[Dental_FlossTycoon]

Now that the temps here in North Carolina are below freezing at night, I'm using the heater on my 2010 XL.
Am I the only one who thinks that it gets too hot?
I turn the fan off, and the temp knob to the farthest left(counter-clockwise) and the heat STILL comes out making me too warm while commuting. I change the heat to the floor or whatever, but HOT air spews out all over me while driving with everything off.

Is there a solution to this, or something the dealer could do?
It really is annoying to me and I'm not being picky.

 

[storiesbysteve]

Gee, mine in the 2010 is not hot enough!

PS: are you also moving to Montana soon???

 

[vintage42]

... 2010 XL... I turn the fan off, and the temp knob to the farthest left(counter-clockwise) and the heat STILL comes out making me too warm while commuting. I change the heat to the floor or whatever, but HOT air spews out all over me while driving with everything off.
Is there a solution to this, or something the dealer could do?...

The heater controls are not working; have the dealer fix it. It sounds like your controls are not moving the heater core valve and the flapper door, with both stuck open.

 

[Dental_FlossTycoon]

That's weird, if I turned on the fan I could melt cellophane with the temp turned all the way down as far as it goes, so weird.

Yeah, love me some Zappa.

 

[Dan]

PS: are you also moving to Montana soon???

Beat me to it. :Banane08:

Forced air will push air through the side dash vents (usually not the middle ones), even with the HVAC set for feet, so I close those dash vents off if things get too warm. I've also noticed that on our 04 it takes a while, maybe 15-30 seconds, for the temp to change when adjusting the temp knob - and that's in manual mode, not Auto. On ours we've chalked that particular behavior as "one of those things". But if your temp never gets cooler then maybe something is goofed up with the HVAC controls or heater core assembly (whichever part of it that controls the flow of heat).

 

[Lone Ranger]

What's a tycoon doing driving a Subaru in the first place? Get a Range Rover. :icon_wink:

 

[stevemac829]

Bring it to the dealer. If he tells you it's working fine (just kidding, he won't) put him in the car, take him for a drive w/the heater on "cold" and turn the fan on high. When he starts begging you to open a window make him promise to fix it right away! Pretty sure he'll agree...
Reminds me of one of my Dad's old 1950's something Chryslers he had when I was a kid...Same thing happened, heater core got coolant all the time and he couldn't turn the fan off. Boy, was that a hot summer.
Steve
09 2.5X AT
ps. on a serious note, I will say my subie comes up to "hot" temp faster than any other car I've ever owned. I think that's a good thing...

 

[RayinAlaska]

Now that the temps here in North Carolina are below freezing at night, I'm using the heater on my 2010 XL.
Am I the only one who thinks that it gets too hot?
I turn the fan off, and the temp knob to the farthest left(counter-clockwise) and the heat STILL comes out making me too warm while commuting. I change the heat to the floor or whatever, but HOT air spews out all over me while driving with everything off.

Is there a solution to this, or something the dealer could do?
It really is annoying to me and I'm not being picky.

It should only be very hot when the heat control knob is fully clockwise, and should gradually turn cooler as the control is gradually turned counterclockwise. Mine is just comfortable at 12:00 o'clock position. If I keep on turning it to the left (counterclockwise), the air temperature drops to zero by the time it's all the way to the left. The fan, and the air direction (air flow) controls do nothing for air temperature changes. The heat temperature control on my forester is the farthest one at the right. Is this the one you are turning?

I certainly enjoy the hot air while driving to work at -30 degrees outside But after 20 minutes of driving I turn the heat control to the left a couple of clicks. The Forester has a strong heater, something I am thankful for.

 

[ForesterDave]

Gee, mine in the 2010 is not hot enough!

PS: are you also moving to Montana soon???

I might be moving to Montana soon, just to raise me up some dental floss. Raisin' it up, waxin' it down, in a little white box, that I could sell up town. I'd have me a horse, just about this big, and ride it all along the border line. With a, pair of heavy duty, zircon-encrusted tweezers in my hand, every other wrangler would know, I was mighty grand! By myself I wouldn't have no boss, but I'd be raising my lonely dental-floss!

I was listening to Sleep Dirt just now. The Ocean Is The Ultimate Solution is one jammin' song.

Sorry I couldn't resist. My heater works fine, but I have noticed in the summer that with the heater completely off it does get warm around my feet and I need to use the A/C to cool off. Maybe it's a Subaru thing. Never noticed this with my old Toyota or Hondas.

 

[valvestem]

I think the 2010 Forester cycles the coolant through the heater core all the time, and relies on the controls/flaps/diverters/closers to direct/re-direct/"shutoff" the heat. So something may be out of adjustment or not working at all.

My 2010 literally "blasts" me out with heat, but I love it. I regulate the temperature by the right hand dial. sometimes I have to shut off the fan. But up here in Maine in the non-summer season(s), I 'd rather have too much heat than not enough.:biggrin:

And it warms up in about half the time as it took my old Jeep Liberty.

 

[pullngo]

mine is a 2010 limited with climate control and even on 65 degrees which is the lowest setting it seems to put out hot air. I have to turn the fan down low, problem then becomes that the windows fog up.not sure if this is a problem or a design flaw.

 

[trailangel]

Mine just the opposite. I don't have auto climate control. My heater takes a long time to heat up and seems like I have to turn it up all the way to warm up.

