Heater Controls

[OneSpirit]

I didn't see anythreads about this but, on a 94 Dodge Caravan, to turn teh heater on, you slide the temp control to the right. I have one problem with that. It turns off the recirculation and opens up the vents. Why I don't like that you may ask. Thanks for asking! During the winter time, when you are lucky enough to be behind a vehicle with some great exhaust fumes, guess what cold air does? Makes the fumes sink. And therefore, with your heater on and the vent is open, you get the pleasent fumes inside your vehicle, FREE!

So, please tell me there is a way to control the recirc vent. So that it will stay closed if you want the heater on. This is the first vehicle I own that didn't have that option separate. Strangest thing I have ever seen...

Thanks!

[KManiac]

I'm sorry, but I don't know what needs to be done to do what you are asking. And, quite frankly, I don't think you will like the results should you figure out how to do it. Let me explain:

We human beings expel warm, moist air from our bodies when we breath. The more passengers you have in your car, the faster warm, moist air accumulates inside the vehicle when occupied.

During the winter time, the outside air is quite cold and most people drive with all their windows closed. If you put your ventilation system on recirculate during this condition, the moisture content of the interior air will steadily increase over time. Eventually, the moisture content will become so great that the moisture will condense on the very cold, interior surfaces of every window in your vehicle. This can be desirable if you are parked somewhere with that special someone. But it is quite undesirable if you are trying to drive, especially in heavy traffic.

I have an older pickup truck with a separate control to select either "inside" or "outside" air (recirculate or fresh). There are rare occasions when my wife drives it. Whenever she starts up any car cold in the winter, the first thing she does is turn on the ventilation fan and push the temperature control to full hot. When that first blast of outside cold air hits her feet, she switches the system to recirculate. But once the car warms up, she forgets to switch it back to fresh. Then, when she gets home, I have to listen to her carry on for fifteen minutes or more on how that crappy old truck fogs up on the inside, she can't see where see is going and that we ought to junk the old heap. And hard as I do to explain the situation, she just can't grasp the concept of humidity and condensation, even though she has a college degree is Science. It's a good thing she doesn't read automotive forums.

Have you ever seen that occasional car drive by in winter with all of it's windows fogged up on the inside? I know I have. Nine times out of ten, those drivers have the same heater operational habits as my wife.

My 1991 Dodge Shadow has the same heater control arrangement as your van. I have never had the windows fog up on the inside while either I or my wife have driven the car.

So my suggestion to you is, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Corwin and Rumi]

I have a 1996 Dodge Caravan recently my heater stopped putting out heat
I replaced the thermostat, checked the heater lines (hot going into the firewall, and even tried to replacing the control pannel (with all the solid state stuff) still no heat.
a specialist tells me that perhaps the solonoid or motor controling the door that opens to let in the heat may need to be replaced to the tune of $600 smackers!! WOW that really hurts! and I am not sure if its worth it.. IS their any "trick" I can try to get some heat without paying an arm and a leg?