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Thread: Cold Weather - not much heat

  1. #1
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    Question Cold Weather - not much heat

    So it was -23C (that's -10F) again this morning and the X3 does not put out much heat from the heater. I know it's cold...., but at an idle there is just no warmth coming from the vents ... once I start driving it starts to put out some heat... but it just does not seem right.

    My 'old school' brain tells me that either the thermostat has failed or the heater core has clogged up .....

    But the temperature gauge indicates normal operating temperature after running for a while, so I am thinking that the thermostat control is ok and therefore possibly a heater core problem..... UNLESS there is some other BMW specific control on the heater core circulation ....? ... am I on the right track?
    ... forty-three years of driving before I get behind the wheel of a BMW .... and I am thinking, "why did it take me so long?"
    ... and then after another 4 years I can't believe that I have two of them !!

  2. #2
    richardodn's Avatar
    richardodn is offline Old Guy BMW CCA Member
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    Make sure your coolant levels are good and the system is properly bled. Cars are engineered that low coolant levels tend to starve the core first resulting in lowered heating levels. Raising engine RPMs brings the coolant flow back and helps with heat.
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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by richardodn View Post
    Make sure your coolant levels are good and the system is properly bled. Cars are engineered that low coolant levels tend to starve the core first resulting in lowered heating levels. Raising engine RPMs brings the coolant flow back and helps with heat.
    Thanks Richard ... I just made an appointment with my mechanic for Monday morning .... it's too cold to do anything outside to do any checks or repairs. I trust the mechanic to tell me if it is a relatively simple case of low coolant or bad thermostat .... or if the entire system from the heater control valve back to the heater core needs refurbishing. I am willing to put some money into it to keep it running for another several years.

    **** The last time I had a no-heat problem (in a Dodge Caravan years ago) it was a bad head gasket leaking exhaust into the cooling system causing air locks.... let's hope we are not going there on this one!!!!!!
    ... forty-three years of driving before I get behind the wheel of a BMW .... and I am thinking, "why did it take me so long?"
    ... and then after another 4 years I can't believe that I have two of them !!

  4. #4
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    If you have a stratified air dial in the dash's center vent...make sure that the dial is turned to the RED area. If the X3 has a stratified air dial for this vent and it is turned toward the BLUE area...the air from the dash vents will always be cooler than the temp you have set for the IHKA.
    Become a BMW CCA member! Click HERE to join and feel free to use my BMW CCA member #191509 as a referral.

    2015 650ix GC (Moonstone/Cohiba Brown) <<~>> 2014 X5 50i (Space Gray/Mocha)

  5. #5
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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9SIafVsqyc&t=5s

    My X3 also was not throwing heat due to insufficient coolant / not being bled out. I did this heater core on a passat and it solved the no heat issue.

  6. #6
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    mechanic has checked it out ... coolant level was good ... upper rad hose was hot, lower rad hose was cold

    diagnosis was .. thermostat not opening properly.

    Replaced thermostat and thermostat housing and there is now heat
    ... forty-three years of driving before I get behind the wheel of a BMW .... and I am thinking, "why did it take me so long?"
    ... and then after another 4 years I can't believe that I have two of them !!

  7. #7
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    .... well now I have to tell the rest of the story

    two days later same condition ... no heat when idling, but decent heat when driving
    - so the mechanic said he bled out some air lock and topped up coolant ... no charge

    two days after that ... same thing ...
    - so back to the mechanic and then he tells me that it now also needs the heater control valve and that both the thermostat and the heater control valve should have been replaced on the first trip in there
    - so this was ordered and replaced (this time I only paid for the part .. the labor cost and coolant was on him)

    And now this morning it was -35C (-31F) .... the heater was working ok ... but it still takes a long time to warm up the inside of the X3 in this damn cold weather
    ... forty-three years of driving before I get behind the wheel of a BMW .... and I am thinking, "why did it take me so long?"
    ... and then after another 4 years I can't believe that I have two of them !!

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