(Home) Rear heater not working

my townace is a 88 2l diesil, i am not able to get heat in the back, and at times it is obviousley freezing in the back for the kids /passengers is it the air conditioning and will it need re gassing. i have tried the switchers at all positions and no differance. i recently asked for help on starting problems the problem was as some had suggested , the valve clearances i am told the valves sink into the head after say 160 thousand miles onthe 2ct engine.

- (#7407) ANDY, 1 Jan 04 19:07

Probably an air lock in the rear matrix.
You may get away with squeezing various cooling hoses in the hope that the pressure will shift it.
If it doesnt then drain and slowly refill the coolant.
You have got the pressure cap with the float on fitted??....this helps in not allowing the system to draw air in on cool down when its under vaccum.

- (#7407) chris turner, 1 Jan 04 20:13

The rear heater matrix is fitted to the thermostat bypass section of the cooling system, so if the matrix is cold and there is no sign of overheating, then it suggests that either the heater matrix has been disconnected, or that the heat selector leaver is not working.
When you move the leavers on the rear heater, is there some resistance, or does it feel loose? I had a problem on my ace when the heater was stuck on hot, it turned out that the outer cable of the temperature selector had become detached from the leaver, and wasn’t allowing the inner cable to activate the flap.
There is a section on ace answers in the Bodywork & accessories folder under John cornfields project. Amongst loads of other stuff, it details removing and checking the rear heater controls.

- (#7407) dave Bright (Bournemouth), 2 Jan 04 06:01

When I got mine 3 years ago there was no heat in the back. However, I hadn't realised until I found these pages of wisdom that there was a rocker switch that permitted the rear heating - it had just been removed and blanked off!

- (#7407) Mike Rawson, 7 Jan 04 15:07