Hi ALL

Was just after a bit of general feedback. I have a new 2013 FL2 TD4 with manual air con. I have just started to notice that hot air is not hot. This morning as an example I have done 7 miles to work in traffic (15 mins) the car is at working temp. When the heating control is on red the air is just luke warm and to be honest turning back to cold (aircon off) it does feel much different. I am going to take it for a 150 round trip tomorrow and will see what it is like during that now I have the view that all might not be as it should. Any ideas just how quickly the heater will get up to a good working temperature and just what sort of temperature I sound get out of it on max heat before I trot back to the dealership. As an example the old car was a Jeep and when on full (red ) you could hardly place your hand over the heating vent the heat was that good.
Cheers e-melnow

My heat starts to come through after about a mile of driving and fully warm to setting at about 3 miles whatever the outside temperature, set the heater temp to max will have it like a sauna in about 6 miles.
Sounds like yours has an airlock in the cooling system or the diverter flaps arent opening properly??
Oh mine is auto climate control not manual, but the heat output and warm up time ought to be the same I would have thought?

doesn't sound right, I have to pop out shortly so i will grab a couple of temps with my thermometer as i go Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Mine can be a little bit temperamental, sometimes only just gets warm, but then won't change temp when you move the dial to cold. Engine off and on again and it works fine.

I just put it down to a grumpy car........!! Mainly because i know for a fact it won't do it if I took it to the dealer!! 2013 FL2 - Black Edition Auto
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Mine will only really start to pump out really hot hot air after about 4 to 5 miles, and even then, that's only after I've opened up the throttle a good bit. Bimbling along or idling, and it can take a bit longer. Its almost as if it needs the engine to work hard for a little bit for it to get a good circulation through. Up until that point, it does put out warm air quite quickly, but not hot stuff.

I'm too new to the freelander to have to get to know its coolant circuit, but coming from a Mk3 RR, the hot coolant that flowed to the heater matrix was controlled by valves which would limit coolant flow until the coolant itself was warm. On mine, the connector controlling the valves was sometimes a bit dodgy, and so coolant would be restricted, even when warm. Its possible that the 2013 has a similar setup.

on my little trip the exterior temp was 5c

it started on full heat on Auto setting at 165 miles and the temp went

165mile 10.9c
166 miles 9.1c (strange, i guess it was blowing colder outside air at first)
168miles 13.1c
169miles 24.1c
171miles 32.2c
172miles 47.0c Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

Thanks for the reply’s it is very helpful. Looks like my heater could be running cold but will see what happens tomorrow on a long run. Unfortunately I have not got a thermometer, but will let you know if there is any improvement after the run. e-melnow

I suspect that the modern system limits full coolant flow until the engine has fully reached its running temp ( say 90degC ) and only after that will it allow full flow to the matrix. This being a result of emissions reductions. Emissions are lower at full temp, so the quicker it gets there, the better. The matrix acts like a radiator by removing heat from the coolant, prolonging warm up time - so it gets limited during warm up.

With modern engines being so thermally efficient, I also suspect that your journey isn't working the engine hard enough to make it hit the top temp ... so you never get allowed the full flow. It would also explain why I think I only see full hot after its been worked on open road.

Your long journey should see one way or another. Once you've been running for a bit, i'd check by going from full hot to full cold for a few mins at a time ... you should really see then if its ok or not.

Well 75 Miles one way and 75 miles back. It might be me but still not really convinced when I got to my destination it was what I would call hot from the blowers, certainly not the same as when I finally reached home again. However after it was standing for an hour at the 75 mile mark on the return leg it was really hot as I was hoping for. So I guess I have mixed views at the moment. I understand the comment about not working the engine up to a good temperature and that makes good sense so appreciate the feedback. Will keep an eye on it for the next week or two as maybe I am being over sensitive but thanks again for those comments. e-melnow

I have the same problem on three separate occasions, temp gauge showing correctly, tried all combinations, the only way to get any heat was to reset by turning car off and back on. Dealer says to bring in for check
Black version

Its strange, mines a 2013 Black edition which has exactly the same issues. Turn engine off and re-start and everything workd ok. Just living with it, hopefully it will recify itself ???? MY13 TD4 Black and White manual - Gone
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MY13 SD4 HSE Lux

npinks wrote:

on my little trip the exterior temp was 5c

it started on full heat on Auto setting at 165 miles and the temp went

165mile 10.9c
166 miles 9.1c (strange, i guess it was blowing colder outside air at first)
168miles 13.1c
169miles 24.1c
171miles 32.2c
172miles 47.0c

Gee's trust Doctor Npinks to come up with a scientific answer. Is your FL2 available for a weeks holiday in July? Cant see it getting that warm in Sunless blightly this Summer!! Now - 2017 BMW X3 M Sport Carbon Black
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Gone - 2011 Freelander 2 SD4 HSE Bali Blue with xenons
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I thought all Freelanders were fitted with the 'auxiliary heater – electrical positive temperature coefficient' nowadays which, I understood, was supposed to electrically supplement the heating until such time as the engine had warmed up enough to take over?

If so then the air should be warm fairly quickly. Or have I misunderstood what the 'auxilliary heater' does?

Don't think that auxiliary heater is on all models.

I recently traded in a 59 plate S. It was horrible in winter, and took ages to warm up.

My new GS warms up before I get off the estate, which is 300 metres.

My 2011 HSE seems to heat up really well, and very quickly too.