Radiator = no heating?

ONLYA4 · petrol head Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1114

For my RWC he told me i had to fix the windscreen demister, it wasn't blowing out hot air. I am going to flush the heater hoses, but i was thinking it could be my radiator. My radiator is absolutely hammered, cracked and it doesn't work, not to mention i need a new head gasket. But could this be accounting to having no hot air?

Frederick Stienheld · petrol head Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 2719

There is a heater unit inside your cabin, behind the dash
Take that out and run water through it from your garden hose in each direction a few times till it starts comming out clean.

ONLYA4 · petrol head Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1114

"I am going to flush the heater hoses" said that in my orig post, just to get all the shit out, hopefully its not rusted. But if the radiator has no water, or little water, then i wont get any hot air from the vents will i?

GROOV3 · petrol head Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 3682

if you have no coolant / water
your engine will over heat blah blah blah
but there is a little raditor type thing in the heater box and any water /coolant that goes through the motor gets pumped into there and a fan blows past that
there for if you ahve nothing in your main radiator i would say your heater wont work and neither will your car soon

ONLYA4 · petrol head Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1114

Yeah i know, thats why i'm not driving it, but im getting a RWC so i can register it in my name, then rebuild then engine. only thing he has docked me on, but because i need a new head gasket (hopefully not a new head) the radiator just puts all the water into the sump, so my oil is pure white Wink

fun. lol

Frederick Stienheld · petrol head Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 2719

shit eh, you'd think he'd me more concerned about that than the windscreen demister!

ONLYA4 · petrol head Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1114

Why? I dont think you have to have a head gasket to pass a roadworthy. As long as its not leaking oil or bad emissions.

GROOV3 · petrol head Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 3682

well its not really road worthy is it if you cant drive it properly
cooling system doesnt work
engine doest operate properly

i dont see how you would get past with those issues

ONLYA4 · petrol head Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1114

Well i dont know either, i'm not a RW certifier, but this guy is and as soon as i fix the heater i get issued my RWC.

Frederick Stienheld · petrol head Joined: 05 Sep 2002 Posts: 2719

king oath you need to have a head gasket to pass roadworthy!
as groovn says, it doesnt drive properly. There's more to roadworthy than emmisions and oil leaks.
Apart from having bad cooling it's also getting bad lubrication due to all the water in the system

GROOV3 · petrol head Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 3682

well you cant fix the heater till you fix your head gasket problem
engine needs to run to pump the coolant

Racegem · backyard mechanic Joined: 30 Jan 2002 Posts: 987

My guess it's the way the RWC bloke is not passing the car. There's nothing on the RWC to fail it regarding a head gasket, but he can knock it on the demister. And your demister won't work till you fix the head gasket. Get it...?

gem12c · tinkerer Joined: 27 Mar 2002 Posts: 53

just a reminder that the rwc is only to do with safty of the vehicle. there for heating, door handles, tyres, brakes, window winders, lights, wipers and even water in the wiper squirty thing needs to be up to working.