculates the cool cabin air instead of letting in (and having to cool) the warm outside air. The only time you don't want the recirc on is when you have your defroster on. Or if you have your windows up and want to get some fresh air into the cabin.

Make sense???

[LoveBug]

I have the same problem here in NJ. I have heat when moving and it's really toasty, but when I get to a red light or park after only a few seconds cold air starts to come in and soon it's just as cold as outside. Puddles, can you find out more about what the VW Techs did so I can ask mine to do exactly the same thing?

[Puddles]

Originally Posted by LoveBug

I have the same problem here in NJ. I have heat when moving and it's really toasty, but when I get to a red light or park after only a few seconds cold air starts to come in and soon it's just as cold as outside. Puddles, can you find out more about what the VW Techs did so I can ask mine to do exactly the same thing?

Hi LoveBug!

That's exactly what my Ladybug was doing.

All the techs did was "recharge" the air coolant system. That's what it says on the tech report. I can call them and ask them exactly what that means.

I have heat now and my defroster works. It's going on two weeks and all is still good. Thank goodness.

I'll see if I can find anything else out and will let you know.

Bugstuff - I don't think I'll play around with the recirc just yet as whatever the dealer did is working. I like fresh air as much as possible - unless of course there's a smoker driving in front of me, then I'll turn the recirc on. It sucks being a reformed smoker - I can smell it everywhere!

Thanks for the tip. If it starts acting up again, I will certainly try it.

My friends call me a lizard - I'm always cold - so I don't use the air conditioner much in the summer. If it's that hot out and not raining, I'll have the top down. No need for ac at that point!

Puddles

[marksblaster]

I posted in the 2.5 section and then saw this! I have the same problem. I have checked my coolent flow and it seems weak. Very little pressure out of the heater core. Very little flow back into the tank even at 1 to 2000rpm's while sitting still. At an idle the flow is almost none. Plugged core? Weak pump? I have worked on aircooled bugs for years and I thought I got away from the sucky heater thing, guess not. Mark