VW Beetle Heaters - How do they work?

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8 жыл бұрын

VW Classic Fix
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Is it getting cold driving your VW in winter? Check this out! Be sure to subscribe as I will be uploading a video in a few months detailing how you replace your heater boxes/heat exchangers.
How do classic VW heaters work? It's argued that they are a crude example of a heater, but when installed and operating correctly, they are very effective! I used to be a skeptic and never invested time in making sure my heaters work. Now I ensure all my VWs have working heaters.
Heater Boxes are often the same in Kombis, providing they are running a Type 1 Engine. Type 3 and 4 Engines have different exchangers, but the same principles apply.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Always be sure, before operating the heaters, that the heat exchangers themselves do not have any exhaust leaks. This can result in dangerous gasses entering your vehicle, which can be hard to detect as some are odorless.
If you've got any questions, please comment below.
Thanks for watching!

Пікірлер: 46

@cameranbittick3814 3 жыл бұрын

Those heaters worked better than any other heater in summer..they would burn your ankle if the shut-off cover was missing

@r.a.p.k.models4160 3 жыл бұрын

Believe or not , I ended here because as a mechanic ,my father use to have vw but I never knew,they have this heating system until I build a revell 1/24 model kit and I saw the exhaust, and I figured it out it was the heater system, what a smart and simple idea.

@jadamec 4 жыл бұрын

A few centurys ago,{1975} I had a "63" Bug for a short time, while rebuilding another car. They failed to mention in here, with just a wisker of rust, you were sucking on raw exhaust being pumped inside the car. Not a real biggy with mine though, since the thing didn't run / start when it was below 40 degrees !!

@VWClassicFix 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah those heaters were a comical design, at best! A blessing yours never started in the winter 😂

@Bruce_Wayne35 Жыл бұрын

Your automatic choke was probably not working properly.

@davidkosach3095 2 жыл бұрын

Wow what a very good video!! As a kid we used to bring our German Shepard to lay on our laps for heat ! Who knew ? Lol thanks this was awesome 🤩

@joshbriggsDayZBeast 7 жыл бұрын

very good thanks

@MrCharlesCurrent 6 жыл бұрын

Informative, Thanks!

@VWClassicFix 2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Charles!

@deandye3255 3 жыл бұрын

i often wonder how this could be safe looks like if you had an exhaust leak in the exhaust pipe running inside your heat chamber carbon dioxide would enter the car

@VWClassicFix 2 жыл бұрын

These heaters were never really safe, as exhaust leaks can start at any time. However, this engine shown in this video was indeed very tired and as a result, I didn’t run the heaters. I’ve since rebuilt the motor. Cheers! Ricky

@brianchisnell1548 3 жыл бұрын

If your heater works poorly, then you have something wrong. My acordian pipes from the engine to the body were completely plugged with the insulation. Replaced, and now blows really good and very hot! Check cable adjustment too. Cheers!

@VWClassicFix 7 жыл бұрын

Hey VW lovers! Thanks for all the great feedback and support surrounding VW Classic Fix. Today I have launched a Patreon page where you can donate $1 per month to our channel. I would love your support, so please sign up as a Patron of VW Classic Fix here: www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=5324293&rid=1490745 This will allow me to dedicate more time to bringing you tutorials - so you can get in the shed and get cracking on that Volkswagen of yours!! Many Thanks, Ricky

@joewoodchuck3824 6 жыл бұрын

I must be the only Beetle owner who got a lot more cabin heat for free. I came to realize that more heat was coming out of the rear seat floor vents than in front. Soon after I came across some cardboard tube material which had been the winding core for some kind of rolled merchandise. I cut one length as a test piece which was long enough to reach from the rear floor vents to the front floor mat. The run of tubing under the front seat was straight enough to say it fit well. The tube OD was just the right size so that it stayed in place by pushing it into the rear vent and held by friction alone. It worked fantastic. When I installed the second tube it was like I was in an entirely different car in terms of heat. I rarely had any rear seat passengers so it wasn't a problem to have the tubes in place during the cold season. I was in Connecticut to give an idea of the winter climate. Try it!

@dnacannotchange 8 ай бұрын

awesome

@jshippey Жыл бұрын

How does the cables attach to the older twist knob? Thank you

@DeanMk1 5 жыл бұрын

High for heat, Down for defrost....the Bug owners mantra. =)

@Djjavierancona 4 жыл бұрын

by any chance do you know if for opening and closing both heat exchangers on a 69 beetle (old platform mex beetle model with 2 levers by the handbrake) ...we utilize one or 2 wires? and also if only one wire is utilized to open both exchangers then how do I utilize the other lever? because before you said the other lever was for the direction of air, I thought each lever activated each exchanger so now I'm kinda confused... thanks...

