How can it be...??!!

[Bilkob]

.......that the heater in my C15 van has the heat and strength to cook all the chickens in the back that it was originally designed to carry, and yet my CX heater can't even reach the gearstick with anything approaching warmth??!
Still, regular use and some long rapid ( ) journeys are really helping my Turbo. It's so much better to drive!

[CitroJim]

Duff thermostat most likely - stuck wide open...

[wurlycorner]

Totally inadequate air flow through the entire cx heater system by original design, is the main reason!
That plus the coolant flow rate through the heater matrix isn't great, so it clogs/sludges up quickly/easily, plus the air mixer flaps (I'm assuming we're talking series 2 cx here) get stuck or leak by because they don't seal well...

So apart from all that... It's a great system

[Peter.N.]

I would concur, I ran CX's for 10 years and none of them had a decent heater as above. There was an air intake scoop available to fit on the bonnet to increase the airflow but never saw one here although I did see one in a French film once - probably the only one they sold.

The aerodynamics of the car were to good for a decent pressure at the intake.

Peter

[Bilkob]

It was kind of a rhetorical question but just HOW did they think this was acceptable??
It makes zero difference as I'm really enjoying mine at the moment. I'll take the epic steering and ride and whoosh and brakes and interior and live with the 'ventilation'........

[Peter.N.]

It certainly wasn't acceptable to me, but then I'm. cold at anything below 25C and it did get warm eventually if you went far enough but they were such fantastic cars that I put up with it, when I eventually went over to XM's it was chalk and cheese, a real treat to be warm.

Peter

[wurlycorner]

Yep, I know it was rhetorical Was just 'celebrating' the features of the system with you

[momag46]

I had a DTR Turbo Safari and that took over 5 miles to get the car warm when the outside temperature was near zero.

Still a great car. I also move on to an XM and there was no comparison, but I did miss the CX steering.

Maurice

[Peter.N.]

My last XM was a CX25 DTR Turbo, fantastic car. Mine had the dreaded porous block syndrome, the head gasket would fail about every 15k miles, such was my affection for the car that in the around the 160k I had it I had to replace the gasket something like 10 times or more, I even had the block machined, made no difference though so I just kept changing the gaskets.

Mind you it was a relatively easy job compared with a modern car, the engine faces forwards so you are looking at the top of the head, it was also a push rod engine so no cam belt hassle although it did have a belt driving the pump, by the time I had done a few mods like replacing some of the studs with bolts I could get the head off in about half an hour, the longest job was re setting the tappets each time.

The Turbo 2 version just after mine had an intercooler and produced 120 hp at 3600 rpm, did 0-60 in around 10 seconds and 120 mph, in the 1980s!.

With the steering and suspension set up it had, it was the best car I have ever had - except for the heater and handbrake.

Peter

[CitroJim]

With the steering and suspension set up it had, it was the best car I have ever had - except for the heater and handbrake.

Not to mention its appetite for head gaskets Peter

Yes, these days any OHV engine seems a doddle to do in comparison to any overhead cam engine...

Not quite as easy as a sidevalve but not far off!

[Stickyfinger]

install a wood burning stove ?

[demag]

My CX was very poor, my legs were always cold but I used to get a headache from all the heat gushing from the screen vents. My BX heater is brill and the C5 is ok as well but once again a bit wheezy from the floor vents. The strange thing is No 1 son has the heat blasting out of the face vents on his Nissan Note as does No 2 son on his Insignia and the brother in law on his A series Merc. What is wrong with these people?!

[van ordinaire]

I remember when Ford managed to defy physics by having heaters that produced almost instant warmth, certainly long before the temp gauge got up to Normal but otherwise I would've thought 5 miles was good; I'm used to 15, or even 50, miles before any signs of warmth (in any vehicle over the last 15, 20 years) I just accept that old(er) stuff won't have a heater worthy of the name although if you've read my blog you'll know that, as of last w/e, I seem to have hit the jackpot, & scored a hat-trick, in that dept.

If/when they do work, the face vents stay firmly shut, although P6 Rovers (V8's at least) would produce a comfortably warm cabin, with pleasantly cool fresh air on the face. Nothing, even with a/c, has improved on that.

[Peter.N.]

I start getting warm air from the vents within a minute or two on the 406s I also did on the C5 as the diesel ones at least have an electric auxiliary heater, draws around 100 amps but gives quite a reasonable heat output. You can see the headlights going dim and bright as it cuts in and out until the coolant reaches a certain temperature. I am amazed that they all still work on 16 year old cars. I thought all diesel cars had them - but apparently not.

Peter

[CitroJim]

install a wood burning stove ?

You could use charcoal in it and cook breakfast on the way to work

I remember when Ford managed to defy physics by having heaters that produced almost instant warmth, certainly long before the temp gauge got up to Normal

The Xantia Activa with the 2.0TCT defies physics in the same way by giving almost instant heat too!