Sorry....shameless use of my femininity there to grab your attention lol.... Sorry but I'm in a desperate bind n would be immensely grateful if someone could share their mechanical know how with me regards my malfunctioning 2008 panda 1.2 and its broken heater please????
Whilst I'm all for equality in certain domains I must confess to being embarrassingly uneducated regards auto mechanics bar the most basic requirements for car ownership (quiet simply I can top up oil water n anti freeze and if an emergency change a tyre if I have to but that's it). Simply put my partner wld always do the car maintenance type stuff in the past but since he passed away 5 yes ago ive had to become a bit more hands on.

Now before any of u gents mutter the 'women drivers....' retort to my proclamation of having a minor fender bender a few wk ago I wld just like to mention that I've drove since I was 18 n prior to 3 wks ago never crashed into anyone in 15 yrs of driving. Unfortunately I'd had to swerve to avoid going up the bum of the mini bus in front who'd slammed on and incurred what I'd til now believed was cosmetic damage confined to my front passenger side bumper. The head light casing whilst in tact the indicator light did stop working. However now the heater has suddenly stopped blowing warm air out past couple ld days , the temperature gauge seems to be getting high quicker than normal and last night or 2 ive noticed when I arrive home and switch off ignition there's still some sort or motor /fan type noise coming from bonnet.

Cld any kind individual pls advise me of likely causes and if there's any relatively basic possible solutions I could try. I REALLY don't have the cash for repairs this mth (I've even been just putting up with the damaged bumper til next month) but equally have to make a trip 200meach way from liver to Isle of Wight next wk and back so don't want to depart on a journey if car likely to blow up/fallapart /be unsafe to myself and or other Rd users....plus I really don't fancy a 5 and half hr journey in a fridge in early hrs of morning. Failing that and if my only option is to go to the professionals how much wld u estimate it costing me pls?

My apologies for the epic length of this post and for those with the stamina to have got to the end my sincere thanks for your time and any advice you can give me. X

Hi Laura, welcome to the forum

Has this only started happening since the bump? I'd start with a visual inspection of the cooling system to ensure that none of the pipework has any breaks, bends or kinks preventing or hindering coolant flow. These might not be immediately obvious, and you may need to take the hoses off of the radiator to see if the radiator hose inlet/outlets are broken. The channels in the radiator are obviously quite thin, and a front end collision could've collapsed enough of these to hamper coolant flow too.

If in doubt, take some pics and upload them here or let us know your location and someone local may be able to cast an experience eye over it.

Warming up quicker than normal with the fans on after switching off.
Heaters not blowing hot air

Sounds like there's little coolant in the radiator

Don't drive the car until you have checked this

A powerful torch helps to see the coolant level

It's possible to cause more expensive problems by ignoring this.

Is this Panda an Eleganza or other model which has digital climate control versus twisty-button heater setting - this will help rule out the not uncommon issues with the automated system.

AB100 said:

Is this Panda an Eleganza or other model which has digital climate control versus twisty-button heater setting - this will help rule out the not uncommon issues with the automated system.

Click to expand...

Correct.. but not the indicated coolant temp climbing quicker..

Hi Laura.and welcome.

It does sound like it is low on coolant.

The yellowy..off white canister is tricky to see a level in..
TIP:
stood at front of car ..with the right headlight by your left knee..


Use a LIGHT down the headlight side of the yellowed radiator tube..
Looking from the engine side you should have a CHINESE LANTERN effect...seeing Dark fluid on the lower half..and Yellowed airspace at the top.

My suspicion is that the radiator ..now 10 years in service..hasnt taken kindly to a violent shake (and light reshaping..).

Check and top up the COOLANT 1st..and let us know what you find.

Charlie...panda owner

Laura jayne said:

Sorry....shameless use of my femininity

Now before any of u gents mutter the 'women drivers....' retort to my proclamation of having a minor fender bender a few wk ago I wld just like to mention that I have to make a trip 200meach way from liver to Isle of Wight next wk and back so don't want to depart on a journey if car likely to blow up/fallapart /be unsafe to myself and or other Rd users....plus I really don't fancy a 5 and half hr journey in a fridge in early hrs of morning. Failing that and if my only option is to go to the professionals how much wld u estimate it costing me pls?

My apologies for the epic length of this post and for those with the stamina to have got to the end my sincere thanks for your time and any advice you can give me. X

Click to expand...

I am sure the GUIDE element at the top of Panda section will show the basics of restoring heater function.

Been there severall times with our 2004 1.1 Active...

Charlie. Oxford

Re: Could u get me all hot n sweaty again pls?!

Hi Laura.

If the heater fan works only on full speed, you need a new speed control resistor. If nothing happens, check the fuses but if still nothing it needs further investigation. If you are not into sparkie stuff, get an auto electrician or local garage on the case.

You also need to confirm there is enough coolant in the engine. Pandas are reliable but running low on coolant is VERY not good.

At the "back" right side of the engine bay (open bonnet, looking from front of car) you will see the coolant hoses going into the passenger compartment. On the top there is a little plastic thumbscrew not much bigger than a tyre valve cap. Loosen it. If coolant immediately dribbles out you are good to go. If there is air you need to top it it up and vent any trapped bubbles the same way.

Top up coolant in the usual way, run the engine to circulate. Stop the engine and after a few minutes open that vent to release any trapped air. Be careful when closing the screw is plastic and easily broken.

Now the gloom/doom bit.
Modern cars HATE running low on coolant and will often blow the head gasket. If you hear gurgling from the heater then you have air in the system. A common source of losing coolant is the radiator being pin-holed followed soon after by the head gasket.

On the plus side, Pandas are simple things so repairs need not cost megabux.