Have only noticed it since the weather has got colder but i can only get heat going to the screen if i select the vents all i get is cold air but still hot air to the screen none of the variations on the controls seem to make the air get warm to the face vents Any ideas without ripping the dash out ?

Do you mean the vents in the centre console section? If so, they are fresh air vents only.

Any ideas without ripping the dash out ?

Keep the vents closed

But seriously, the system can be modified to supply hot air from middle console, but it is rather laborious job:

http://www.fiatuno.pl/fiatuno,1,166.html

I’d agree with the above

As you have a MK2, set temp and air controls to max. Keep air vents closed and the slider under the fan speed switch should let you direct hot air to you’re feet.

Regards,

You won't get hot air through the regulating vents. It's designed that way. Hot air comes to the front window, tiny side vents, and to your feet. And it is not really hot either...

That's it.

Morten.

As everyone has already mentioned, the centre console air vents are fresh air vents only. The idea is that you can heat the foot wells and the screen, but allow fresh air at face level to stop the interior getting 'muggy'. If a driver breathes in too much hot air, it tends to promote tiredness. Logical really!

If the heater is not very efficient, then chances are the cooling system needs a service. Most people tend to neglect the cooling system - when was the last time the coolant/ anti freeze was changed and the system flushed through. How good is the thermostat?

Even when the temperatures have dropped to freezing, my little Uno still manages to reach 70 degrees on the temperature gauge. Takes longer to warm up, but it gets there in about 1 - 2 miles. If anything, my heater is too good and I end up having to turn it down!

If you suspect that the cooling system isn't working very well, first thing to check is the temperature the car will reach after a run in cold weather. If it reaches 70 degrees but the heater isn't very good, then the heater matrix is probably clogged up. If even after a run the temperature gauge struggles to move from the bottom of the gauge, the chances are that the thermostat is worn and stuck open (leading to over cooling).

It takes very little to service the cooling system. Buy a new thermostat (not expensive) plus some Blue Hylomar and a gasket. Also buy approx. 4 litres of coolant/ antifreeze. For peace of mind, buy some de-ionised water (same as for steam irons), and make a 50/ 50 mix of coolant and water.

Disconnect the radiator bottom hose and drain coolant. Then remove the thermostat.

Now you can 'backflush' the system by using a hosepipe stuck into the thermostat opening. Make sure the heater controls are set to hot. Pump water through until it runs clear out of the disconnected radiator bottom hose.

You can also disconnect the heater matrix pipes where they enter into the bulkhead (behind the engine, next to the brake servo). Flush these through with the hose to clean out the matrix, do both pipes if possible until again the water runs clear.

To be extra thorough you can backflush the radiator too, though you'll need to remove it from the car. This is easy as it is only held in place by two clips on the slam panel.

With the radiator out of the car, backflush this as well starting from the bottom hose connection (turn radiator upside down to do this) . You can flush through both ways once the water runs clear.

Now put the radiator back into the car and connect all pipes that were removed. Fit a new thermostat following the instructions in Haynes/ Porter manuals.

With everything connected, now it's time to put the 50/ 50 coolant/ water mix into the radiator. Fill up (making sure the heater controls are still set to hot/ maximum), and use the two bleed screws (one on the radiator, one near the heater matrix pipes) to make sure there is no air trapped in the system. Put radiator cap back on, start engine and run until it reaches operating temperature. Check for leaks.

You'll probably have to top up the radiator a couple of times until all air is out of the system, but once done you shouldn't lose any coolant under normal driving.

Now the cooling system is flushed through and hopefully all sludge that may have been present is now cleared out. The coolant/ antifreeze will help prevent corrosion of the water ways and stop freezing, and the new thermostat will allow the engine to reach operating temperature quicker and stay there.

Job done, and a greatly improved engine cooling system and nice warm feet from the heater!

Chas

Done all of the above and my heater still sucks

And the selector for feet/windscreen doesn't do anything

Muzzie said:

Done all of the above and my heater still sucks

And the selector for feet/windscreen doesn't do anything

Click to expand...

The fact that your footwell/ windscreen selector doesn't do anything sounds as if your heater box has faults. That particular selector only operates a flap inside the box to distribute air.

To try and isolate the problem, run the engine up to operating temperature. Does the temperature gauge register normal running temperature (between 70 - 90 degrees)?

If so, then with the heater control selected to 'hot' and the air bleed selector to 'maximum', open the bonnet and check the two heater pipes going into the bulkhead. Put your hand on them, and see if they are both hot. Alternatively, you can also access the two pipes from where they come into the drivers footwell. If one is hot and the other is cold, then your heater matrix is blocked or the valve at the side of the heater box is jammed closed. If both pipes are hot, then you have have hot water circulating into and out of the heater matrix, so you have an air flap problem within the heater box.

