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Thread: PTC Heater location

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    Question PTC Heater location

    Hello All,

    I was wondering where the PTC heaters are located in our cars. I know there's another thread on this forum that talks specifically about the PTC heater that warms the cabin up. But our cars have 2 or 3 relays for PTC heaters, I was wondering what the other relays do? do they control other PTC units? do our vehicles have multiple electrical heating elements? if so where are they located?



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    It's # 8 in the picture in the link below. You can see the wires going to it if you drop the glovebox open. I think there are 2 or three of them, but all put together in 1 assembly. Do you have issues with yours???
    https://www.mitsubishipartswarehouse...ter-components
    I didn't know what to do, so I didn't do anything

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage GT 1.2 automatic: 37.3 mpg (US) ... 15.9 km/L ... 6.3 L/100 km ... 44.8 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by mohammad View Post
    Hello All,

    I was wondering where the PTC heaters are located in our cars. I know there's another thread on this forum that talks specifically about the PTC heater that warms the cabin up. But our cars have 2 or 3 relays for PTC heaters, I was wondering what the other relays do? do they control other PTC units? do our vehicles have multiple electrical heating elements? if so where are they located?
    This is a good thread to check out for anyone else reading this this new thread. My Mirage has 2 relays. Relays are shown in post #10.

    https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ment-in-Heater

    I don't know the answers to all your questions, however.

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    No sir no issues. I was just wondering if all PTC heating units are used to heat up the cabin or if some are used to heat the engine directly as I do not understand why you would need 2/3 relays to control a single PTC unit.

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    Mark do you have any idea if both your relays control the same PTC heating element? or why they would use multiple relays to control one element?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark View Post
    This is a good thread to check out for anyone else reading this this new thread. My Mirage has 2 relays. Relays are shown in post #10.

    https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ment-in-Heater

    I don't know the answers to all your questions, however.

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by mohammad View Post
    Mark do you have any idea if both your relays control the same PTC heating element? or why they would use multiple relays to control one element?
    I believe there are multiple elements in the heater box. 1 element per relay? Why the don't just use one big relay and fuse I don't know, maybe incase one craps out the others will continue to work?

    2015 and older have 1 more relay(3?) than 17' and newer(2). They don't heat the engine. Little efficient engines take a while to get hot so they use little toaster looking elements in front or behind the heater core to help get heat in the cabin quicker.

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        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


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    Mark (02-15-2021)

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    Quote Originally Posted by mohammad View Post
    Mark do you have any idea if both your relays control the same PTC heating element? or why they would use multiple relays to control one element?
    I can't add anything to what Fummins has already shared concerning the PTC heating elements.

    If you are interested in heating up your engine before cold starts, you can add an engine block heater. It's relatively easy to do. I paid under $30 shipped to my home for one, but that was a couple years ago now.

    Top Fuel started a very nice thread on this topic. Like Fummins said, the PTC elements are about helping your cabin heat up faster while the engine is still warming up. An engine block heater helps your engine warm up faster. I do notice a difference on how long it takes the cold water temperature dash light to go out when using the engine block heater. It's been bitterly cold the past week or so in Wisconsin.

    Here is Top Fuel's thread on the engine block heater (if interested) -

    https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...r-Installation



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