Gentlemen, I have an '81 gtsiI have an incredible amount of heat coming from under the dash when the car gets on temperature, even with the ventilation closed and the temp controls on the cold side. Even with the top open it makes for quite a hard time, and this when you should start having fun.. Any thoughts (e.g. heat screens missing)?
Check the operation of the heater controls under the front deck lid. One each side. The cable pulls should open and close the valves.
the heat in the passenger compartment is from the radiator return and feed lines going to and from the engine. They travel between the seats and have less insulation under the dash. Another heat source into the cabin is from the ashtray area due to the heat from the pipes.
fedev, I also have an 81' GTSi and know EXACTLY what you are talking about. On a nice mid-70's day with a little breeze blowing it's tolerable, but when it's 80+ outside and humid all that heat makes me sweaty and extremely irritable as hell! I'd sure like to know how to fix this as well! -Jesse
Ok, apparently this is normal but... As a winter project I would like to remove the spare wheel case (I decided to drop the spare anyway) and replace it with a deflector (f-glass?) to deviate hot air flow to the vents above headlamps, possibly achieving a better cooling/aerodynamics at the same time.. Well, maybe this is ambitious (or just plain B-S) but I think the relatively modest effort is worth the try.
By removing the spare tire you will loose crash proctection. You best bet is to change the sensor to allow the fans to turn on sooner, change the thermostate to a colder one (meaning one that opens sooner) and change the cooling fans from the stock to Hayden fans that blow more air.
I've actually done this... with not much effect. One thing that does help is making sure your foam rubber between the hood and the spare tire compartment is sealing properly (or even there in some cases). Look in the archives, several people have *****ed (myself included) about the heat issue in 308's. Another thing to look at is the seal where the steering shaft goes through the front fire wall. one other possibility is to insulate the tunnel that the cooling lines run through. I really believe though that the problem has to do with deteriorating seals around the steering column and brake pedal.
Consider installing some insulation. Some sort of shield between the coolant lines and the fiberglass of the interior. You can also put some thin stuff on the other side of the fiberglass, under the carpeting. I'm going to do both to my 330. (If you 308 guys complain about the heat generated by hot water, you'd really fuss over hot V-12 exhaust pipes!)
I'm not familiar with the set-up on the 308 with the pipes, tunnel, etc. But I've dealt with extreme heat problems in several XKEs over the years, particularly a '72 XKE 2+2 that I did a lot of work on. The big V-12 engine would literally cook the footwells. Old Jaguars are notorious for footwell heat problems. I found some stuff call Koolmat (www.koolmat.com). NAYYY. It's expensive, but amazing stuff. I plugged all the holes I could find and then lined the inside of the footwells and transmission tunnel with the Koolmat. No more heat problems. You might want to consider using some of this stuff if the problem is coming from heat transmission through the tunnel walls or footwells. But be sure to plug up every hole you can find. You can't imagine how much heat can come in through even a small hole. Regards, Steve
i gues i have a tough time realizing that removing the spare tire in front will make crash protection worse. the spare tire is not designed to 'crumple' in a crash, therefore removeng it will allow the front end to crumple much better. i think in a front end collision, i would hate to have that spare tire in my lap. i understand some may say that the spare is an integral part of the original design, but it still doesnt add structure or crumple. any more thoughts on this??? thanks john
308's don't crumple. They just plain bend. Also, the weight of the spare tire from the fornt end will shift the weight balance.
Yeah, it'll also make your car look goofy running down the road with the nose pointed up. Unless you're planning to change springs to match, keep the spare. I think debating the crash protection is a moot point, you can kiss your sweet arse goodbye if you get into something serious. Who's replaced their 25 year old seatbelts? (That's a rhetorical question) These things aren't designed like modern cars with crumple zones, they're a tube frame, so they'll stay as rigid as they can in a crash. As for the spare's impact on that... I'm not even certain if the frame's triangulated on the front bulkhead, but I assume so. As such, the tire will provide additional structure up front and absorb energy in deflecting the tire against the bulkhead, so it should help. The old school crash testing was done on the car had it in place, so you know that's a valid setup.
Less weight in front will cause MORE understeer...You lose adhesion for the front tires, not gain, by removing weight from the front.
Have not noticed a difference over the last 3 years I have had the spare removed. Car steers and sits alright and if you crash a 308 up front it will be a mess. Best bet is to get 4 point belts to hold you in.
Or, don't crash. Ever seen the test track footage from the factory? Those cars are driven in stock configuration at way faster speeds and wild angles than any of us will ever dream of. As useless as the spare seems, it may be cheaper than the tow truck one day to keep it onboard.
Is this common only to the earlier cars? I just spent almost an entire day in an 83 QV in 80 degree weather and didn't notice any problem.
My '83QV GTB doesn't sound as bad as is being described here. But, I do absolutely feel heat on my legs while driving. This is not from the windshield. It also negates the miserable AC. I've had my hand on all the vents, and it isn't from them. I can't seem to localize it at all, except it is almost a breeze just above my knees. About where the vents would blow.
If i may add: at higher speed the Euro spec (and deep air dam) might cause the front end to go light(!) as it is higher than the rear due to less front weight without spare. Get that front end DOWN! The new suspension, corner weighing and proper front down angle solved MANY problems as i NEVER carried the spare.
