Stupid Question on Heater Hoses, System

People sometimes say there's no such thing as a Stupid Question. While that may be true, there is no shortage of Inquisitive Idiots.

Having said that.

In trying to learn more about the 308, I've notice lots of chat about heater hoses, the difficulty in replacing them, etc.

Here's the stupid question: I live in Florida. Assume for the moment that I never, ever will desire the climate control system to offer me heated air coming out of the air vents to keep me comfortable.

With that assumption in mind, is the heating system something I can basically ignore? Or is it tied in to others systems, such that the hoses/fans/etc still need to be nicely maintained so that some other system (such as the radiator, or fuel pump, passenger seat, or left tire) doesn't explode without warning?

Clarification Edit: I'm not seeking ways to destroy the car by ignoring problems. Rather, I'm trying to understand if all these heater elements are ONLY for driver comfort, or if they're impacting a more important system and therefore are crucial to maintain.

 

Well it is connected to your coolant system. You can disconnect it if you wanted but it wouldn't make the air any cooler unless the activation valve allows some warm water into the system when off.

Also that might dry-rot the lines for the next guy or if you get transferred to Iceland and want heat again.

And it does act as a radiator booster if needed.




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I have disconnected mine and removed the 2 little heater cores as well to improve cabin airflow.I also fitted airduct hose in front of blower motors to draw in cooler air .No need for a heater as its too hot her Easy job to refit if required later .

 

Did the same on the QV for years. Finally got it all back together and reinstalled, but put ball valve on the heater line, which I've never opened.

 

They draw hot coolant from the pipes and hoses that cycle antifreeze between the engine and the radiator. Theoretically they could be deleted: they are supplied by the long line that runs from a nipple on the rear bank cylinder head through the driver door sill to a junction near the brake booster, where the line splits and feeds both heater cores. Coolant then exits down to a nipple branching off the aluminum radiator return pipe covered by the front undercarriage inspection panel. You can choose where to disconnect the system. The heater cores are heavy and FRAGILE, so it may be easiest to bypass the system by just cutting off the supply and return, maybe by splicing in inline petcocks? That would make your modifications completely reversible should the car ever change hands or relocate to cooler climates. If you want a little weight reduction, go ahead and pull the heater cores, but that will leave you with a lot of loose rubber hoses to make a fine flooding mess, and they are ALL a b***h to re-install later if you pull those in addition.

One last word of caution: The nipple at the cylinder head can get very corroded over time, and can become brittle if you try to pull off the long heater hose. If it breaks, you're in for having it tapped out by a pro, so maybe consider splicing in a cutoff valve a few inches further down.

 

Great idea using a ball valve , I would of gone that way too if Id known.

 

MASERATI 3500 MISTRAL INDY GHIBLI WATER VALVES SET OF 4 - Maseratisource


I have wondered if these would work in case an old water line failed.
Not a Ferrari part but at least it is Italian.

 

Lots of good info to ponder, exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks everyone.

 

its a bad idea to let coolant sit for long periods of time, even in a closed system. Some of the components in coolant degrade over time and some of them decompose into acids etc.

leave the lines connected and change your coolant every two years to protect all that expensive hardware.

Or disconnect it, flush it and drain it and/or remove it. But dont leave old coolant in anything.

 

I think I'm going to leave everything as-is (to say, connected as designed.) Probably won't be replacing the 517 meters of older heater hose in the near future... if I start ripping apart any climate system soon, it will be the (non-conditioning) air-conditioner.

 

^^ I agree. Changing out those AC or brake booster hoses that run from front to back really isn't that hard to do so long as you're willing to have the car sit in the garage a few days while you work on it after hours. Some of the best advice I've received here is .." don't get in a hurry." The sense of accomplishment you will get after completing some of these maintenance items is just as gratifying as driving the car.