 

[vintage42]

mine is a 2010 limited with climate control and even on 65 degrees which is the lowest setting it seems to put out hot air. I have to turn the fan down low, problem then becomes that the windows fog up.not sure if this is a problem or a design flaw.

I am sure my 2008 ACC is the same as yours. 65 is the lowest degreed heat setting. When the knob is turned to the dot below the 65, the ACC brings in outside air, which may be warmed somewhat by transit through the cowl and ducts. If the outside air is not cool enough to reduce cabin temperature, then push the temperature knob to add mechanical cooling (AC).

I have been reading ACC complaints for the past two years, yet have no complaints about it myself. I think it is a matter of people not being able to figure out how to use the system. And a system that is not easily comprehended by the users indeed has a design flaw.

 

[vintage42]

I think the 2010 Forester cycles the coolant through the heater core all the time, and relies on the controls/flaps/diverters/closers to direct/re-direct/"shutoff" the heat....

I doubt that the heater core is hot all the time. It is inside the cabin, where it would add heat all the time. And I think the core is inline after the evaporator, which is useful when cooled air needs to be reheated for dehumidification and defrosting, but a permanently hot core would defeat the air conditioning.

I believe the temperature of the core is regulated by a valve on its coolant inlet, and the system uses flaps/diverters/closers to direct/re-direct the air where needed.

 

[dpm]

very few cars have coolant valves these days; the coolant matrix is used as part of the engine's bypass circuit...

 

[vintage42]

Mine just the opposite. I don't have auto climate control. My heater takes a long time to heat up and seems like I have to turn it up all the way to warm up.

Auto climate control just automates the manual actions of admitting coolant to the heater core, and should not affect how fast the coolant becomes warm.

When the engine is first started, the ACC does nothing. When the coolant temperature rises above 100F on the ScanGauge, which happens quickly in my 2008, the ACC begins gently blowing warm air. When the coolant reaches 150F a couple of minutes later, which is when the needle gauge reaches its permanent horizontal resting place, the ACC begins blowing a gale of warmer air which becomes hot as the coolant temperature tops out at 190F. My Forester is the fastest-heating car I have ever had.

I think you might heat the cabin faster with manual controls if you mimic the ACC by leaving the temperature knob on cold until the needle is rising, then turn it to hot.

 

[pullngo]

I am sure my 2008 ACC is the same as yours. 65 is the lowest degreed heat setting. When the knob is turned to the dot below the 65, the ACC brings in outside air, which may be warmed somewhat by transit through the cowl and ducts. If the outside air is not cool enough to reduce cabin temperature, then push the temperature knob to add mechanical cooling (AC).

I have been reading ACC complaints for the past two years, yet have no complaints about it myself. I think it is a matter of people not being able to figure out how to use the system. And a system that is not easily comprehended by the users indeed has a design flaw.

so what you are saying is that it is not really a temperature control, but rather a thermostat. And it will blow hot air until the cab reaches 65 or whatever temp. the thermostat is set on, but 65 is the min.

 

[BHTshelton]

Forester too hot not operator problem

Last night our 2007 Forester started with the all hot in any setting other then below 65. It was 23 F outside. I took it to the dealer today for other work asked him to look at the heater problem, he agreed it was not working correctly had the usual first time I'd seen this problem explanation. He did say all the blend door levers and flaps looked to be moving, assuming they are actually connected internally, we had 10 degrees the prior evening, maybe something snapped. Auto climate control is supposed to be that, set the temperature, and fan to auto should hold temperature, at least thats the way it works on the Acura! He did note the outside temperature sensor seemed to be stuck on 23 degrees, ever after an hour in the shop, he suggested it might be causing the problem by fooling the ACC system , I doubted the logic, but bought a Outside Temp sensor and changed it myself, no joy, same 23 reading even after a brief ride. So shotgunning that sensor seems ineffective. Has anyone got the diagnostic info to determine what sensor is no good. I tried to get on scooby mods but was kicked out for using Hotmail, no longer permitted on their site

 

[vintage42]

so what you are saying is that it is not really a temperature control, but rather a thermostat. And it will blow hot air until the cab reaches 65 or whatever temp. the thermostat is set on, but 65 is the min.

Yes. And the ACC has two issues, at least on the 2008 and earlier. I think the ACC setting always provides too much fresh air. After the thermostat is satisfied, the fan does not drop down far enough, but continues to blow more than would be needed to needed to merely maintain temperature. At that point I move the fan control from Auto to a low manual position. (And for Interstate travel, I turn the fan off to save it and let air pressure push the heat through the ducts.)

The other issue is the location of the thermostat which seems to not read the temperature in the upper part of the cabin where occupants feel it. After the cabin is warmed up for awhile, and the ACC drops down to maintain the set temperature, the cabin grows cool and the temperature must be boosted. The thermostat is in a little grille in the dash to the lower right of the steering wheel, and may be reading warm air from the floor heater, while the air felt at head level is cooler.

 

[Dental_FlossTycoon]

Thanks everyone, I think my 2010's heater is stuck or broken as when I select the knob all the way to the left(counter-clockwise) to below the 65 it's cold air that come through while driving. When I select just one click clockwise, it get really, really hot to warm air coming out, even with the fan completely off and outside air on.

So I think something's wrong. Auto-temp just fry's us all with heat until we can't take anymore in the front.