@VWClassicFix 2 жыл бұрын

From memory, a 69 beetle would have one lever controlling both heat exchangers, and the other lever diverts the air to the windscreen or feet, depending on its position.

@Djjavierancona 2 жыл бұрын

@@VWClassicFix thank you... I already fixed them

@jakeofiach5044 4 жыл бұрын

Heater control Looks like a gas valve.... those Germans :o

@rexjolles 4 жыл бұрын

Well the Volkswagen beetle was partially designed by Hitler, so

@theguywithanobjective482 Жыл бұрын

@@rexjolles it wasnt designed by him, it was ferdinand porsche. He just gave him the idea of a family car that can go 80 kmh

@gerrymccracken6294 9 ай бұрын

I have a 71 Super, nothing to turn, just two levers on each side of the emergency brake...Can someone tell me what the right lever does and what the left lever does? Thanks

@danieltaylor4819 8 ай бұрын

Simple. The right one sends heat to the right side and the left sends heat to the left side of the vehicle.

@Bruce_Wayne35 Жыл бұрын

Didn't the JC Whitney company sell an electric heater upgrade kit for VW Beetles? I would think you would need to upgrade your alternator as well.

@sailordave1000 4 ай бұрын

This model didn’t even have an alternator

@Bruce_Wayne35 4 ай бұрын

@@sailordave1000 They also sold alternator kits so you could upgrade from the old, stock generators.

@soilmanted 7 жыл бұрын

It is hard to understand what is going on without cutting open the heat exchanger and seeing what is inside, and also it helps to have a diagram of exhaust flow, and fresh air flow. There are 2 heat exchangers and the heat exchanger shown is for the left side of the car, and the lever and flap are toward the front of the car. Exhaust gas from cylinder #3, the left front cylinder, enters an exhaust manifold that runs through the center of the heat exchanger. Surrounding the exhaust manifold are aluminum fins that help transfer heat from the exhaust manifold, to the air that runs through the outside portion of the heat exchanger - air from the same fan that blows air over the cylinder head and cylinders. The squeezable cardboard tubes (accordian tubes) mentioned divert some air from the engine to the heat exhanger instead. It enters at the large tube, roughly 5 cm in diameter, at the end without the flap. The flap is at the the end closest to the front of the car. So if the flap is closed, air will enter the heat exchanger but not FLOW through it. There is no exhaust manifold at the left rear cylinder, cyl #4. Exhaust from this cylinder goes directly from the cylinder head to the muffler. You can see the beginning of the exhaust manifold for cyl #3, near to the flap. This tube is about 2.5 cm in diameter and makes a flange-style connection to the cylinder head. Exhaust gas runs thru the manifold and travels the entire length of the h exch before entering the muffler, via the 2.5 cm round tube at the other end of the heat exchanger. This tube makes a tube-inside-tube style connection, to the muffler. The process is much easier to see if you have a diagram, with arrows showing the flow of air, and another set of differently colored arrows showing flow of exhaust gas. Actually it is not really a "manifold" (it is not a "many fold" set of tubes) but a single tube, from one cylinder, that flows through the tube at the center of the heat exchanger. Cyl 1 and 3 (right front and left front) have exhaust tubes going thru the center of heat exchangers; cyl 2 and 4 connect directly to muffler. In each heat exch, the exhaust gas goes from the front of the h exchanger to the rear, and then into the muffler, while the hot air travels in the opposite direction, from the rear of the heat exchanger to the front, and into tubing that leads into the passenger cabin.

@Djjavierancona 4 жыл бұрын

what I need to know is how the wiring is connected on both ends and if I need one or 2 wires... how do I connect this to the levers... ? do you know?? thanks

@76MrBlack 2 жыл бұрын

@@Djjavierancona depending on year. Two levers, the passenger side is for each heat exchanger opening to let air into car. Other lever on drivers side is two cables as well. Those end up opening flaps under the rear seat. There are kick plates (stock) below the rear seat that have flaps. Most of these have been ripped out.

@InsideOfMyOwnMind 6 жыл бұрын

It's funny how today we can see all the safety problems with a system like that. A bit of rust in the wrong place or just a blown head gasket and you're pumping as much exhaust gas into the cabin as possible. Germans. Can't live with em, can't live without em.

@Deprotination 6 жыл бұрын

Same thing with small aircraft like Cessnas. The have heat duct that comes off the muffler. Every 100 hours they get inspected for exhaust leaks.

@InsideOfMyOwnMind 6 жыл бұрын

I was just wondering if anyone would get the historical content in my post.

@pmvaldez1 5 жыл бұрын

@@InsideOfMyOwnMind what is it with Germans and gassing people?

@gradymcgowan6764 5 жыл бұрын

InsideOfMyOwnMind have you seen the extra gas heater

@pmvaldez1 5 жыл бұрын

@@gradymcgowan6764 I'm roasting using the diesel version of that heater.