Defender heater hot hot or not?

This site contains affiliate links for which LandyZone may be compensated if you make a purchase.
iannotts

iannotts

New Member
Posts
4,401
Location
East midlands,
How hot/ warm are the heaters ment to be in the 1988 defender with 200tdi, this is the first real cold weather i have had whilst having it on the road.

mine just isnt very hot at all, wondering if the matrix is partualy blocked?

Cheers
 
Mines the same, it get's warm-ish after about 30 mins of driving, unfortunately defenders are'nt known for having strong heaters or their superior build quality and door shut gaps! I think the term 'That'll Do' got used quite often on the defender production line.
 
Not quite running the same configuration as you (I have a TD5) but with the standard viscous fan and no engine modifications my heater starts to kick in after about 4 or 5 miles. It’s no good idling the engine (even when up to temperature) as the heat is robbed by the fan the temperature gauge actually drops significantly when stationary. When up to full operating temperature the heater works well – in fact the foot wells on my 90 CSW get very hot and the trim etc is certainly warm to the touch. It’s fair to say that at low speed the engine does not produce enough heat in cold weather such as this to heat the whole car effectively but the front is warm enough.

Incidentally I would check the heater vent pipes going to the windscreen vents – they are known to become dislodged and leak reducing the effectiveness of the heater – all that hot air just circulates around the bulkhead and I have partially obscured the passenger windscreen vent to improve airflow to the driver’s side.
 
Last edited:
remove viscous fan or use a rad muff. both of these things will help improve the heating and the operating temp of a diesel. on the motorway it will be fine, but stop/start stuff is useless in these conditions.

G
 
my 1988 LR90 kicks out loads of really really hot air after about 3 minutes driving! Time to flush out that matrix :)

edit: the temperature gauge has never exceeded about 2/5 of the way up the dial either!
 
by the way, mine's a 2.5na, not a 200tdi. I don't know the ins and outs of a conversion to 200tdi, but could it be that you've got an issue with the thermostat not opening because it was originally a 2.5na or td and it runs at a different temp? just speculation..
 
nah it warms up fine, 3 or 4 miles on the temp gauge, wot fan :D, neva fitted one, as for the vent pipe the air is coming out ok. all be it cool.
Like tomraider says, time to flush the matrix.:doh: It can wait till the snow goes now tho plus the hose pipe is froze up (my excuss anyway) :doh:
 
Try some Forte coolant flush and top it back up with Forte coolant conditioner, bloody good stuff that Forte ;) I have used allsorts of their gear in the past, going to do my landy with it again, I did it a few weeks ago and then went and split the rad driving through some thick ice :doh:
 
Hi there, I have a defender 90 county tdi. the fan is pitiful, hardly any air comes out, and as for heat!!! Any 1 Help?
 
iannotts said:
How hot/ warm are the heaters ment to be in the 1988 defender with 200tdi, this is the first real cold weather i have had whilst having it on the road.

mine just isnt very hot at all, wondering if the matrix is partualy blocked?

Cheers
Click to expand...
Its not a defender.The heater in my 90 works really well warms up in three minutes and toasty warm.I did put in a new matrix 2 yrs ago tho.Looking forward to the winter:)
 
just modified mine due to the cold mornings, took out the standard asthmatic fan and replaced it with the fan from 200 series disco, you need to cut down the fins and make up a back plate but had it done in a couple of hours. the difference is amazing!!! it actually heats the interior and clears the windows now! best mod iv fitted tbh :)
 
m35reo said:
just modified mine due to the cold mornings, took out the standard asthmatic fan and replaced it with the fan from 200 series disco, you need to cut down the fins and make up a back plate but had it done in a couple of hours. the difference is amazing!!! it actually heats the interior and clears the windows now! best mod iv fitted tbh :)
Click to expand...

:nopics:
 
Has anyone had any expeirence of installing a diesel heater like in the trucks. I had one in a Sprinter I was driving which worked very well. The heat was instant and you could programe it to come on with a timer. 5 minutes before you started your journey was good. It would fit under the front passenger seat. Mine is LHD.
The heater in my 200tdi eventually gets warm after about 20 minutes driving. I have changed the thermostat and also changed the sender. I have also used a rad muff which doesn't seem to make much difference. I live in France , last year it was down to -18 degree C. Any suggestions would be greatly appieciated
 
This is the time of year when all the same old threads atart running about how poor LR heaters are and then we have all the various methods of getting getting more heat out of them and/or what they should be replaced with.
The smug ones amoungst us who have cooling & heating systems that work correctly plus vehicles that are draught-free can sit back and relax while all this frantic activity takes place:)

PS. If removing the fan & blanking off the rad (why?) don't forget to refit & remove (in that order) when the temperature rises otherwise you might just find you are getting a bit too hot under the bonnet.
 
Last edited:
best mods i bought, worked really well... never been so warm either.. thick gloves, thermal undies, and a nice down filled jacket. plus side to having a defender in winter is... nobody asks for a lift in winter
 
khaos said:
My 200 is warm enough to melt your face off. It's been underwater a few times as well but it's still working great. I have a standard heater and fan.
Click to expand...
Good standard heater and fan works really well for me too in my 2.5td.When I first bought the 90 I was so pleased the heater and fan worked.I have frozen my balls of in series motors before,really did need thermal gear,gloves and a flask of soup.If youre cold in a 90 i think something is not right altho I do like the sound of m35reos fan mod,could improve air flow:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
2010 Defender 90 first questions
Replies
13
Views
618
nocker65
N
J
Heater desperation
Replies
19
Views
1K
lynall
L
G
Freelander 1 L series Clutch fierce/juddery (except in hot weather!)
Replies
4
Views
883
gBae
G
J
90 Defender 300Tdi engine swap - update & question
Replies
4
Views
610
jer_300Tdi_90
J
T
200tdi temp gauge woes
Replies
16
Views
2K
Seaswood
Seaswood
Back
Top