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Date:         Wed, 8 Dec 1999 11:55:59 -0500
Reply-To:     Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bulley <gmbulley@BULLEY-HEWLETT.COM>
Subject:      (Long) Air-cooled vanagon heating/ventilating explained
Comments: To: Andy <easoars@EMAIL.MSN.COM>
Comments: cc: bus <type2@type2.com>

Andy and all-

There is a HEAP of information on my site about the heating system on an air-cooled van. I would suggest you head there after (or before) reading this post, as this stuff will only supplement what you read there. http://bulley-hewlett.com/VWindex . Not to be pushy, but go through the WHOLE site, as the heat components and discussion is laced throughout, not just in the heat section. The guy who wrote the site may be a moron.

Here is the deal. You have PLENTY of heat available. Your exhaust manifolds are BLAZING hot. They have heat sinks on them to shed even more heat. Pass air through boxes around the heat sinks, and BINGO. You have an inferno. The problems come if: 1. you have leaks in the air ingress or exit to the heater boxes, 2. if the flapper boxes don't open enough to let the heat into the ducts, 3. if the air doesn't move fast enough to make it 20 feet to the ducts up front, or 4. if you let the heat cool down on the way. Those four things account for 99.999999999999999998% of the complaints. The other complaints are just folks being grumpy.

Your problem (Andy) sounds like the heat is coming out of your heater boxes okay, but is immediately leaking out through a tear in one of your ducts. Air is naturally lazy, and is always going to find the easiest way out. If it doesn't have to go all the way to your vents up front, why should it?

Do two things ASAP. Replace the duct, and insulate it. You can buy used heater ducting off any 1972-1983.5 VW bus. If the "black thing" you described is actually the noise damper (plastic accordion-pleated thing) you need to get one off a 1980-1983 Vanagon, as (I am pretty sure) they changed after the bay bus. Once you have replaced the ducts, follow the instructions on my site for insulating. You will never shiver on road trips again.

As far as controls, here is how it all works...We will start with the two outboard fresh air Vents on the dash, as they are different from the rest. The two vents on the outboard sides of the dash are connected DIRECTLY to the intake duct at the front of the van, nothing impedes the flow of fresh air to these ducts, ever. You can turn them off or on REGARDLESS of the position of any of the main levers or knobs. Keep that in mind...these vents ALWAYS have fresh air, all seasons, and the can NEVER have heat come out of them. The little lever connected to the vent is the "off/on" mechanism, and is self explanatory. Off in winter, on in summer, unless you had prunes or boiled eggs, then it is ON for sure.

The vents on your doors allow air to exit the van. Unless you like condensation on your windows, and like a musty odor in your van, don't ever close these. Even in the winter, you need flow-through ventilation. These are the only place VW design air to exit on the air-cooled Vanagon. Back to the dash...

We will discuss the levers as "1, 2, 3, and 4", numbered from the top.

The two LOWER levers, 3 & 4, control fresh air. The general rule is RIGHT is for "it's cold outside, and I want to stay warm", left is for "damn, it's hot in here, let's get some air". The fan is for fresh air only, and supplements the movement of air, but doesn't change where the air goes. The switch is self explanatory.

The BOTTOM lever (4) does ONE thing only, it allows/disallows air to the rear roof passenger compartment vents. Left is allows, right is disallows. People in the back are hot? Slide left. Nobody back there? Slide right and keep the cool air for your face.

The next lever up (3) does ONE thing only, but it works in concert with the top-most lever (1). Read carefully. The next-to-bottom lever (3) allows/disallows fresh air to any other dash vents OTHER THAN the two outboard vents (like to your feet, to the windshield, etc) To the RIGHT, and fresh air can ONLY come out of the outboard vents (remember, these always have fresh air). To the LEFT, and it can come out of ANY of the other dash vents.

You control WHICH vents fresh air comes out of by moving the TOP-MOST lever (1). For fresh air control, the top-most lever (1) is useful only from the mid-point of adjustment (at the single down-pointing arrow) to the RIGHT (to the little up-pointing arrow). At the down pointing arrow, fresh air is directed at your shins. At the up pointing arrow, it goes up the windscreen.

That is it for FRESH air.

For HEAT, you use the top two levers (1, 2). The next-to-top lever (2) is simple, it controls the flapper boxes. The Blue dot (LEFT) has the flapper boxes closed, thus no heat comes up the ducts. The Red dot (RIGHT), has the flapper boxes open, thus heat makes its way to the interior of the van.

The top most lever (1) controls where the heat goes. Fully LEFT (two down arrows) means the heat goes to the rear floor duct, and somewhat to the dash shin duct. In the center, it primarily comes out of the shin duct, although some comes out of the outboard ducts near the wing-vent windows. Move the lever fully to the RIGHT, it comes out of the windscreen ducts only

The only complication for the top lever (1): If you have the fresh air lever (3) open (left) while heating, the top lever (1) will mix fresh and heated air out of the shin ducts, or windscreen ducts.

In all of the above, experimentation on your own van will traverse many paragraphs of explanation.

Enjoy. Warmly yours,

G. Matthew Bulley Bulley-Hewlett Corporate Communications Counselors www.bulley-hewlett.com Cary, NC USA 888.468.4880 tollfree

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