Climate control (COLD air blowing on feet on HOT setting)

[poorman1]

Its probably the blend air door or actuator

[PeterT]

I checked the coolant level, levels are ok.

I tried some different settings:

In the auto position, there's cold air coming out under the dash to the feet on both sides

When I press manual mode:

Face - only hot air from the left side, the left one in the middle is a bit warm, the other two are cold

Feet - warm (not hot) air on the left, cold on the right

The way I see it: warm air is getting in the car, this comes from the engine heating up. This is only for the left side, to get hot air on the other side and to the feet there's some internal heating system. So it's broken or some valve is stuck. I tried the fuse, 30A, but it's still ok. The strange thing is when I replaced the fuse after checking it worked for a couple of minutes!

Does anybody know where this heater is located?

Thanx again!

[Daox]

The heater core is under the dash in the middle or more likely on the right side behind the glove box. Sounds like the flapper valves to direct air are busted. This will require your dash to be removed which is a very timely ordeal. 6 hours seems very reasonable to do the repair.

[PeterT]

The heater core is under the dash in the middle or more likely on the right side behind the glove box. Sounds like the flapper valves to direct air are busted. This will require your dash to be removed which is a very timely ordeal. 6 hours seems very reasonable to do the repair.

Ok, thanks.

I already took a peek by removing the radio, I saw a black unit directly behind the radio. I tested the various settings and saw valves open and close on the left side.

Are there any other valves inside the unit?

Does anybody have an explode picture of the heater core?

[Daox]

Here are a couple pictures:

[3dplane]

For whatever reason,there is no coolant or circulation through your heater core!

On the second pic posted by Daox #14 is the heater core,#15 is the PTC heater,an electric heater that helps out the system to warm up faster when the coolant is still cold for the heater core to work.

Note how the pipes are coming in from the left side of the heater core. You can actually see this in your car if you look up next to the accelerator pedal. (alu pipe visible leading up to the heater core).

Whatever little heat comes in to the heater core,gets blown away (by the blower fan)into the ducts and that little heat you have only shows up out of the left side vents because the heat does not have time (due to slow circulation) or not sufficient enough to make it's way through the entire surface of the heater core.

Therfore only the far left side of the heater core is warm,the rest of the heater core is cold and the way the air is being blown through the heater core the cold part of the airflow goes to the middle and right side vents.

I can imagine when you checked your fuse,(to what? blower? PTC heater?) you had the engine at operating temperature (warm) and you shut the car off which shut the blower fan off,while you were checking the fuse,the heat had a chance to migrate into the heater core's entire surface due to conduction and convection (no water pump circulation with engine off) so when you cranked it back up and turned the heater on,it worked good for a minute until the fan blew all the heat out of the heater core and you were back to the original problem.

Also you made me curious so I looked at my car.

On the left side of the A/C case (big black plastic weird shaped box) there are two actuators.
The top one is the mode,the bottom one is the temperature which is what we are looking at.

Without removing anything I can look up next to the accelerator pedal and see the temperature actuator with the little white plastic arm on it,that moves another white plastic arm which is mounted on the temperature door shaft.

I can have the key/ignition on and reach up with my left hand and tap the temp button all the way up and all the way down while I'm looking up at the actuator and SEE the temp door shaft turning about 90° range.
Looking at not just the white plastic arm moving but making sure the metal piece in the middle is turning! (the plastic arm can move making you think all is good but if it is stripped out where it mounts on the door shaft then the temp door is not moving inside the A/C case).

The above is my theory so don't shoot me if it turns out wrong but it is hard to remote diagnose something like this!

If I could have the car infront of me and run it to whatever temperature I want,touching hoses under the hood,inside the car,operating the temp and mode,looking at actuators and arms moving,listening for the sound of the airflow changing as the A/C doors move,checking airflow etc.There are a bunch of things to look at. I would have a better idea in about 5 minutes.As it is we are just guessing.

I would ask the dealer why do they want to replace the heater core? How is it defective? Is it clogged?That could be verified or eliminated by backflushing. (looks easy access to the heater hoses on the mirage.)

Is it leaking? You don't mention window fogging or coolant on the floor or low coolant level so that don't sould like it. Then how is replacing it going to repair this issue?

[flatbroke]

My vote goes with poorman1, either a bad motor\actuator, or a broken door. Or something may have been dropped\shoved into a dash vent and fallen into the housing causing a door to bind. I work in a fleet shop and it's amazing what we drag out of duct, vents, and heater housings. "Oh, so that's where that went!"

[PeterT]

Okay, thank you very much for the reply, I understand it a lot more and will talk to the dealer tomorrow. Maybe he will understand that it's much cheaper this way. I will get back to you.

Again, thanx a lot!