Also check to see that the cables operating the heater are connected and moving!

Lastly, make sure the heater box isn't blocked full of leaves! Does it still blow out cold air without a problem?

If you do this, then you should be able to isolate the problem and know what next to do.

Good luck, and let the forum know how you get on!

Chas

which is the thermostat? next to disributercap?

sometimes bits of plastic or old pipe can break away inside pipes and cause a blockage, i found a piece of metal the size of a penny stuck at the bottom of the heater matrix valve which had stopped my heaters from working properly and because of the blockage it caused water pressure to build up in the cooling system too. So worth checking all your hoses for broken bits of debris.

F R O $ T Y

lorain said:

which is the thermostat? next to disributercap?

Click to expand...

Welcome to The Fiat Forum Lorain ,

The Fire Engine’s thermostat (arrowed).





There’s a couple more pictures here https://www.fiatforum.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=619

Regards,
Louie.

my 2 side vents dont kick out no air :/ . window and middle ones do though

The two side vents aren't designed to blow out air with the interior fan. They only blow out cold air once the car is moving. The two very small vents above these do blow out air with the fan and are used mainly for demisting the side windows.

Do you have the owners handbook that came with the car? If you do, have a look at it because it explains which vents do what and which ones work off the fan!

nope no books at all appart from "logbook".

Owner manuals pop up on ebay once every 1/2 weeks or so - it's worth picking one up

Mainly for 1986Uno45s' Benefit.

Car doesn't get up to temp, thermostat buggered I guess. But I can leave it idling and its warms up. All the sliders and cables are connected in the heater box, I can hear the sliders moving and and checked the cables. Both heate pipes through the firewall get hot. Doesn't blow leaves (already cleaned them out). Still no hot air

Yeah well Muzzie, I think you know the answer on this one!

You need to splash out for a replacement thermostat. Bit pricey for us in NZ - about $150 (that's 54 pounds, if anyone cares!) for a Turbo one, probably closer to $90 for a standard 1301cc (Uno 70) version. The difference? The Turbo one has a drilled and tapped hole for the coolant temperature sensor (for the fuel injection).

I have never liked drilling and tapping holes (they usually end up loose and wobbly for me) but if you know someone with some metric taps and the correct (odd!) size drill bits, then it would be a great way to save $60-odd.

You will find that with the new thermostat, you have pretty much instant heat from the heater, and that lovely little temperature gauge will point to between 1/3 and 1/2-scale...

It's still possible that your heater valve is stuck, particularly if it's the white rectangular shape (not the black, heart-shape). Once you take a look, it'll make sense The rectangular one has a sliding piece that can jam, even if the operating lever still moves normally. The heart-shaped design is much better, as the valve plate rotates instead of sliding. But I think you should sort out the thermostat first.

-Alex

alexGS said:

Yeah well Muzzie, I think you know the answer on this one!

You need to splash out for a replacement thermostat. Bit pricey for us in NZ - about $150 (that's 54 pounds, if anyone cares!) for a Turbo one, probably closer to $90 for a standard 1301cc (Uno 70) version. The difference? The Turbo one has a drilled and tapped hole for the coolant temperature sensor (for the fuel injection).

I have never liked drilling and tapping holes (they usually end up loose and wobbly for me) but if you know someone with some metric taps and the correct (odd!) size drill bits, then it would be a great way to save $60-odd.

You will find that with the new thermostat, you have pretty much instant heat from the heater, and that lovely little temperature gauge will point to between 1/3 and 1/2-scale...

It's still possible that your heater valve is stuck, particularly if it's the white rectangular shape (not the black, heart-shape). Once you take a look, it'll make sense The rectangular one has a sliding piece that can jam, even if the operating lever still moves normally. The heart-shaped design is much better, as the valve plate rotates instead of sliding. But I think you should sort out the thermostat first.

-Alex

Click to expand...

*sighs*

But it's such a prat of a job to do. Sigh, and damn thats expensive.

No, those are easy jobs
Thermostat, maybe an hour or two including refilling/testing the cooling system. Heater valve - about to do it myself, just put a piece of plastic under the expansion tank cap (sealing it) to minimise coolant loss, then put a drain pan in the footwell and unbolt the valve. A one hour job or less?

Try a clutch change or a quick control arm replacement some time

-Alex

tonyfurnell said:

Owner manuals pop up on ebay once every 1/2 weeks or so - it's worth picking one up

Click to expand...

i know this thread is ancient and gone, but i have complete uno maintenance manual if anyone is interested. just pm me and i'll host the pdf so you can DL.
PS the worst part of fixing the "heater box" is adjusting the the selector flap cable so it works properly once you have everything back in place...